A Blog About Jam

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

My obsession with the craft of “jam making” started last Summer.  We have a fig tree that was producing hundreds of figs… more than we could possibly eat or give to friends, family and neighbors.  I couldn’t bear to let the fruit go to waste, so I began googling “things to make with figs.”  Most of the items were dessert items that were far too advanced for my skill level.  But, I did find a recipe to make Fig Jam that did not seem that difficult… and the rest is history.

By July of last year, the fig tree was producing figs in full force.  Unfortunately, we have had a very mild (seems like June Gloom has bled into July and now even August) Summer.  I can see lots of baby figs on the tree, but they are not maturing!!!

I check the tree daily to see if any of the figs are “ready” to be turned into jam.

The GREAT news is that as of today, I have 9 figs that I picked from the tree. 

I’m going to do a small batch of the Fig Jam tonight or tomorrow.  Woohoo!

Complete Side Note:  I am realizing that the guavas and the figs have a lot in common— tropical green skin with a stunning pink inside.

TOOLS

It’s important to have the right tools to make your jam.  I already mentioned my secret weapon (the wok), but I haven’t addressed knives yet.

The knives that you use to cut/chop your fruits with is important.  Using a dull knife makes the entire process much more time consuming and difficult.  Conversely, using the ‘right’ knife makes the process a breeze. 

I recommend the Komachi knives.  They are stunning (super colorful) and make cutting things a dream.  The high-carbon stainless steel of the blade provides a razor sharp edge, while the fluorinated resin coating keeps food from sticking during preparation, resists corrosion, and makes cleaup quick and easy.

Check it out:

They can be pricey, but often go on sale.  I got mine from Macy’s during a 40% off sale.

If you cannot afford to buy a set and only can buy one, the best one to buy is the Santoku knife.  It is your standard chef’s knife that can be used for just about everything.

Happy Slicing and Dicing!

More on Guavas…

Just learned that Guavas are a SUPER food.  Read more below, but just makes me feel even better about eating my Guava Jam!

Guavas

Guavas are a small tropical fruit that can be round, oval, or pear-shaped. They’re not all that common, so they might be hard to find, depending on where you live. But if you can track them down, it’s more than worth it. Guavas contain more of the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable, and nearly 20 percent more than tomatoes. Our bodies can’t process much of the lycopene in tomatoes until they’re cooked; the processing helps break down tough cell walls. However, guavas’ cell structure allows the antioxidant to be absorbed whether the fruit is raw or cooked, and the whole fruit offers the nutrition without the added sodium of processed tomato products.

Lycopene protects our healthy cells from free radicals that can cause all kinds of damage, including blocked arteries, joint degeneration, nervous system problems, and even cancer. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of prostate cancer; in addition, men with prostate tumors who consumed lycopene supplements showed significant improvements, such as smaller tumors and decreased malignancy. Lycopene has also been found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, and research suggests that this antioxidant may also help protect against coronary heart disease.

This strange-looking little fruit is also packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants. Serving for serving, guava offers more than 60 percent more potassium than a banana, which can help protect against heart disease and stroke. In fact, the nutrients found in guavas have been shown to lower LDL and boost HDL cholesterol, reduce triglycerides, and lower blood pressure.

http://health.yahoo.net/caring/12-foods-with-super-healing-powers

PECTIN

Ok, so let’s talk pectin.  Most jam/jelly/marmalade recipes list pectin a necessary ingredient.

I’m sure a lot of people are thinking: “what the heck is pectin?”

Pectin is a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. In layman’s terms, pectin is the component in fruit that “gels” fruit or juice into jam or jelly.

I have never added pectin to any of my jams nor do I ever plan on adding this ingredient.  Here is why:

Some store-bought pectins include (pause to add suspense) AMMONIA!  (pause for gasps of shock and horror) 

Yes, shocking but true, some pectin factories add ammonia to the pectin mixture to make it work without added sugar normally needed.  Then, sometimes, this mixture is mixed with  dextrose or sugar to stabilize it. 

What a lot of people don’t know is that a lot of fruits already naturally contain a good amount of pectin.  All of my jams also contain a certain amount of lemon, which acts as a natural pectin.  Furthermore, unripened fruits are higher in pectin content.  As the fruit becomes riper, the enzymes in the fruit break down the pectin.  So, when I make my jams, I make sure to include some ripe fruit and also some very unripe fruit.

A list of fruits and their pectin levels is below:

Hope this helps answer any questions about pectin.  Happy “jamming.”

SF and Oakland Underground Market

I told my dear friend Frank that I had started to make jams and he asked me if it was the type of jam found in “underground markets.”  I had no idea what an underground market even was, so I did some searching…

This is what I learned: 

In 2009, Iso Rabins, an aspiring chef and wild food proponent, founded the SF Underground Market to promote the food creations of those who found it too difficult or too expensive to get their fare into a farmers’ market.  Since then, it has expanded to Oakland.

The Underground Market is essentially a members only Farmer’s Market.  You pay an entrance fee to enter the market and the vendors do not need to have permits or use commercial kitchens. 

This sounds wonderful.  DIY-ers (“Do It Your Self”ers) can share their homemade paella, pulled pork, heirloom tomato salads, beef jerky, vegan black bean tamales, gourmet mac and cheese, cupcakes, pizzas, jams and more with eager foodies.  The cost of acquiring permits and cooking in a commercial kitchen often prevents a lot of people from sharing their goods. 

To join, attendees just need to agree that they are ok  “consum[ing] products that may have been produced in a space not inspected by the health department (we need to say that to stay out of jail).”

Sounds AWESOME.  Apparently there are underground markets in NYC too.  I am hoping that LA will have an underground market soon too!

Canning

I will post a longer, more detailed post on the topic of canning later.  For now, I just wanted to share a great tool to help you with canning your jams.  It is low priced and super easy to use.

The Sur La Table “Canning Jar Lifter”

It retails for $3.95 and is an essential tool for home canning. It allows you to pull jars from hot water canner without getting burned.

A must.  Check it out:  http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-408336/Canning-Jar-Lifter

Wear Your “Jam” Flag…

A short and sweet post.  Yesterday, I met up with a former co-worker.  He is a recent “jam-lover” and I had brought him some guava jam months ago, which he adored.  I decided to surprise him and bring some of my Grapefruit-Orange jam that I just made (will post on this later). 

I walked into the Coffee Bean, jam in hand, and a very attractive gentleman walked up to me and said: “Is that jam?” 

I replied “Why, yes it is.” 

“Did you make it?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said hesitantly since I was not sure where this was going. It was Hollywood after all.

“I love jam,” he said and walked away. 

I couldn’t help but smile.  He said it like he was a closeted “jam lover” and was sharing a deep, dark secret. 

People, wear your “Jam” flag proudly.  It tastes too good not to!

Finally…. Ava’s Guava Jam Recipe

Of all of the different types of jams that I have made, my Guava Jam is by far my most favorite.  Guavas are fairly rare in most parts of the United States.  They’re traditionally a tropical fruit found in exotic locations.  Lucky for me, I have a guava tree in my front yard that produces hundreds and hundreds of guavas each Fall. 

This past Fall, I finally attempted to make Guava Jam.  It was not easy- there aren’t that many great recipes online AND de-seeding the guavas is a very long process.  That being said, the jam is beyond delicious and it has been such a treat to send this jam to friends and family on the East Coast… a nice tropical surprise.

Ok, on to the recipe.  Again, instead of using exact measurements, below are ratios so that you can make the jam with any amount of guavas.

1.  Wash guavas.

2.  Cut off ends (the part that was attached to the tree).

3.  Slice each guava (at least into 8 little pieces) and place in your pot… I already shared that I use a non-stick wok.

4.  Once you are done slicing the guavas, add enough water to just cover the guavas.

5.  Bring to a boil.

6.  Lower to a medium simmer for about another hour- so the guavas get mushy.

*Warning: This is where things get a bit tough.*

7.  Take guavas off the burner and let cool for a bit.

8.  Get a clean cloth (I used old white t-shirts… I find them to work better than cheese cloth).  To make sure the cloth is 100% sanitized, I always put the cloth in a bowl and pour boiling water over the cloth.

9.  Wring excess water out of cloth and place cloth over the top of your medium sized bowl.

10.  In small amounts, ladle the guava jam on to the cloth.  Essentially you are straining the guavas to remove the seeds.  The seeds do not taste nice in the jam.  This process is definitely a bit difficult if you do not let the guavas cool enough (aka, your hands will burn)  To speed up the process, I often manually strain the guavas (over the bowl) in the white cloth.

11.  Once you have completed this process.  You want to measure how many cups of guava juice you have.  Pour back into wok.

12.  For every 1 cup of guava juice, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (a preserver) and 1 cup of sugar.  Again, you can always use a sugar substitute- agave, honey, whatever.

13.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium and watch it turn into thicker consistency.  The jam will start to darken and bubble.

14.  To test to see if the jam is ready- put a metal spoon in the freezer, take out and dip into jam.  If jam threads, it is ready.  If not, keep cooking.

15. Voila- you have delicious Guava Jam

Note, It took me a while to figure out when the jam is ‘ready’… If you take it off the flame and start to put in jars, but then realize it is not ready, you can just put it back in the pan and start cooking again.  So, don’t worry too much- it’s not rocket science.  Have fun with it~

My Secret Jamming Weapon

Everyone has their own unique methods of preparing jam.  One of the awesome things that have I found, through experimenting with various pots and pans, has become my secret weapon when making jam.

(drum roll please)

I have had the most success preparing my jams in (wait for it)… a wok!  Not just any wok, a non-stick wok works the best.

It sounds strange to use a wok (something conventionally used to stir fry a savory mix of vegetables and whatnot), but trust me, preparing jams with a non-stick wok makes the entire process much easier.  Try it, you will see.

Ava’s Easy Fig Jam Recipe

Below is my easy recipe for fig jam.  What I have learned (from multiple attempts at trying to follow recipes that I found online) is that you have to kind of play around and experiment with each recipe.  There are a lot of variations in sizes of fruit (small figs vs. large figs), sizes and type of cooking utensils, etc.  Hence, feel free to make adjustments to the recipe below.  Instead of including exact measurements of each ingredient, I provide suggestions of ratios, so you should be able to make the recipe with any amount of fruit.

1.  Pick fruit (best case scenario you are lucky to have a fig tree, but if not purchase from store).

2.  Clean and wash figs.

3.  Peel figs (if they are ripe, skin should easily peel off) and discard peels.  Or, if you have a garden, you can add the peel to your compost bin.  Way to be eco-friendly!

4.  You should have the meaty pinkish colored insides of the fig. Cut/dice/chop/whatever into small pieces.  Measure the number of cups of figs you have (this number will come in handy later).

5.  Place chopped fig in pan.

6.  Add enough water to the pan to just about cover the fruit.

7.  For each cup of fig that you measured in step four, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (as a preserver) and 1 cup of sugar (you can also use a sugar substitute- honey, agave, etc).  For instance, if you measured four cups of figs, add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4 cups of sugar… If this sounds like a lot of sugar, feel free to add less…. but, I like my jam to be sweet.

8.  Bring to a boil.

9.  After the jam reaches a boil, lower the heat to a medium/low heat and let simmer for about an hour.  Make sure to check on jam and periodically stir.

10.  You can watch the consistency of the mixture change.  When the jam is ready, you will be able to tell by the way the jam kind of “bubbles” and by the consistency.  When the consistency looks like the jam you see in restaurants and stores, take a cold metal spoon (I like to keep the spoon in the freezer) and dip into the mixture.  If the jam threads and stays on the spoon, most likely it is ready.  If it is not ready, keep it cooking for a bit longer. 

11.  When the jam is ready take off the flame and ladle into your jam jars and get to canning!

Voila, you have delicious fig jam.