Last week I linked to this recipe by Rachel Allen. This week I made it. Which is very exciting (for me!) as it’s the first time I’ve cooked something jar bound. And if proof were needed that this was my inaugural in-a-jar experience, I’ve the very sore finger tips from forgetting that despite using tongs to get the sterlized jars out the oven – they wouldn’t be cool enough to pick up to fill a few moments later – ouch !
The recipe states to simmer for 15-25 minutes to get to a jam-like consistency. Mine didn’t look that way until 45-50 minutes had passed but I also think it was on too low a simmer to begin with. The recipe provided enough to fill two 7oz jars.
In all the excitement of how pretty it looked in the jar etc I completely forgot to check how it tasted – but when I remembered and went back to nick a spoonful from one of the pots – the answer was, despite the less than wonderful tomatoes, pretty good.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Congratulations on the success of your first preserve-making experience. I often find that recipes underestimate the time it takes to reach the setting point. I’m sorry to read that you burnt your fingers on the jars, I hope it isn’t too sore. Just think of it as a scar of honour; a true artists have to suffer for their art.
At least you know the importance of using hot jars in preserve-making; to stop the glass from shattering.
Many years ago in a long-gone restaurant in Guildford called the Danish Kitchen I was on the baked potato counter. I thought the number of very hot potatoes I’d handled – no H&S gloves then – had incinerated all nerve endings in my fingertips – they clearly came back!
And till you just said it – I hadn’t made the connection between hot jars and stopping the glass from shattering! And although it didn’t happen I can instantly see the flaw in that – jar dropped liked hot potato (and never sneaked back into the oven when no-one was looking… of course) and …. shatters !!
Well I’m very glad you heated your jars in the oven – and although you wouldn’t want to drop hot jars while empty, the thought of hot jam and glass all over the kitchen, and especially on the jam maker, isn’t a pleasant one. Cold glass jars would expand too quickly if hot jam is poured in, and would shatter. I’ve done that a couple of times, fortunately the jar wasn’t full!
Who’d have thought the innocent act of jam-making was so fraught with such perils?
To bring an end to all my ignorance – the science bit of heat, jars, glass, expansion etc plus just jam-making in general – I went to the library today and borrowed a copy of the WI Book of Preserves! Interesting they have the same Tomato Chilli Jam recipe whilst with only 100g more of tomatoes but double the number of red chillis so clearly it’s not just jam and Jerusalem !