"You have to can when the fruit is ready, Barbara, not when *you're*
ready." Thus spake Mother Mary. I'm already behind and usually have
my apricot jam and "stuff" done by now. Apricots (good-sized) are
$2.29/lb. at Cub this week and I didn't want to put this off any longer.


Never mind that I'm feeding 85-100 people at the local Ronald McDonald
House tomorrow (OK, this) evening and had prep work to do.

I've a friend who lusts after my apricot jam. She's not shy about
telling me how she likes it, thank you. And I, sucker that I am,
indulge her. Her command is my wish.

Ball has redone the packaging for their pectins -- that'd be Ball
Natural Gel Fruit Pectin to you. And "canning" has become "fresh
preserving." Whatever. I asked their customer service rep about it and
she said it's a marketing ploy.

Anyway, in light of my friend's aversion to sweet things and her
affinity for lemon in her apricot jam, I decided to try the Ball No
Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin for her apricot jam. Sugar or other sweetener
*may* be used if desired. I desired.

Their apricot jam recipe says to not use dried apricots, but fresh. Too
bad; I used both. I also used a whole lemon in each batch ‹ first
zested, then supremed. With the second batch I used a full, albeit
small, bottle of unsweetened apple juice (10 oz.). I was leery about
scorching the fruit and pectin but the apple juice made it nicely wet.
I added a couple cups of sugar per the instructions for adding a
sweetener.

Ooooh la la, boys and girls. This is pretty good stuff. I confess to
shying away from the no- or reduced-sugar pectins (because of the lack
of clarity and sparkle in the end product) but I'm thinking this is as
good a way to make apricot jam as I usually do. And it set very nicely.
Were it entered into competition I don't know if what it lacks in color
would be made up with flavor. And I don't know that I want to find out,
either. :-)

I'll be using this again.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com
http:/http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor/

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> "You have to can when the fruit is ready, Barbara, not when *you're*
> ready." Thus spake Mother Mary. I'm already behind and usually have
> my apricot jam and "stuff" done by now. Apricots (good-sized) are
> $2.29/lb. at Cub this week and I didn't want to put this off any longer.
>
>
> Never mind that I'm feeding 85-100 people at the local Ronald McDonald
> House tomorrow (OK, this) evening and had prep work to do.
>
> I've a friend who lusts after my apricot jam. She's not shy about
> telling me how she likes it, thank you. And I, sucker that I am,
> indulge her. Her command is my wish.
>
> Ball has redone the packaging for their pectins -- that'd be Ball
> Natural Gel Fruit Pectin to you. And "canning" has become "fresh
> preserving." Whatever. I asked their customer service rep about it and
> she said it's a marketing ploy.
>
> Anyway, in light of my friend's aversion to sweet things and her
> affinity for lemon in her apricot jam, I decided to try the Ball No
> Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin for her apricot jam. Sugar or other sweetener
> *may* be used if desired. I desired.
>
> Their apricot jam recipe says to not use dried apricots, but fresh. Too
> bad; I used both. I also used a whole lemon in each batch < first
> zested, then supremed. With the second batch I used a full, albeit
> small, bottle of unsweetened apple juice (10 oz.). I was leery about
> scorching the fruit and pectin but the apple juice made it nicely wet.
> I added a couple cups of sugar per the instructions for adding a
> sweetener.
>
> Ooooh la la, boys and girls. This is pretty good stuff. I confess to
> shying away from the no- or reduced-sugar pectins (because of the lack
> of clarity and sparkle in the end product) but I'm thinking this is as
> good a way to make apricot jam as I usually do. And it set very nicely.
> Were it entered into competition I don't know if what it lacks in color
> would be made up with flavor. And I don't know that I want to find out,
> either. :-)
>
> I'll be using this again.
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ

Sounds delicioso! We have a local normalmarket, Jr. Produce, which opened
down the street. They seem to specialize in Mexican prepared food and have a
lot of things from Mexico that would apply to our neighborhood. Anyhow, they
had stone fruits for 69c a pound at their opening! Holy Moly, better git
that canner a boilin'! And their papayas are big as a soccer ball! Anybody
ever make papaya jam? And oh, the mangos. My visiting sister says this is
mango heaven. Bought a peck for $5. Will make a batch of mango/ginger jam
for her.
I'm making a batch of sugar free peach from my neighbor's peach tree,
previously frozen. He's got diabetes. I'll be inputting the recipe into
Mastercook so's I can figger some calories per serving. I'll use just
splenda, but been thinking about adding cinnamon & cloves? Mebbe not.
Edrena

The Joneses wrote:
> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"You have to can when the fruit is ready, Barbara, not when *you're*
>>ready." Thus spake Mother Mary. I'm already behind and usually have
>>my apricot jam and "stuff" done by now. Apricots (good-sized) are
>>$2.29/lb. at Cub this week and I didn't want to put this off any longer.
>>
>>
>>Never mind that I'm feeding 85-100 people at the local Ronald McDonald
>>House tomorrow (OK, this) evening and had prep work to do.
>>
>>I've a friend who lusts after my apricot jam. She's not shy about
>>telling me how she likes it, thank you. And I, sucker that I am,
>>indulge her. Her command is my wish.
>>
>>Ball has redone the packaging for their pectins -- that'd be Ball
>>Natural Gel Fruit Pectin to you. And "canning" has become "fresh
>>preserving." Whatever. I asked their customer service rep about it and
>>she said it's a marketing ploy.
>>
>>Anyway, in light of my friend's aversion to sweet things and her
>>affinity for lemon in her apricot jam, I decided to try the Ball No
>>Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin for her apricot jam. Sugar or other sweetener
>>*may* be used if desired. I desired.
>>
>>Their apricot jam recipe says to not use dried apricots, but fresh. Too
>>bad; I used both. I also used a whole lemon in each batch < first
>>zested, then supremed. With the second batch I used a full, albeit
>>small, bottle of unsweetened apple juice (10 oz.). I was leery about
>>scorching the fruit and pectin but the apple juice made it nicely wet.
>>I added a couple cups of sugar per the instructions for adding a
>>sweetener.
>>
>>Ooooh la la, boys and girls. This is pretty good stuff. I confess to
>>shying away from the no- or reduced-sugar pectins (because of the lack
>>of clarity and sparkle in the end product) but I'm thinking this is as
>>good a way to make apricot jam as I usually do. And it set very nicely.
>>Were it entered into competition I don't know if what it lacks in color
>>would be made up with flavor. And I don't know that I want to find out,
>>either. :-)
>>
>>I'll be using this again.
>>--
>>-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
>
>
> Sounds delicioso! We have a local normalmarket, Jr. Produce, which opened
> down the street. They seem to specialize in Mexican prepared food and have a
> lot of things from Mexico that would apply to our neighborhood. Anyhow, they
> had stone fruits for 69c a pound at their opening! Holy Moly, better git
> that canner a boilin'! And their papayas are big as a soccer ball! Anybody
> ever make papaya jam? And oh, the mangos. My visiting sister says this is
> mango heaven. Bought a peck for $5. Will make a batch of mango/ginger jam
> for her.
> I'm making a batch of sugar free peach from my neighbor's peach tree,
> previously frozen. He's got diabetes. I'll be inputting the recipe into
> Mastercook so's I can figger some calories per serving. I'll use just
> splenda, but been thinking about adding cinnamon & cloves? Mebbe not.
> Edrena
>
>
>
Cinnamon is good with peaches and won't hurt a diabetic at all.

Papaya jam, love papayas never made jam from them. Local supermarket has
large papayas, none as large as a soccer ball, on sale this week. Pray
tell what is the recipe.

Mangos, never much cared for them but don't know if I ever had a decent
one to try. Used to own half of a ten hectare mango orchard in the
Phillipines but sold it to my Filipino partner when we came back to the
States for good. He couldn't even tell me what a good mango was, just
that they sold quite well in the Phillipines. So, how do I tell a good
mango from the astringent tasting things I tried a long time ago?

Got New Mexico chiles about ready to pick, thinking chiles relleno with
chile gravy.

George, waiting for the figs to ripen

The Joneses wrote:

> My visiting sister says this is
> mango heaven. Bought a peck for $5. Will make a batch of mango/ginger jam
> for her.

Sounds good! Have a recipe you can share?
I found some sauced and dressings, but not a jam...

Dave

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> "You have to can when the fruit is ready, Barbara, not when *you're*
> ready." Thus spake Mother Mary. I'm already behind and usually have
> my apricot jam and "stuff" done by now. Apricots (good-sized) are
> $2.29/lb. at Cub this week and I didn't want to put this off any longer.
>
>
> Never mind that I'm feeding 85-100 people at the local Ronald McDonald
> House tomorrow (OK, this) evening and had prep work to do.
>
> I've a friend who lusts after my apricot jam. She's not shy about
> telling me how she likes it, thank you. And I, sucker that I am,
> indulge her. Her command is my wish.
>
> Ball has redone the packaging for their pectins -- that'd be Ball
> Natural Gel Fruit Pectin to you. And "canning" has become "fresh
> preserving." Whatever. I asked their customer service rep about it and
> she said it's a marketing ploy.
>
> Anyway, in light of my friend's aversion to sweet things and her
> affinity for lemon in her apricot jam, I decided to try the Ball No
> Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin for her apricot jam. Sugar or other sweetener
> *may* be used if desired. I desired.
>
> Their apricot jam recipe says to not use dried apricots, but fresh. Too
> bad; I used both. I also used a whole lemon in each batch < first
> zested, then supremed. With the second batch I used a full, albeit
> small, bottle of unsweetened apple juice (10 oz.). I was leery about
> scorching the fruit and pectin but the apple juice made it nicely wet.
> I added a couple cups of sugar per the instructions for adding a
> sweetener.
>
> Ooooh la la, boys and girls. This is pretty good stuff. I confess to
> shying away from the no- or reduced-sugar pectins (because of the lack
> of clarity and sparkle in the end product) but I'm thinking this is as
> good a way to make apricot jam as I usually do. And it set very nicely.
> Were it entered into competition I don't know if what it lacks in color
> would be made up with flavor. And I don't know that I want to find out,
> either. :-)
>
> I'll be using this again.
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> http://www.jamlady.eboard.com
> http:/http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor/


can always "cheat" a little and plop one or two drops of each yellow and red
food color in it.....give it a loverly orangie color.
-ginny