Basic jam

Experience the satisfaction of spreading a slice of toast with your very own home-made jam!

• 1kg valencia oranges
• 750g sugar

1. Step 1

   Remove skins, seeds, pips, and stones from fruit.

2. Step 2

   Cook oranges and a little sugar in a saucepan till the fruit is tender.

3. Step 3

   Add the remaining sugar and stir through. When boiling jams, to prevent burning, a large glass marble placed in the pan is better than stirring.

4. Step 4

   When the sugar is dissolved, cook rapidly until the jam sets when tested. To determine when the jell-point has been reached, put a little mixture on a very cold plate and draw a path through it with a knife. If the path stays and the jam doesn't run together, the jell-point has been reached.

5. Step 5

   Heat jars, without lids, in a low oven (150°C) for about 15-20 minutes. Then fill jars with jam and place lid on immediately. Let cool.

Jam will only set if the fruit has sufficient quantities of pectin, acid and sugar.

Store jam in sterilized jars:

It is important to sterilize jars to prevent mould forming. Jars can be sterilized in a number of ways. Firstly, choose glass jars with an airtight lid. Remove any old labels and ensure they are free from cracks or chips. Wash in hot soapy water and rinse, then sterilize using one of the following methods:

Oven: Preheat the oven to 120C. Place jars (upright) and lids (separately) on an oven tray and heat in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and fill immediately with jam or other preserves.

Stovetop: Place jars and lids in a deep saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring water to the boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes. Line a baking tray with paper towel. Remove the jars using metal tongs and allow to air dry or dry with a clean paper towel.

Dishwasher: Place jars, lids and rubber seals in the dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Remove and place onto a paper towel-lined tray; the heat will dry them naturally or you can dry them with paper towel.