Damson Jam

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of fruit
• 1 lb. of sugar

Method

1. 1

   Choose the fruit without blemish; remove the stones and put it and the sugar into your preserving-pan.

2. 2

   Stir slowly until the sugar is melted, then remove all scum.

3. 3

   Allow to boil for an hour, stirring diligently to prevent burning.

4. 4

   When done, pot in the usual way.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The white ribbon cook book (1894) by Kathryn Armstrong, page 113. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

1 lb. of fruit. It is difficult to give the exact quan- Preserves. 231 tity of sugar to be used in plum jam; in fact, it entirely depends upon the quality of the plums used; therefore your own judgment will be neces- sary. After weighing the plums halve them and remove the stones; then place on a large dish and sprinkle with the sugar; leave them thus for 24 hours; then put into a preserving-pan and let them simmer gently on the back of the stove for about 25 or 30 minutes, then boil very quickly for ^ hour, skimming carefully, and stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent the jam sticking. It greatly improves the jam to put some kernels from the plum stones into it. To Preserve Fruit in Syrup — To every lb. of fruit allow 1 lb. of lump sugar, ^ tumbler of cold water. Boil the water and sugar together until it thickens slightly, which will take about 3/2 hour if the sugar be good. Take off the scum as it rises. Add the fruit and boil for 3^ hour (rather longer if stone fruit), stirring very slightly, or the fruit will break. Take off the scum as it rises, but if both sugar and fruit be good there will be very little. Put into jars and tie over. N. B. — To keep well, fruit must be perfectly sound and dry when gathered. Currant Jam — Three-quarters of a lb. of white sugar to every pound of fruit. Let the fruit be very ripe, remove from the stalks with a silver fork ; dissolve the sugar over the fire, then put in the currants and boil for i^ hour, stirring and skimming all the time. Put into jars and cover air-tight. Raspberry Jam — Allow 1 lb. white sugar to 1 lb. fruit, and 3^ cup red currant juice. Directly this fruit is purchased preserve it; if allowed to stand the jam and the flavor will not be so good; place in preserving-pan and allow to 232 White Ribbon Cook Book. boil for 3^ hour. Be particular to skim well, as this will make the jam nice and clear. When done, place in pots and cover in the usual manner. Gooseberry Jam — Some fine full-grown, unripe gooseberries, their weight in sugar; to 1 pint of liquor allow 1 lb. of sugar. Cut, and pick out the seeds of the goose- berries; put them into a pan of water, green, and put them into a sieve to drain; beat them in a marble mortar, with their weight in sugar. Boil a quart of them to a mash in a quart of water; squeeze, and add to the liquor sugar in the above proportions; then boil and skim it, put in your green gooseberries, and having boiled them till very thick, clear, and of a nice green, put them into bottles. Damson Jam

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.