Jam or fruit preserves, are simply a combination of fruit, vegetables, and sugar, canned/bottled for long-term storage. In most of today's recipes for fruit jam often includes the need for pectin, which is a natural gelling-agent.
I found this bowl of pomegranate fruit (already peeled and ready to eat) sitting in the fridge for almost a week now and decided that it would be a waste to dump it. So, armed with a glass of wine already tipsy, and Google at my expense, I decided to make some jam.
Now, upon Google-ing pomegranate jam, a lot of the recipes I found require pectin. Owning a normal pantry, I do not have pectin, so I googled jam recipes without the need of pectin and the closest I found, was substituting honey for both sugar and pectin.
Great.
I don't have honey.
So, what the heck. If the pomegranate is meant to be in the bin, may as well improvise.
Ingredients:
1 peeled and ready-to-go pomegranate
1/2 cup Hot water
1/2 cup red wine of your choice
Just a little less than 1 cup of brown caster sugar
Preferably, you own a blender as you will need this to thicken the mixture naturally.
Method:
1. Put the pomegranate fruit into a medium sized saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. Bring the fruit/wine mixture to a boil.
3. Once it has been brought to a boil, lower the heat (medium-low) and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir throughout the process to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4. Transfer the mixture into the blender and blend it to your desired consistency. Transfer it back into the pan.
5. Let the blended mixture simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on the mixture to ensure that it does not burn or stick to the pan. This is where the concoction should start to thicken.
6. Let it reach the desired thickness of the jam and pour it into a storage utensil of your choice. Let it cool before you refrigerate it.
7. Once it has cooled, serve it with toast or scones! Enjoy ~
Verdict:
I am obviously not a connoisseur in jam-making and it is my first play-it-by-ear jam. I must advise that this jam does not have the same consistency as the jams you buy at the supermarket. Without the use of pectin or any other gelatine products, it has a distinct viscous consistency (like those thick, almost crystallised honey), so don't freak out when it is not as jelly as you imagined/hoped it would be.
I also want to advise to probably add in less sugar than I did, unless you have more fruit (like 2 or 3) as it is super duper sweet after the reduction process. Nonetheless, it still tastes like jam!
Now, upon Google-ing pomegranate jam, a lot of the recipes I found require pectin. Owning a normal pantry, I do not have pectin, so I googled jam recipes without the need of pectin and the closest I found, was substituting honey for both sugar and pectin.
Great.
I don't have honey.
So, what the heck. If the pomegranate is meant to be in the bin, may as well improvise.
Ingredients:
1 peeled and ready-to-go pomegranate
1/2 cup Hot water
1/2 cup red wine of your choice
Just a little less than 1 cup of brown caster sugar
Preferably, you own a blender as you will need this to thicken the mixture naturally.
Method:
1. Put the pomegranate fruit into a medium sized saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. Bring the fruit/wine mixture to a boil.
3. Once it has been brought to a boil, lower the heat (medium-low) and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes. Stir throughout the process to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4. Transfer the mixture into the blender and blend it to your desired consistency. Transfer it back into the pan.
5. Let the blended mixture simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye on the mixture to ensure that it does not burn or stick to the pan. This is where the concoction should start to thicken.
6. Let it reach the desired thickness of the jam and pour it into a storage utensil of your choice. Let it cool before you refrigerate it.
7. Once it has cooled, serve it with toast or scones! Enjoy ~
Okay. Not the best photo but my first home-made jam! Voila!
Verdict:
I am obviously not a connoisseur in jam-making and it is my first play-it-by-ear jam. I must advise that this jam does not have the same consistency as the jams you buy at the supermarket. Without the use of pectin or any other gelatine products, it has a distinct viscous consistency (like those thick, almost crystallised honey), so don't freak out when it is not as jelly as you imagined/hoped it would be.
I also want to advise to probably add in less sugar than I did, unless you have more fruit (like 2 or 3) as it is super duper sweet after the reduction process. Nonetheless, it still tastes like jam!
