THE TASTIEST PINEAPPLE-GINGER JAM

There are many different types of commercial pineapple jams to be had, some good, some bad and others terrible. Most contain preservatives and other unhealthy stuff which isn't good for your general well-being.

But making your own assures you highest quality and superb taste. A well made jam produced in your own kitchen can easily keep for up to a year without losing its appearance or taste.

Pineapple-Ginger jam with fresh
home-baked bread

I have made jams and marmalades for many years, always using fruit when easily available at the peak of their season when such fruit is less expensive. This will allow you to to experiment occasionally, combining different fruit together or adding some spices for a change from the regular, everyday jams.

For this recipe I decided to add ginger to pineapple. Pineapple jam on its own is a bit humdrum generally but I know that fresh ginger brings a spicy liveliness to most everything. And, believe me, I wasn't wrong.

To make this jam is quite easy and not too time consuming. The work should be divided into two sections. Prep everything the first day and do the actual boiling of the jam the next day. But if you have the time do the first part in the morning and later in the afternoon you make the jam.

This is not the traditional way of making jam but it gives a tastier jam by eliminating additional water.

So, let us start with the recipe and what is needed.

fresh cubed pineapple

Ingredients:

1.2 kg fresh pineapple, cubed
150 g fresh ginger pulp obtained from about 300 g fresh ginger root
700 g sugar
2 tsp citric acid, dissolved in 4 Tbsp water

grated fresh ginger

Equipment:

3 jam jars and a large pot for sterilizing
Food processor, bowls and grater
tongs for lifting jars
sterilized funnel, jug and ladle
stainless steel pot for jam making
sugar thermometer (or a couple of chilled saucers)

Method:

Prep:

Processed pineapple and ginger

Peel and cube the pineapple, 2 large ones should give the required amount. Make sure to remove any eyes and all of the core.
Peel and grate the ginger and then pass it through a sieve to obtain the pulp.
Place pineapple and ginger in the food processor, if necessary in two batches, and process until there are no more chunks.
Pour into a large bowl and add the sugar. Stir it in to dissolve, then cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
This will help to produce more juice, so no additional water is required to make the jam.

Jam Making:

Remove fruit pulp from the fridge and add to your pot. Cover, put on the fire and bring to boil. When boiling, reduce heat to simmer for half an hour. DO NOT STIR!

In the meantime sterilize the jars and lids in a water bath. Also immerse ladle, funnel and jug in boiling water, then keep on a clean kitchen towel until needed.

When the half hour is up, remove the cover, add the citric acid, increase the heat and bring back to boil. Now you can stir. After about 5 - 10 minutes the fruit will come to a rolling boil which will remain when you stir. This indicates that gradually setting point is approaching. If you have a sugar thermometer stick it in the pot now. If not, wait another 10 minutes or so to test the set on a cold plate.

Take a small teaspoon full of the jam, place on the chilled plate and run a line through the middle. If the liquid runs together it requires more cooking, but if the line stays open the jam is ready for potting.

Using a thermometer is easier because once it indicates 105℃ setting point is reached.

To avoid spillage and waste use the ladle to fill the jug, place the funnel on top of a jam jar and pour, leaving at least 2 cm space. Wipe rims to make sure they are clean and seal immediately. 

You may want to further sterilize them in a water bath or you can turn them upside down for about 15-20 minutes to allow a vacuum to form. Using jars with pop button lids are a great advantage here. If no vacuum has formed the button will move and you will have to process the jars again or the jam will not keep.

But if successful your jam can easily be kept for up to a year, if it can last that long with all its yumminess!

Three jars of the best pineapple-ginger jam

I urge you to try it; you will not be disappointed!

Next time I shall give you a great recipe for the perfect bread to go with your jam!

THE BEST MANGO JAM

The mango season is finally here and it is time to preserve as much of the fruit as possible, so we can enjoy the taste not only now but during the rest of the year when mangoes are not available. Juices, jellies, preserves and jams can all be made and when prepared and stored correctly will not spoil for at least a year. To start I made a batch of mango jam which my family enjoy.

First batch of homemade mango jam

Maybe you think that jam-making is too difficult but it is not, I promise. The equipment needed can usually be found in any kitchen:

weighing scales

food processor or blender

a fairly large cooking pot, preferably stainless steel

a sharp knife and cutting board

cooking spoon (I prefer the wooden type)

a few saucers (for jam testing)

a funnel

a jug or ladle

a sugar thermometer is a bonus but it is NOT essential

jam jars

dishcloths, potholders or oven mitts

a deep roasting tray or similar for sterilizing the jars

a pair of tongs with a good grip

Jam jars can be bought or collected. I prefer to collect them, thereby saving quite a bit and since I only make jam for family and friends nobody minds what jar the jam comes in. Any jar from purchased items is safe to use as long as both jar and lid are free of any damage. And the lids should all have the pop-button which is very important for my way of bottling the jam.

If you have not made any jam or preserves before you might not be familiar with sterilizing the jars and other items like funnel, jug or ladle. So let me tell you the easiest method I know of. Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water until thoroughly clean. Then rinse in hot water to remove any trace of soap. Line a roasting tray with a clean dishcloth and place jars and lids as shown in the picture.

Ready to be sterilized, except the lid on the left which is damaged.

Heat your oven to 180℃, add water into the pan for about 1 cm and a few drops into each lid but not the jars. Allow 1/2 hour in the oven at the given temperature, then switch off. Keep the jars in the oven until the jam is done. It is best to sterilize the jars while the jam is cooking, so they will still be hot when the jam is ready to be bottled.

To sterilize jug, funnel and ladle wash as you did the jars, then place into a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to boil and continue boiling for three minutes. Cover pot and turn off the heat. This should be done before you start the jam, else you'll find that you don't have enough hands to do everything at the same time!

Now we can proceed to the jam making. Choose firm, slightly underripe mangoes without bruises or other signs of damage.

No damage, the specks are the dried tree juices from plucking the fruit
which will be washed off before processing.

It is impossible to say how many mangoes to buy for a given weight because the size of the stone varies as does the amount of juice. For this session I used 12 fairly large mangoes which yielded 900 g of prepared fruit. The ratio of sugar to fruit should be 2/3 i.e. 600 g. Water should be 900 ml. Process to a puree in  your food processor. If not available use a blender with  the addition of some of the measured water. Then place in your pot and proceed with the recipe below.

Fruit pulp with sugar added

Fruit pulp

Fresh lemon juice

Citric acid

RECIPE

Mango Jam

Tip

One does not have to purchase new jars for jam making. I firmly believe in recycling, so I collect
jars from commercial preserves as long as jars and lids are free from any damage. The lids should
all have a pop-up button and a kind of rubbery coating on the inside to ensure a firm seal.

Ingredients

1 kg fresh mangoes, chopped

700 g sugar

1 l water

2 Tbsp citric acid

Juice of one lemon

How To

Place all ingredients in a large stainless steel pot and bring to boil on high heat.

When boiling reduce heat to medium for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime place your chosen jam jars in the oven to sterilize.

After 20 minutes remove any scum which has formed on top of the jam. Increase heat to bring jam
to a rolling boil. If you have a sugar thermometer it should read 120℃. If no thermometer is
available, place a little jam on a cold plate and allow to cool.
Pushing it with your finger should make it wrinkly. That shows the jam is ready and needs to be
taken off the heat.

Remove jars from the oven , then fill with jam using a sterilized funnel and jug. Make sure the rims
of the jars are clean, then put on the lids tightly. When cool the jars should be sealed with the pop-
buttons down.

This way the jam can be stored in a cool, dark place for at least one year.

Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Fasching

Just a short while ago was New Year and now we are already in February! This is the time that many countries in the world prepare feverishly  to get the last costumes and floats ready and everything else which makes a carnival successful.

Naturally, food also plays an important part in the festivities! My favourite is the traditional German doughnut, called Berliner everywhere except Berlin, where it is called Pfannkuchen! To add to the confusion, literally translated Pfannkuchen means pancake, which the British use with great enthusiasm to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. But I mean a fluffy, round doughnut filled with Pflaumenmus, known as plum butter in English. If not available, a tasty jam of your choice will be just as good.

Doughnuts - Berliner - Pfannkuchen

Doughnuts are not difficult to make but the dough requires sufficient time to rise. There are two ways to prepare doughnuts - baking in the oven or deep frying. The recipe is the same for both. I will show the deep fried version. Now for the how to:

You will need a deep fryer or fairly large pot. I prefer to use a wok because of the shape. It requires less oil and has a larger surface for frying. You will want a couple of tablespoons to place the doughnuts in the hot oil and a spider or similar to remove and drain them after frying. A lot of kitchen paper or crumpled newspaper is needed to absorb as much oil as possible. A cake syringe is needed for filling the doughnuts.

Dough after the second rising

Ingredients:

500g flour, 2 eggs, 50g butter, 3 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 1/2 tsp dried yeast, lukewarm milk, vegetable oil for deep frying, jam for filling and sugar for coating.

Method:

 Mix yeast with sugar and a little of the milk in a small bowl. Cover and allow to become foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Break eggs into a measuring jar and top with milk to give you 1/4 l (250ml) and whisk. Add the softened butter to the egg milk and stir to help it dissolve. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the frothy yeast and the egg/butter/milk. Knead thoroughly. Cover bowl with a dishcloth or clingfilm and allow to rise for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on your temperature. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead again, then put dough back into bowl, cover and let rise again for another 15 - 20 minutes. Now divide dough into 12 to 15 equal pieces, 75 or 60 grams each, as you prefer. If no scales are available you can gauge the size halfway between a golf ball and a tennis ball. Place the balls on a lightly floured tray and cover as before. This time allow to rise for about 45 minutes. If you use a deep fryer get the oil to 180℃, if using a pot or wok the temperature is correct if a wooden spoon held into the oil produces lively bubbles.

Almost ready for frying (or baking)

When the dough is ready and the oil is hot enough, start frying the doughnuts. 2 - 3 minutes each side is all that is needed.

You can see why I like to use my wok!

Lift out the done doughnuts and place on absorbent paper to remove excess oil. Fill syringe with the preferred jam (you can also use Nutella or similar) and a bowl with granulated sugar. Roll each doughnut in the bowl with sugar and before lifting it out of the bowl inject about a generous teaspoonful of jam at the side of the doughnut where the pale line shows.

The filling with jam  can be a bit messy!

Instead of rolling the doughnuts in sugar, they can be filled and then dusted with sifting icing sugar over while they are still hot. Another way is to mix sifted icing sugar with a little warm water and a dash of fresh lemon juice to make a thin glaze which is then brushed over the top of each doughnut.

If you are cautious about consumption of oil you can equally well bake the risen doughnuts in a preheated oven at 180℃ for 15 - 20 minutes. Then you complete the doughnuts as before.

These Berliners are not only eaten at Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday or Fastnacht but throughout the carnival period and New Year! Please, let me know if you made them and how you liked them!

Enjoy!