Ene's Recipe Book

Ruby Red Jam

Cooking a saucepan of jam on a rolling boil helps to maximise the flavour, texture and colour of the end product. A short cooking time ensures the jam is clear and minimises any damage to the pectin in the fruit, which could affect its ability to form a gel. Ruby red jam uses fruits that have medium levels of pectin and acid. Lemon juice (citric acid) is added to raise the acid levels and to assist in the gelling of the cooked jam. One of the main ingredients in jams is sugar so spreads such as this should be used sparingly.