How to get the perfect set

All our products are handmade in small batches, using seasonal produce.

We never use any additives or preservatives in any of our products.

That means no special jam sugar and no added pectin or citric acid in our marmalade and jams. To set, jam needs the pectin from the fruit and some varieties have more than others. It can be a fine line between using so much sugar to help get a good set versus the large amounts of sugar totally overriding the flavour of the fruit. There’s nothing worse than a jam that’s so sweet you can’t taste the strawberry/apricot/plum!

Getting the perfect set can also be affected by how quickly you bring your jam to the boil - using warmed sugar can help - and how long you boil for (and remember not to stir too much! But don’t let it boil over - cleaning candied jam off your stove is a thankless task!). The longer you boil, the better chance you’ll get a good set, but the higher the possibility that your jam will become dark in colour and no longer resemble the fruit that you so lovingly chopped and put in the pot to begin with!

So, my secret ingredient…? It’s lemons! In my opinion, lemon juice and/or zest are the best way to help get your jam to set without affecting the flavour, often even enhancing it. Lemons are magic!