I like making things called "Summer Fruit", Mixed Fruit" or "Jumbleberry Jam". So liberating. You can chuck in anything you have in whatever quantities you like. Fruit and sugar. You know it's going to taste nice.
This is about 60% raspberries that I picked, 30% from a bag of frozen mixed summer fruits, and 10% supermarket strawberries that were looking a bit tired so they went in too. I nearly had a perilous boiling over moment.
The delightfully over the top jar decorations were inspired by some I say on Jooles's Sew Sweet Violet Blog. I love a bit of jam pot decorating, and I thought why not go all out with huge labels and matching ribbons. I will save these for gifts I think.
Oh, I love making jam.
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In other news...
- We have gone crafting mad this week. We have cut, glued, stitched, stapled, painted and coloured.
- We have visited one farm and two soft play centres. The kids have caught up with friends in the day, and I have caught up with friends in the evening.
- We finished watching The Bridge (now what will we do??).
- Bella did some fantastic cycling in the park, her confidence has increased enormously. Ever since the purchase of her Hello Kitty helmet, she is awfully keen on riding her bike.
- We had a happy, no-filling visit to the dentist.
- I baked two chocolate cakes.
How are you coping with the summer holidays?
I keep thinking about making jam and I collect jam making recipes but I never seem to do it. Your pot looks beautiful and they will make really lovely gifts. Maybe next week...
ReplyDeleteWe watched The Bridge recently and was hooked! Totally loved it. Fingers crossed for more. Love a Scandinavian drama. I have even convinced myself that I now know some Danish but it seems it is mostly the swear words...not sure how far that will get me in Copenhagen.
We watched so much Danish drama that we became sure we could speak Danish somehow, just through absorbing it. Waiting for Love Film to send us Borgen - everyone said that was good. x
DeleteYour jam looks lovely, you've inspired me to make some more, especially as a friend turned up with a dozen small Kilner jars for me, costing 22p each in a closing down sale! Enjoy the rest of the summer holidays, they'll soon be over xxx
ReplyDelete22p for Kilner jar, that is very cheap - they cost a fortune in Lakeland! Hope you put them to good use. x
DeleteOoh yum! I made strawberry jam last year but found it a bit sweet, yours looks much nicer! x
ReplyDeleteStrawberry jam can be sweet - adding rhubarb works well if you like a sharper jam, the two flavours go so well together. x
DeleteOooohhhh that jam looks yummy! I'm imagining some lovely scones to go with it ... a lovely summer afternoon tea ... mouth watering!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that there are just two weeks left of the summer holidays ... the little ones need routine and frankly so do I ... this week was their seventh week off ... the holidays here are just too too long ... anyway, we'll make the most of the remaining two weeks before it's back to porridge :) Bee xx
Gosh your holidays are much longer than ours - I think I would be needing routine after seven weeks! I love the lazy mornings but I think we are all ready for some more structure now. x
DeleteYour jam jars are lovely. I'm sitting here dreaming about scones with jam and cream now. Oh, and a hot cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteHope you survive the remainder of the holidays!!
Scones, jam and tea...I could eat that all the time! I am being disciplined and stashing the jam away though so I am not tempted to open them! x
DeleteThe jam looks gorgeous. I have made a grand total of 2 pots of jam this year! Perhaps I'll do better come chutney season.
ReplyDeleteHave mixed feelings about sending the kids off to Camp Grandparents next week - but am sure once they are gone the overwhelming sensation will be relief!
Mmm, I love chutney. No need to worry about things reaching the setting point. Makes the house stink of vinegar though. Camp Grandparents sounds fun...just think of the uninterrupted sleep, the peace, the crochet time! :) x
DeleteDear Gillian
ReplyDeleteYour jam looks lovely. My husband, Chris, came home with a huge number of blackberries yesterday and later today he is having a mass jam-making session. I like eating jam, but am not a jam-maker.
Best wishes
Ellie
Blackberries make wonderful jam, I love their flavour. We tried to pick some this morning but they are not ready yet, maybe next week.
DeleteGillian x
Your jars look wonderfully decorated, I haven't got round to making any jam yet this year, I must do better. My kids are growing/grown up now. At 14 and 17 they don't want anything organising for them anymore, sad really.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't know what I'll do when the kids don't require any organising! Actually, I do...I'll have to go back to work. :-( x
DeleteLove the jam - looks just right for a spot of scones and cream! With Dan being 20 I'm dreading him going back to Uni! I suppose there is never a happy medium ... when your children stop needing amusing it starts to feel very quiet! Sounds like a good week though! xx
ReplyDeleteI know, I must make the most of it. I am enjoying it really, we're having a lovely weekend, it's just that sometimes the endless requests/questions/demands/shrieks are exhausting! x
DeleteYum... I love jam, though it looks so lovely with the tops I wouldn't want to open it and spoil them :) x
ReplyDeleteI did that on purpose so that I wouldn't be tempted! These are for gifts - I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble just for me. x
DeleteOh its getting to that time of year when jam making starts. I dont have as many damsons on the tree this year though. I love the name Jumbleberry fruit jam!
ReplyDeletexxx
I picked a load of damsons from a tree at a holiday cottage once and they made the most delicious jam mixed with apples. And they were high in pectin too so it set easily. I wish we had some fruit trees in our garden. x
Deleteoh how I love your jars of jam - have a fridge full of berries - makes me want to make some cute presents.
ReplyDeleteHi there, thank you for stopping by. It takes a couple hours to make the jam and decorate the jars but it's totally worth it!
DeleteOoooo They look utterly scrumptious!
ReplyDelete& Jumbleberry Jam sound so Enid Blyton....
Lx
It does sound very Enid Blyton, doesn't it, that's part of the appeal. Very old fashioned and English! x
DeleteYour jars of Summer Fruit Jam look delightful as I am sure they taste! What fun you just have had making those labels - I love the gingham on brown paper effect. The summer holidays are quite long and getting the balance right is not always easy. I think your solution of sending people out to play in the rain in their wellies is brilliant and I bet they had a great time. E x
ReplyDeleteI pinched the label idea from Joole's blog, always an inspiration, especially for anything sewing related.
DeleteThe challenge is keeping them amused in wet weather without spending a fortune. It's easy to do free things when the sun is shining, but harder in the rain. Fortunately, jumping in puddles costs nothing! x
Sounds like you've been busy! Yummy jam! Ada :)
ReplyDeleteNo, not busy really...to be honest i just like to potter in the kitchen with the radio on!
DeleteYour summer fruit jam looks delicious! And I love that it's decorated so nicely! What awesome gifts!! You have been very busy in the kitchen! Wow, two chocolate cakes!! I agree. It can be difficult and exhausting at times to keep our little ones busy! Sounds like you are doing a good job though. Have a great week!!
ReplyDeleteI love decorating the jars - it's the best bit! We had a better weekend, I think I wore them out. x
DeleteOh yum, we jam mad in this house at the moment! And yours are so pretty too! x
ReplyDeleteWe are always jam mad here, I can't believe quite how much we get through, I'm sure it's not normal! x
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