Yeah, the set is definitely looser.
I don’t remember what peach recipe I used. I suspect I used “light” or “medium” syrup and this general method.
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Yes, jam. Normal jam. Size of the batch doesn’t matter - I always use around 40% sugar. What could matter is the sweetness of the fruit, eg sweeter fruit does not need as much sugar. But then I’ll still use the 40% ratio because then the jam will reflect the sweetness of the fruit.
How do I know it’s done? By experience I must admit. My guideline is 20 minutes from the moment the jam is cooking but I just stop by feeling. Sometimes sooner than 20 min, sometimes later.
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The strawberry harvest was very poor here in NJ. We only jammed 4 flats. Because of scarcity, my local sources were reluctant to sell to me at $32 per flat when they were selling at the farmers markets for $7-$8 per quart. Eh - apricots next.
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I started a bit later this year: made one batch of roasted rhubarb compote. I still have about 2 dozen jars from last season, so I need to be a bit more restrained this year! Strawberries cost more this year: there are fewer vendors at my farmer’s market, and a flat is $40!
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how do you enjoy your rhubarb compote?
IT’s really good: very tart. Recipe is from https://www.amazon.ca/Preserving-Pint-Seasonal-Canning-Spaces/dp/0762449683.
Sorry, I meant, what do you eat it with/on 
Like, yogurt for example?
Oh!! Sorry I am a bit dense. Yes, would be lovely on yogourt…
Just finished my first batch of Ferber strawberry. Her directions to boil it for five minutes after adding the strawberries back in is hilarious - no way that’s a real set. I boiled it hard twice that long, maybe more.
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From 1.1 KG of local berries, I got five pints of strawberry jam made in the Ferber method. I picked through the berries and removed any larger ones, so that I could keep the berries in the jam whole.
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Beautiful! I want!
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I will boil longer for my next batch. Thanks for this!
I made a second batch and used a timer so I could report back with more precision.
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I boiled the juice (the “first boil”) at least ten minutes. I was trying to concentrate the natural pectin by boiling away some of the water.
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The second boil I timed at 12 minutes (as opposed to five.) By “boil” I mean a hard boil measured at 221 degrees F, continuously.
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Rhubarb Chutney. A nice easy recipe from this cookbook https://www.amazon.ca/Put-Lid-Small-Batch-Preserving-Season/dp/0771574525
Very low cooking time, so very quick. My brother just opened a jar that I made last year, so I decided to make it again!
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I read the instructions as check for set after boiling for 5 minutes, and then boil longer as needed.
The diameter of your pan will change the cooking time. The wider the pan, the less time required. So if CF tested the recipe in a 14" maslin pan, and you are using a 3qt dutch oven, there will be a big difference.
Apologies - my reply here wasn’t really helpful. If you want a jam-like consistency, you need to boil all water/moisture out. That is a key thing to know.
I used to use a thermometer, aiming for 104 degrees Celsius so just above the boiling point of water. But now I just ‘know’.
One way to check is to put some jam that is cooking on a small saucer that is coming from the freezer. If the consistency is right, then it’s done. My own method is to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to see if the bottom clears so to speak. You want to easily see the bottom when you do this.
Remember that with longer cooking times you will lose some of the fresh fruit flavours, so don’t overcook. Then again, if you will use it to mix with yoghurt, you don’t need a jam-like consistency. So then you don’t have to cook it long.
This is all before canning by the way.
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So helpful! Thanks!
After my two small batches of strawberry, I made an even smaller batch of raspberry (de-seeding, ugh) and tonight a small batch of strawberry-rhubarb, with my homegrown rhubarb
I picked four quarts of black raspberries this evening - the patch opened for the season at 5, and I was there at 4:45 with a handful of other fanatics - but those aren’t destined for jam. They’re destined for ice cream
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Thank you! One of those was what I was thinking. I vaccilate between making a small amount of low fuss, low sugar, fresh taste, and not suitable for canning jam I eat alone vs larger amounts, more fuss (sterilized jars, bands, lots of boiling water, etc,) lots of sugar, or added pectin but suitable for canning I can share.
I am about to pick some pluots, so we will see which wins!
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