How To Make Date and Walnut Jam

Homemade Jam Recipes

Ingredients: Date and Walnut Jam Recipe

5 lb / 2,300 grams of dates that have been stoned (this is the weight after first stoning the fruit)
2 lb / 1,000 grams of white sugar (this should be granulated sugar)
1 lb / 500 grams of walnuts
47 fl oz / 1,400 ml of tap water
1 lemon

Method - What To Do

After roughly chopping the stoned dates, place them into a saucepan and pour on the whole of the measured quantity of tap water. Simmer the chopped dates for around 30 minutes, so that they become soft and tender.

While the dates are cooking away nicely, fill another saucepan with water and bring this to the boil. When it is boiling, tip in all of the walnuts for 30 seconds and then remove them. This will blanch the nuts and soften their skins. Remove the loosened walnut skins by scraping each nut with a sharp kitchen knife and then chop the walnuts into small pieces.

Take the pan off the cooker, so that the mixture stops cooking, and stir in the white sugar. Stir this in well so that all of the sugar dissolves into the juices of the dates. Add the walnuts to the jam mixture and place the pan back onto the heat, so that it starts to boil once more. Allow the jam to boil for ten minutes and then test to see if it has reached a good setting point.

Test for its setting potential by spooning a small quantity onto a chilled saucer and leaving it to cool for around 60 seconds. Then, tilt the plate to see if your date and walnut jam runs or remains in place. Examine it to see if it has started to set, with a skin. If you feel that it is not setting and is still runny, boil it for a little longer and re-test in this manner, and possibly for a third time if necessary, until you are confident that the jam will achieve a good set.

Remove the jam from the cooker and leave it to cool for 15 minutes, skimming off any surface scum that remains. By leaving the jam to cool for a short time, it will start to thicken, meaning that the pieces of dates and walnuts will end up being better distributed, rather than floating on the top of the jam, or sinking to the base. Finally, mix and spoon your slightly thickened mixture into glass jars and immediately cover with wax discs, before screwing on the lids.

Date and Walnut Jam Recipe - More Jam Recipes.