How To Make Greengage Jam

Homemade Jam Recipes

Ingredients: Greengage Jam Recipe

4 lb / 1,800 grams of greengages
3 lb / 1,300 grams of white sugar
15 fl oz / 450 ml of tap water
1/2 lemon

Method - What To Do

Greengages are a traditional English summer fruit that has seen more popular days. Even though this fruit tree has a fairly short cropping season, on good years, trees can be laden with fruit, meaning that this jam recipe is a great way to make use of an abundance of surplus fruit.

Wash and inspect the greengages for wasp damage and trim off any rotten patches. Slice the greengages in half and discard all of the stones. Place the halves in a deep, wide pan and pour on the water. Stir in the sugar and squeeze over the juice of one lemon.

Place the pan on a medium heat and as the liquid warms up, stir well to make sure that all of the sugar dissolves before the mixture begins boiling. As the fruit starts to soften, stir more gently, so that it doesn't break apart too much. Allow the greengages to boil for five minutes and then simmer for an additional ten minutes.

Your greengage jam should now be ready to set. Test this by dripping a small amount onto a china saucer that has just been taken from a fridge or freezer. The cold saucer will encourage the syrup to set quickly, if a setting point has been reached. If, after a minute, the jam on the plate feels like a soft jelly, rippling when touched, you will know that it is ready to set well. If not, continue to simmer and test in this way until a good set is possible.

Remove the pan from the hob and cool for ten minutes. During this time, skim off any bubbles or scum from the surface and then spoon your new batch of greengage jam into glass jars (sterilised just before). Add wax discs to each surface and screw the lids on tightly, to provide a double barrier and prevent any bacteria from entering the jars.

Greengage Jam Recipe - More Jam Recipes.