How To Make Parsnip Jam

Homemade Jam Recipes

Ingredients: Parsnip Jam Recipe

1 1/2 lb / 750 grams of parsnips
3 lb / 1,300 grams of white granulated sugar
34 fl oz / 1,000 ml of tap water
3 lemons (unwaxed is preferable)

Method - What To Do

Although a vegetable jam might well sound a little unusual, since parsnips are quite a sweet root vegetable, they make a very pleasant and fruit-like tasting jam that can be used for a multitude of different purposes. By adding further flavours, such as cinnamon, nutmeg or other spices, or perhaps some chopped raisins or chillies, you can tailor this preserve to suit your taste buds. Or, to turn the recipe into more of a savoury chutney, add a couple of tablespoons of malt vinegar and introduce a chopped white onion or two, fried to a golden brown.

Wash and peel all of the parsnips, before chopping them into slices and further chopping these slices to form small cubes. Place all of the diced parsnips into a big, deep saucepan. Grate the zest of two of the lemons and add this rind to the parsnips, together with the juices of these two lemons. Finely slice the third lemon (with the skin still on) and cut these slices into small pieces, adding these to the parsnip pan. Pour on one litre of water and place the pan on a low heat, allowing the parsnips to simmer for roughly 20 minutes, until they start to feel tenderised and softened.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sugar slowly. Keep stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved itself into the parsnip infused liquid and return the pan to its heat. Continue stirring and allow the pan to reach boiling point, leaving on a rolling boil for around five minutes. Be careful that the mixture does not stick to the base of the saucepan and begin to burn.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and when the mixture appears thick and like a glossy syrup, take a small amount and place onto a plate that was previously cooled on a freezer shelf. If the parsnip jam starts to set within a minute, with a rippling skin when touched, it is ready to transfer into your sterile jam jars - before you spoon the jam into the jars, skim off any froth or bubbly scum that has formed. If it still appears to have a runny consistency, continue to simmer for longer and after a few minutes, carry out the test on another chilled plate. Repeat this test until your mixture reaches its setting point.

Parsnip Savoury Jam / Chutney Recipe - More Chutney Recipes.