How To Make Quince and Cranberry Jam

Homemade Jam Recipes

Ingredients: Quince and Cranberry Jam Recipe

5 large quince fruit (species: cydonia oblonga, not: chaenomeles japonica)
3/4 lb / 350 grams of cranberries
2 1/2 lb / 1,150 grams of white sugar (use granulated sugar)
12 fl oz / 350 ml of tap water

Method - What To Do

Peel all of the quinces and roughly slice into small pieces, discarding the core and pips. Be careful with your trimming, to minimise any wastage of the fruit. Place the chopped pieces of quince into a saucepan and then cover with all of the water.

Bring the saucepan to a boil and then allow the quince pieces to simmer for roughly 30 minutes, so that they are fully softened. Rub all of the cooked quince through a sieve to create a puree, or blend the fruit in a food processor to make a smooth sauce.

Return the quince to the pan and combine with the cranberries. Simmer this mixture for 15 minutes, stirring during this time, and then take the pan from the heat, moving it to a convenient heatproof workspace. Stir in all of the sugar and keep stirring until it has completely dissolved into the juices of the quince and cranberries.

Place the saucepan back onto a medium heat and bring it to a strong simmer for 20 minutes. It is essential that you continue to stir as it simmers, every minute or two, to prevent the chance of sticking and then burning on the pan base. After 20 minutes has passed, test for jelling using the chilled saucer method. This involves spooning some of the jam onto a cold saucer (ideally from a fridge or from a freezer). Wait a minute and then examine with your finger, checking to see if it is taking on the appearance of a jelly with a skin forming on the top. If not, simmer some more and then test again, as many times as you need to until setting point comes along.

Take the saucepan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, so that it thickens up. This means that the quince pieces and cranberries will be more evenly spread through the jam when it sets, rather than floating in a hot, runnier mixture. Skim off any scum residue and then bottle in clean, sterile glass jars in the usual way, with wax paper discs, before screwing on the jar lids as tightly as possible.

Quince and Cranberry Jam Recipe - More Jam Recipes.