A soft spot

Few things are as iconic in India as the Amul butter and Kissan Mixed Fruit jam sandwich. A favourite with both children and nostalgic adults alike, no picnic basket is complete without a few generously buttered slices of bread slathered with the bright pink jam. My own attachment to this childhood staple runs deep and if not for a certain essay that exalts the virtues of homemade jam by renowned food writer Laurie Colwin, I would have been more than content to have my toast with store-bought jam for the rest of my life. However, even to the most stubborn mixed fruit jam lover, Colwin’s description of homemade plum jam is irresistible — “deep, intense, not too sweet, with a beautiful silky consistency and a clean profound taste of plums”. Newly inspired and encouraged by a battalion of well-wishers, I decided to take on the role of intrepid cook and step into the kitchen armed with a kilo of juicy plums, some sugar and an armful of cookbooks.

For the uninitiated, it’s helpful to know what really constitutes a jam as opposed to a jelly or marmalade. Jelly is made from fruit juice that has been strained to give a clear liquid that is then cooked with sugar until it holds its shape. Jams, on the other hand, are made not from fruit juice, but crushed or chopped fruits cooked with sugar. A jelly that has suspended fruit pieces or citrus peel is called marmalade.

Although it is possible to make jam from most fruits, the ease with which it sets into the right consistency depends on its pectin content. Apples, oranges and certain varieties of plums are high in pectin and are generally favoured by home cooks. Commercial pectin is easily available these days, so if you do find a fruit that you’re tempted to make jam out of, there is no reason to hold back. To test the pectin content, stir together one teaspoon of cooked fruit juice with two teaspoons of rubbing alcohol. If it solidifies, the fruit is high in pectin content; if it forms large flakes, the pectin level is considered to be medium; and if you see small flakes, it is low-pectin.

Jam-making has a reputation for being fussy and requiring fancy gadgets like thermometers. Although it helps to have a thermometer, it is by no means a necessity. To test for doneness, remove the pot from the fire, and pour a drop of the mixture onto a plate that has been chilled in the freezer for a few minutes. After a minute, gently push the mixture starting from the edge of the drop. If it slides easily, forming a wrinkled skin on top, your jam is ready. If not, cook it for a few more minutes and repeat the process.

Now, you may ask yourself, why go to the trouble of making jam when there is an entire supermarket aisle dedicated to it. If, like my mother, you happen to live in a house where you wake up in the summer to find the mulberry tree in your backyard studded with ripe fruit, it may be that you are tired of making mulberry mousse, mulberry compote and even mulberry bread pudding. If this is the case, making jam is a good way to put the surplus fruit to use. And now that I have tried my hand at jam-making, I am convinced that even if the promise of the most intense, brightly flavoured jam you have ever tasted isn’t a lure, the process of making it will draw you in.

To put it simply, it is kitchen therapy at its most soothing. It falls in the same rank of comforting activities as bread-making or soup-drinking. From cutting up the fruit, to watching it boil and thicken, and breathing in the heavenly aromas that start to fill your kitchen, the whole affair provides reprieve from the mundane. Although there is no denying that it is a lengthy process, I’ve discovered that an hour or two dedicated to standing over the stove, and occasionally stirring the contents of a sweet-smelling, simmering pot can be a meditative process.

Plum jam

Makes 1 litre (4 cups)

1 kg ripe plums

2 cups water

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tbsp lime juice

1 Wash and cut the plums into quarters, removing the stones.

2 In a large pot, bring the plums and water to a boil.

3 Reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for an hour with the lid on.

4 Add the sugar and lime juice and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil without covering and stir for 15 minutes.

5 Turn off heat and do the jam test mentioned in the text. If it hasn’t jelled, let the mixture boil for a few more minutes and then repeat.

6 Pour the jam into bottles that have been sterilised*.

*To sterilise bottles, place them in a saucepan filled with water and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 20 minutes, remove from the pan and let it air dry.

(Aysha Tanya is a Kannur-based food writer)

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