JAM & other things

[juliet]

Splendid long weekend, featuring Acid-on-Sea (squelchy acid techno! on a boat!), Acid-off-Sea (in a pub in Old St & then one of those under-the-arches places nr London Bridge), the making of JAM, the consumption of pizza-&-beer, a visit to this year's temporary building at the Serpentine Gallery, and some time spent in pubs.

Ceefax Acid Crew, on Saturday: "A Ceefax Acid Rave! In daylight! This should be interesting..." (he rose to the challenge admirably, I'm sure you'll be pleased to discover). The afterparty stuff was OK, but the Old St pub was rather too hot in the part where there was dancing; and by the time we'd been at the London Bridge bit for an hour or so, where dancing was more comfortable, I was *knackered*. A fine day anyway, though - & glad that marnameow & bluedevi could make it along to join self & dogrando for the later bit (helpfully, sbp & boyofbadgers both made it only for the actual boat part, so wristband-swapping worked out nicely).

Then on Sunday Marna & I went to the allotment & picked vast quantities of rhubarb, which we then turned into 2.5 litres of lovely tasty rhubarb & ginger jam. And still had enough left over for a rhubarb crumble, & quite a bit of spare rhubarb in both of our freezers. *And* we may yet get another small harvest this year. I also attempted grape jam (with the grapes I've had in the freezer for the last year, picked from the garden at Webster Road); but sadly we discovered that when one puts the oven on, for example to cook rhubarb crumble, it heats the stovetop up by about 30deg, which is enough to turn jam into sticky toffee. So I have two jars of very tasty sticky grape toffee, instead. The plan is to melt it before use & use it as grape toffee sauce. We are also contemplating asking Ernie-at-the-allotment if we can pick *lots* of his blackberries, & turn them into jam as well. Or possibly blackberrynapple crumble. Mmmm blackberries.

Today I have been Solving Work-Type Problems, hurrah for me.

Comments

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

DUDE if I make jam too (urgh I nearly typed "ham" how yuck) will I need to buy a HUGEENORMOUS Stainless Steel Not Aluminium pan? Because I really want to. Make jam AND buy a pan.

Also - NICE ICON! :)

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Jamjamjam
Jamjamjam
JAM

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

The jams are revolting!

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

KICK OUT THE JAMS!

[juliet]

Clearly we need to make MORE JAM so that we can give some more away. I have already promised one pot to my parents, which leaves only 4 pots left! (mind you, I don't eat jam that often, so 4 pots is prob more than enough to last the year, esp if we get hold of Ernie's blackberries as well. Anyone want some JAM?).

[uon.livejournal.com]

I discovered this summer that it is in fact possible to make JAM using only a big bowl and a microwave oven, and it tastes possibly even better than jam made the normal way.
However: this means that there will be no vast roiling cauldron of sugary napalm to spread the yummy smell of JAM around your house, which is one of the reasons making jam is so much fun in the first place.

[juliet]

Cor, I didn't know that was possible. We do not possess a microwave so did not have this option. Also, as you so rightly, it's *clearly* Not The Same.

[uon.livejournal.com]

I was very sceptical myself until I tried it (and in particular tried the results). It's great for softish fruit jam like raspberry or strawberry; not sure how well it would work with rhubarb..

[juliet]

Thank you!

You need a pan with a decently heavy bottom; and jam is easier to make in large quantities than small, I think. So a largeish pan, yeah. If you want an excuse to buy one, go for it :-)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

hehe, coquettish icon ;)