From one obsession to another

Now that my quince obsession has been quenched (sort of), it has move on to another, making jam. It has all the fitting of something I would obsess about--something old-fashion, long and somewhat complicated process, handmade and can be experimental. So now I'm a bit jam crazy.

The funny thing is I don't usually eat jam or jelly, too sweet. But I like using it in cookies or recently have been using it as filling for my cakes and cupcakes. I've been envisioning what groupings I can make with cake flavors and jams.

My jam list is beginning to grow. So far I have: quince [done--need to wait for next year], raspberry[done last weekend for holiday gifts], blackberries were a good deal @ costco and some kind of citrus fruit [I have grapefruit in refrig and I just bought meyer lemons] marmalade.

Just asked my sister if she can send me some of her citrus from the back yard. She said they are still green but now I can't wait. MARMALADE!

 

The whole long process of making jam is exactly how I like to cook. Something that takes long and needs tending to like Braised Lamb Shank, yummmmm--those are so delicious. WG should make those at the restaurant. that's my kind of cooking. Jam making had to join my list of what I needed to try. The sound of the popping lids makes me happy that I did something right.

Made some filling with the raspberry jam for lemon cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. I still feel the jam is very sweet. I need to work on the sugar to fruit ratio.

Here's couple of pictures of my blackberries starting the process. Berries being mushed then bottles of jams in the water bath. Like the taste of this jam. Not that sweet.

Who knew an bumpy yellow green fruit that most people never heard of would lead to this. [I still have to make make the cake with quince jam. But that will have to wait, there too many things in the que.