Five Seasons of Jam by Lillie O’Brien
December 8, 2018 by JennyLillie O’Brien began her culinary career as a pastry chef working for Fergus Henderson. After five years at St. John Bread and Wine, she opened her own shop London Borough of Jam in 2011. Lillie’s preserves are made in small batches, and cooked for a shorter time rather than generic brands, producing an honest, unadulterated flavour that is fruit-driven, rather than sugar-driven. Her debut cookbook Five Seasons of Jam shares her recipes and her passion for jam perfection.
Jam cannot be rushed. These preserving
recipes may be short on the page, but they’re designed to stretch
time, from when you first find and organize the ingredients, to
when you stir the pot slowly and lovingly, then spread it on toast,
and take the first magical bite.
These innovative recipes, bubbling with fruit, nuts, herbs and
spices, are separated into 5 seasons:
- ALIVE/spring- blossoming florals and awakenings (Peach & Fig leaf Jam, Salted Cherry Blossom, Wild Garlic Pesto)
- HOT/summer – vivid sweetness (Nectarine & Thyme Jam, Strawberry & Wild Fennel Jam, Pickled Walnuts)
- BLUSH/early autumn – smoky warmth and rich spice (Blackberry & Cocoa Nib Jam, Elderberry & Pomegranate Molasses, Tomato Jam, Marjoram Jelly)
- BARB/late autumn – robust and bristling (Pear & Masala Jam, Pumpkin Jam, Damson Cheese)
- FROST/winter – biting, dark and cosy (Preserved Lemons, Seville Orange & Chamomile Marmalade)
This title is packed with gorgeous photographs and very approachable recipes. Special thanks to Kyle Books for sharing the following recipes with our members as well providing three copies of this book in our giveaway below. Please note that the kindle version of this book is on sale right now on US Amazon and Amazon CA,.
Spring: Gariguette strawberry & white
balsamic jam
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Hailing from south France, the Gariguette strawberry has a beautiful perfume-like smell that will take your jam to the next level. Lillie suggests serving this jam with goats’ milk yogurt.
- 1.2kg Gariguette strawberries
- 800g caster sugar
- 100ml white balsamic vinegar
- pinch of pink sea salt
1. Hull the strawberries and cut them in half. I like to keep them in halves so that you still have largish pieces when the jam is cooked.
2. Put the strawberries in a preserving pan and set over a low heat so that they start cooking and release some juice.
3. Slowly add the sugar, vinegar and salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the jam reaches setting point, 105°C/220°F on a sugar thermometer.
4. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the natural pectin is distributed evenly. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in a cool dark place.
Summer:
Blackcurrant & almond jam
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Currants can be quite acidic. We love that Lillie added in not only sweet sugar, but smooth, fatty almonds to round out the tangy flavor of this summer jam.
Makes 7 x 220g jars
- 1.2kg blackcurrants (you can include the leaves if you have some)
- 700g caster sugar
- 200g whole almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
- juice of 1 lemon
1. To prepare blackcurrants, gently wash them and remove any large stalks or brown leaves, but leave in any green leaves as they are very flavoursome and will add lots more depth to the jam.
2. Gently strain off any excess water and put the blackcurrants and any of their leaves (roughly torn) in a heavy-based saucepan with the scraped vanilla pod and seeds. Set over a low heat and cook until the fruit starts to break down, then add the sugar, almonds and lemon juice and slowly bring to the boil. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the jam reaches setting point, 105°C/220°F on a sugar thermometer. Because blackcurrants are high in pectin this jam doesn’t take long to cook so keep an eye on it. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in a cool dark place.
With some wine in the mix, this apple jelly is truly special and a great addition to a cheese board.
Makes 5 x 220g jars
- 1.2kg Granny Smith apples
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1.8 litres water
- 270ml rosé wine
- 1.2kg caster sugar
1. Wash the fruit and slice the unpeeled apples and lemon into quarters, then slice each one in half. Put in a heavy-based saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes.
2. Add the wine, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes. (Keeping the lid on means the alcohol won’t evaporate.)
3. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth suspended over a bowl overnight. Don’t squeeze the bag as it will make the jelly cloudy.
4. The following day, discard the pulp (put in your compost) and measure the strained liquid. You should end up with approx. 1.3 litres of liquid.
5. Pour the liquid into a preserving pan, add the sugar and slowly bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes, until the jelly reaches setting point, 105°C/220°F on a sugar thermometer. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in a cool dark place.
TIP
Play around with adding any leftover alcohol you may have hanging around. You could try a herby vermouth, which would pair perfectly with the tart apples and sugar.
Five Seasons of Jam by Lillie O’Brien © 2018 Kyle Books, photographs © Elena Heatherwick.
The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US and UK. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.
Which recipe in the index would you try first?
Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on January 24th, 2019.
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