Well, first time ruining jam...any way to save this?

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
I'm so ticked off at myself for trying to follow directions instead of my instinct.

Got all my canning pots/etc going, cut up all my pluots and simmered with sugar to render juice, separated and boiled till syrupy (see recipe at link). Turned my back to find a therm and see if I could use my instant or polder given I don't have a candy one, and poof turned back to molten blackened lava. Clearly that's dead. Anything I could do with reserved fruit pulp? Of should I just toss that too. I'm so kicking myself right now.

PS I don't have a candy therm b/c the old glass one broke and the prop SS one I got to replace it melted the numbers off during first use.

PSS Guess I might as well ask this too - I have 2 Polder therms, one with a lead and one that is remote control. I've never been able to figure out how to use them. There I said it. Bah. I also have a hand held instant read -- could any of these double as a candy therm? The destructions on the ploders didn't seem to say either way.

PSSS

The house smells of burnt sugar. Can I even toss that stuff down the drain?

smileys/frown.gif

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cardamom-plum-jam-50400000122601/

 
Egads...what about my pan?! Burnt sugar alert! (Update: pan survived perfectly)

I just walked back to the kitchen and noticed the house is smokey, even thought I pulled the pan right away. It looks like a burn mess. I'm trying to add water, and reboil to see if I can thin it so can pour it out (which I did)

Is this the best course of action? The bottom of the pan has a black crust.

Today is not turning out well. smileys/frown.gif

 
Bummer about the jam... My advice for the pan:

Soak in hot water and dishwashing soap for a few (i.e., 3 or 4) days. Then attack it with Bon Ami. Great stuff for undoing mishaps.

 
I would be tempted to make a simple grape jelly(or maybe cranberry) from juice

and add those nice diced candied plum pieces into the jelly mixture. not sure if it would work, but sounds do-able.

 
Erin! Good to hear from you...was worried. Pan is coming clean

thanks to my mom's old thin spatula. The burnt is coming off while boiling water in sheets like leather. Mostly. The rest I'm hoping will come of with barkeepers friend.

 
The cooked pulots actually taste great - could I can as ice cream topping or something?

Trying to think of a way to save them and still possibly can/holiday gift them.

 
Oh, yeah, boiling water will do the trick.

We're fine...tucked away on the second floor of a five-story pre-war building sandwiched between a bunch of other pre-wars, and across the street from a 12-story building... Not much room for wind and rain to beat anything up! We never lost power--though I am now vowing never to live below 36th Street here (apparently some sort of cutoff line for the power company)!

On the other hand (NFRC), I'm set to deliver at NYU in six weeks, and seeing that fiasco unfold was hair-raising. I don't think they've invented the breathing techniques I'd need to survive being told, during labor, to prepare for being evacuated down nine flights of stairs. smileys/frown.gif

Hope everyone else came through the hurricane ok!

 
No, don't buy a candy thermometer, use this T&T recipe for Cardamom-Plum Jam:

Before our plum tree succumbed, I made dozens of cases of plum jam every year. This is the recipe I used. (Basically the one that comes in the Sure-Jell package) No thermometer necessary. (Sheesh!)

Cardamom Plum Jam

6 cups PREPARED FRUIT (from about 4 lbs fully ripe plums)
½ cup WATER
1 box SURE-JELL FRUIT PECTIN
2 Tbsp GROUND CARDAMOM
8 cups SUGAR, measured into separate bowl

Pit plums. Do not peel. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 6 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.

Stir pectin into fruit in saucepot. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and cardamom. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

 
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