High Dumpsy Dearie – Traditional English Fruit Jam

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 lbs pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 lbs plums, halved and stoned
• 2 ounces fresh gingerroot, bruised and tied in a muslin bag
• 4 1/2 lbs sugar
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of, grated
• butter (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare fruit and weigh them AFTER they have been peeled, cored and stoned.

2. 2

   Place all the fruit and the ginger into a large preserving pan and simmer VERY gently for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft and tender.

3. 3

   Add some water if the fruit does not make enough juice itself – and keep stirring constantly to avoid the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. 4

   Remove from the heat and add the sugar stirring well. Put the pan back on a gentle heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

5. 5

   Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.

6. 6

   Bring up to the boil and cook rapidly until the setting point has been reached; test after 15 minutes and every 2 minutes thereafter.

7. 7

   Removes as much scum as you can – small knobs of butter helps to disperse the scum – add it and stir well.

8. 8

   Discard the ginger in the muslin bag – pressing it well before removing to extract the last of the ginger flavour.

9. 9

   Pour into cooled and sterilised jam jars and seal.

10. 10

    Label and store for up to 2 years in a cool and dark place.

11. 11

    Serve with bread, toast, scones, cakes, pancakes and use in steamed and baked puddings and desserts.

12. 12

    How to test the setting point:.

13. 13

    Have one or two saucers in your freezer; as soon as the jam starts to feel "thicker" and is very syrupy, after about 15 minutes, take the jam off the heat and put one teaspoon of jam on to one of the very cold saucers. Then push the jam with your finger, if it wrinkles and is firm and not runny, then the setting point has been reached. It is important to take the jam off the heat whilst you check!

14. 14

    If the setting point has not been reached - put the jam back onto the heat and continue to boil rapidly for another 2 minutes, continue with this method until the setting point has been reached!