Plum, apple and strawberry jam - frugal fun.

I know I rabbit on about jam quite a lot in here but I had to post about this.

I was sorting out the fridge and found two wizened eating apples, five very squashy but still 'sound' plums and I had six strawberries that were in various stages of having been nibbled

I stoned and quartered the plums, peeled, cored and sliced the apple and cut all the nibbled bits off the strawberries.

Into a pan they went with a splash or two of water - not too much - and I simmered them for a while.  One apple more or less mushed, the other didn't but softened so the resulting jam has lumps of apple in it.

I measured what I had in pints (3/4 pint) and added jam sugar, pound to pint (so 12 oz).

I took the fruit off the heat, added the sugar and stirred well, then left it for the sugar to slowly and completely dissolve into the warm fruit.  Then I did what I always do - bring it to a good boil, take it off the heat and leave it.  Somehow, it always sets better when I do that.

As it cooled I could see that it was going to be a quick set and so it was.  An hour or so later I reboiled and immediately tested for setting point (I use the saucer method).

Sure enough, it was ready to pour into clean, warmed jars.

So now I have three pots of gorgeousness made from fruit that would most likely have been thrown away in my less frugal youth.

And it is scrape-the-pot-and-lick-the-spoon-and-wish-I-could-have-made-more delicious.

Ignore the cherries - it was the best picture I could find.