Greengage Jam

Serves	Makes 2.25kg (5lbs)
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Dietary	Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Breakfast, Condiment
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Region	British
By author	Vivien Lloyd

A delightful and traditional recipe for greengage jam that I have adapted slightly from Vivien Lloyd's classic recipe in her book First Preserves. Greengages are small and oval-shaped with a yellow to green coloured flesh and they make a fabulous jam with a pretty colour. They are medium in pectin level and that's why I add the juice of a lemon (if I don't add the kernels to the jam), as based on my grandmother's greengage jam recipe.

Ingredients

1.4kg (3lbs) greengages
300ml (1/2 pint) water
1.4kg (3lbs) granulated sugar

Optional

Juice of 1 lemon

Note

Directions

Step 1	Wash, wipe and halve the fruit before stoning them. Place the stoned fruit in a large preserving pan and add the water. NB: At this stage you can also add some of the kernels from the stones - this helps the set. Vivien Lloyd says..." using nutcrackers, crack a few of the stones and remove the kernels - place the kernels in a bowl of boiling water and leave for 1 minute - drain them and rub off the skins, then add the blanched kernels to the pan of fruit and water".....
Step 2	Slowly bring the pan of fruit to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the fruit is soft and pulpy.
Step 3	Meanwhile, warm the sugar in the oven, by placing it in an oven-proof bowl and heating the oven to 140C/275F/Gas mark 1. Remove the sugar from the oven when the fruit is cooked and add it to the pan of fruit. Turn the oven off and place the jam jars into the oven.
Step 4	Stir the sugar until it has dissolved, add the lemon juice and then bring the jam to a rolling boil, boil hard until the setting point has been reached.
Step 5	Check for a set after 5 minutes; To check for setting point, use the flake method or the cold plate method and always take the pan off the heat when you test for the set. Flake test - Dip a large spoon into the jam and scoop out some of the jam - lift the spoon above the pan and allow the jam to drip back into the pan - setting point has been reached when the jam drips slowly and forms a long flake, or as Vivien Lloyd says, "it looks like webbed feet". For the cold plate (saucer) method, place 2 or 3 saucers into the freezer, when you want to test for a set, take 1 out and spoon some jam on to the cold saucer - wait a few seconds and then push the jam with your finger - if setting point has been reached, the jam will crinkle and a skin will form and it will appear to be jelly-like.
Step 6	Allow the jam to settle and cool for a few minutes , then push any scum that may have risen to the side of the pan with a metal spoon.
Step 7	Gently stir the jam and then pour it in to the warm jam jars using a jug or a ladle and funnel, make sure you fill the jars to the brim. Seal the jars immediately with new twist lids or with waxed discs and cellophane covers that are secured with rubber bands.