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Jam MakingJam is a type of fruit preserve made by boiling fruit with sugar to make a jelly. Jam is often spread on bread and also as a sweetener. Jam Making Kits can be traced back to the 16th century when the Spanish visited the West Indies, where they preserved fruit, although the Greeks and Romans had preservation techniques many centuries before. The proportion of sugar and fruit varies according to the type of fruit, but a rough starting point is equal weights of each. When the mixture reaches a temperature of 104 °C, the acid and the pectin in the fruit react with the sugar, and the jam will set on cooling. Using a jam making kit is straightforward and these generally contain complete instructions. Some fruits, such as gooseberries, blackcurrants, citrus fruits, apples and raspberries, set very well; others, such as strawberries and ripe blackberries, need to have pectin added. There are proprietary pectin products on the market, and most industrially-produced jams use them. Home jam making kits sometimes rely on adding a pectin-rich fruit to a poor setter; hence the popular old favourite blackberry and apple. Christmas baking | Halloween food | Jam making | Artisan Espresso Maker - Coffee Grinders - Bakeware Accessories Barbeque-Accessories - Kitchen Knives - Left handed kitchen utensils - cookware |