Grape Jam

I made Strawberry Jam and posted the recipe. I also mentioned that I made “Grape Jam”. Grape Jam I made was out of black grapes and got a lovely purple colour.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 kg Black grapes (seedless)

A little less than ½ a teacup sugar.

Method:

1.  Remove all the stalks and soak the grapes in salted water of about 1-2 hours. Change the water once in between. (This is to get rid of all the pesticides).

2.  Transfer al l the grapes to a container and pressure cook, 1 whistle.

3.  Cool the grapes and strain them. Reserve the water.

4.  Grind the grapes to a fine paste in the mixer and transfer to a thick bottomed pan. Add the reserved water and the sugar.

5.  Stir and cook on medium flame. Till the mixture thickens a bit.

6.   Lower the flame and now stir continuously till the mixture clumps together. You could perform the plate test here.

7.  Transfer to dry bottles. Take care to keep the bottles on wooden surface while transferring the jam and let it cool on the wooden surface only.

Plate test for Jams

This is the plate test to test the readiness of jam.

In the plate test  pour a small quantity of jam on a cold plate. Chill it in the freezer for 30 seconds. If your jam is ready it will be firm to touch. Remove the pan from heat.

Strawberry Jam

 I enjoy having food with my colleagues in the afternoon. It’s not a big assembly but all the same enjoyable all of us share what we carry and food tastes better and of course you learn new recipes or learn a modification.

Alba had brought “Strawberry Jam” and also “Grape Jam” and of course I had to try it out.

The best part is both the jams don’t need any colour.

I will post the pictures next time I make them.

Ingredients you will need are

450 grms strawberry

225 grms sugar.

Method:

1.   Crush strawberries in the mixer (only one round).

2.   Transfer to a thick bottomed pan and add sugar.

3.    Heat on medium flame till the mixture stars to thicken. Till this point you can stir occasionally.

4.  Once the mixture starts to thicken lower the flame and stir continuously till the mixture clumps together.

5.  Transfer to dry bottles. Take care to keep the bottles on wooden surface while transferring the jam and let it cool on the wooden surface only.

PS. This is the plate test to test the readiness of jam.

In the plate test  pour a small quantity of jam on a cold plate. Chill it in the freezer for 30 seconds. If your jam is ready it will be firm to touch. Remove the pan from heat.

Fwd: Sweet Star Pickle

One of my friend's Trupti, brought a pickle the other day; it was sweet, sour and pungent at the same time. She had made it out of what is called here in Goa "Bimbal". 

Bimbal's a look like tendli/Tondli/Tondikai /gherkins but are sour and are used in a variety of dishes like Goan prawn curry.

I found what is known locally "Karmala" or "Kamarak" in Marathi and made pickle out of them. Basically taste wise I personally think Karmala are more sour than Bimla.  This is what Kamarak look like.

I quite like their star shape so I cut them horizontally you can cut them in any shape you want.

You will need

 For 1 cup of these cut pieces

 1 ½ cup of jaggery cut fine

1 tblsp chilli powder (adjust as per taste)

1 small block of asafoetida/hing (Shankar Chaap) or 2 tsp powdered asafoetida/hing.

Method:

1. Add one teaspoon full of water to the jaggery in a thick bottomed vessel and bring to boil stirring constantly.

2.  When the jaggery boil and thickens add 1 drop of the boiling liquid in a little water. The drop forms a hard mass on pressing it forms a solid rock. Your jaggery is done.

3.  Quickly add all the cut pieces and the rest of the ingredients.

4.  The moment the "karmalas" are added the jaggery becomes watery, don't panic cook it on slow flame till the syrup thickens a bit.

5.  Cool and serve with Chapatti, rice anything.

P.S. I never used to like sweet pickle but now I have changed my mind.