Jams, Conserves and Marmalades
Australian Fur Seal
The Fur Seal is the largest in the world and was hunted near to extinction in the early years. Found on coastal, areas from NSW to Victoria and South Australia and most common in Tasmanian waters. Adult males are much larger then the females with the male growing over 120 kilos in weight and over 220cm in height . They feed on fish, squid, etc . The female seal produces one pup per season which is fed on very rich milk up until around the weaning off period of 12 months
Helpers
1 gill = 1/2 cup
Scant = Not quite full measure
Flour = Unless otherwise stated, "flour" refers to plain flour
Unless specified otherwise all temps are in Fahrenheit
Successfully substitute fats with today's cooking oils or margarine if so desired.
All oven temperatures are based on the standard wood oven, gas oven and electric oven.
Thoroughly clean and sterilize all jars and lids before filling.
Sterilize by placing in boiling water for a couple of minutes.
All fruits must be washed clean in water.
Special Recipes
Old Handy Hints & Ideas
Measure Conversions & Cooking Terms Link
Oven Temperatures & Reference Link
Apricot Conserve
Ingredients-
3 lb. under-ripe apricots
3 lb. sugar
Almonds
Method
Wash, halve, and stone apricots, cover with sugar and allow to stand overnight, next morning, pour off syrup and heat to boiling point, add apricots and simmer very gently 1 to 1 1/2 hours according to quantity, as the apricot pieces turn clear, remove and put into warm jars, finally pour remaining syrup into jars over apricot pieces, a few almonds may be added if liked. Allow to cool, seal jar.
Blackberry Jam
Ingredients
1 lb. blackberries
3/4 lb. sugar
Method
Wash berries and remove any stalks, crush in preserving pan and bring slowly to boiling point, simmer about 20 minutes, add sugar and boil rapidly until jam sets, bottle and seal.
Easy Peeling of fruit. Pour boiling water over peaches, nectarines and grapes and leave for a couple of minutes. The skin will then just peel off easily.
Cape Gooseberry Jam
Ingredients
4 lb. cape gooseberries
3/4 pint water
4 lb. sugar
Juice of 5 lemons
Method
Prepare gooseberries by removing outside husk or covering, and then wash them, bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to the boil, and boil 10 minutes, add prepared gooseberries and continue boiling till a little will set when tested, pour into prepared jars and seal.
Carrot Jam
Ingredients
4 medium-sized tender carrots
3 lemons
3 pints water
4 lb. sugar
Method
Grate carrots, cut lemons very finely, add to carrots and leave all in water overnight, boil till tender about 1 ˝ hours, then add sugar and boil till jelly sets when tested, pour into prepared jars and seal when cold.
Cherry Jam
Ingredients
1 lb. Kentish cherries
1 lb. sugar
1 gill water
Method
Remove stones from cherries, boil sugar and water for 10 minutes. Add all fruit and cook until the syrup gels. Bottle and seal.
Cumquat Conserve
Ingredients
1 lb. cumquats
Water
Salt
1 lb. sugar
Method
Wash fruit and cover with water, adding a handful of salt, cook gently till tender, drain water off, cover with fresh water and stand overnight, drain well next morning, make syrup with sugar and just enough water to moisten, bring to boil, add fruit and boil quickly till it jells (around 1 hour). The jam should be watched carefully or it may boil over, bottle, seal.
Always use a low heat on your combustion wood fire when cooking cheese as it becomes stringy and tough if over-cooked.
Fig Conserve
Ingredients
6 lb. sugar
3 gills cold water
1 1/2 gills vinegar
6 lb. figs
Method
Boil sugar, water, and vinegar for 10 minutes. Add cleaned prepared figs and boil until jells. Bottle and then seal.
Grape Jam
Ingredients
6 lb. muscatel grapes
1/2 pint water
4 1/2 lb sugar
2 level teaspoons citric acid
Method
Wash and weigh grapes and place in preserving pan with water, boil till tender, add heated sugar, boil gently, and just before it jells, add citric acid, bottle, seal.
Grapefruit Jam
Ingredients
1 large grapefruit
2 pints boiling water
2 lb. sugar
Method
Remove pips from fruit and slice it very finely, place in pan, add boiling water, cover, and stand overnight, simmer till tender (about 45 minutes), add sugar and boil quickly till it jells. Bottle and seal.
Grapefruit and Orange Jam
Ingredients
2 lb. grapefruit
2 lb. navel oranges
12 lb. sugar
15 pints very hot (not boiling) water
Method
Remove pips from fruit, finely slice it and pour over it the hot water, allow to stand overnight. Boil slowly till tender (about 2 hours), add heated sugar and boil quickly till it jells (about 1 hour). Stand 10 minutes or longer before bottling and sealing.
Boiled Linseed Oil will bring a lovely lustre to any polished timbers. (From old pages. Interest piece only)
Apple and Orange Jam
Ingredients
1 lemon
4 navel oranges
10 breakfast cups water
4 granny smith apples
6 lb. sugar
Method
Remove pips from lemon and oranges and slice them, pour on water and allow to stand overnight, in the morning peel and core apples, slice them thinly and add to oranges and lemon, boil 1 hour, add heated sugar, put skins and cores into a little water and boil to a jelly; strain and add to jam and cook till it jells. Bottle and seal.
Olive oil carefully rubbed over silver before it is put away will prevent tarnishing. When required wash off with warm soapy water.
Loganberry Jam
Ingredients
1 lb. loganberries
1 lb. sugar
Method
Pick berries over, removing any stalks, weigh, then wash very gently, place in preserving pan, crushing a few to draw sufficient juice before cooking. Bring slowly to boil and cook 10 to 15 minutes, add sugar, boil rapidly till a little will set when tested on a saucer. Pour into hot jars and seal.
Join our Supporters Access Hundreds of Extra old Aussie recipes
Melon and Lemon Jam
Ingredients
6 lb. jam melon
4 1/2 lb sugar
1 1/2 pints water
6 lemons
Method
Peel, seed and cut melon into blocks; weigh and put into a bowl, add half the sugar and the water and allow to stand overnight, simmer till melon is soft (about 2 hours), add balance of sugar and when dissolved boil rapidly till a good colour and consistency are obtained, lemon juice and grated rind should be added when the melon is soft. Pour into hot jars and seal.
NOTE: A medium-sized pineapple, 6 oz. of preserved or whole ginger and a cup of passionfruit pulp may be added instead of the lemons.
Rub candle stick wax along the track of your timber drawers, this will prevent jamming and help to slide smoothly. (From old pages)
Orange Jam
Ingredients
3 large navel oranges
3 pints hot water
3 lb. sugar
Method
Wash oranges and cut into thin slices, add hot water and soak overnight, next day boil gently with the lid on till tender, add heated sugar and continue boiling till it jells, allow to stand till partly cold. Pour into heated jars, and seal.
Peach Conserve
Ingredients
6 lb. ripe peaches
4 1/2 lb. sugar
1 quart water
Method
Peel and stone peaches and cut into large pieces, make syrup by boiling sugar and water 10 minutes, add prepared fruit and cook till it sets. Pour into heated jars, and seal.
NOTE: For plum and apricot jam allow one pound of sugar to one pound of fruit.
Potatoes will bake quickly if boiled in salty water for 10 minutes before placing into a pre-heated very hot oven. (From old pages. Interest piece only)
Quince Jam
Ingredients
1 pint water and 1 lb. of sugar to each large quince
Quinces (your requirements)
Method
Wash and wipe quinces, slice thinly, removing cores, simmer cores in some of the water/ Add all the water to the fruit and bring slowly to the boil. Continue boiling gently till quinces are soft and just turning pink. Add sugar and boil till the syrup, when tested, will jell. Bottle and seal in usual way.
Rosella Jam
Method
Separate bulbs from red leaves, put bulbs in saucepan and cover with cold water, boil till a good pink (less than 1 hour). Strain, reject the pulp, put liquid into saucepan and add the red fruit (leaf), boil about 15 minutes, measure it and allow 1 cup sugar to 1 cup liquid. Boil till it jells (about 20 to 30 minutes) testing frequently. Bottle and seal in usual way.
Rhubarb and Fig Jam
Ingredients
6 lb. rhubarb
6 lb. sugar
1 lb. dried figs
Method
Wash rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces, cover with half the sugar and allow to stand overnight Next day, add the finely cut figs and remainder of the sugar and boil until it jells. Bottle and seal in usual way. NOTE: This jam thickens considerably after cooling.
To help tomatoes ripen, place them in a sealed brown paper bag and leave at room temperature for a couple of days. (From old pages. Interest piece only)
Tomato Jam
Ingredients
8 lb. tomatoes
6 lemons
7 lb. sugar
1 1/2 oz. grated ginger
Method
Cut tomatoes into slices and peel lemons as thinly as possible and cut into shreds. Squeeze lemon juice and add with sugar and ginger to tomatoes. Boil all together till sufficiently thick. Bottle and seal as usual.
Tomato and Pineapple Jam
Ingredients
6 lb. tomatoes
salt
1 large pineapple
4 1/2 lb. sugar
1 teaspoon tartaric acid or juice 3 lemons
Method
Remove skin from tomatoes by immersing them in boiling water, cut into large pieces, sprinkle with salt and stand overnight. Pour liquid off tomatoes and peel and grate the pineapple. Boil both gently till pineapple is quite tender, add heated sugar and boil quickly 30 minutes. Add tartaric acid or lemon juice just before it jells. Bottle and seal in usual way.
Banana Jam
Cut up 2 cups of ripe bananas, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Place all in saucepan, stir and heat gently until thickens. Place in jars while hot. Makes 3 medium jars of jam
A house brick neatly covered with floral cloth makes a good door stop. (From old pages. Interest piece only)
Cumquat Marmalade
Ingredients
Your required quantity of cumquats
Boiling water
sugar as required
Method
Cut fruit up finely, put pips into a cup and cover with boiling water. Cover fruit with boiling water (allow 3 cups water to each cup fruit). Allow to stand overnight, add liquid from pips, bring to boil and boil nearly 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Bottle and seal.
Apple Jelly
Ingredients
Slightly under-ripe apples
Sugar (one cup for each cup of juice)
Method
Wash and wipe apples, slice, and just cover with water. Boil gently for about 45 minutes or until soft. Allow to stand till cold. First strain through colander, then through jelly bag or flannel. Measure out one cup of sugar to each cup of juice, add sugar to juice, when quite dissolved, boil rapidly till it jells (removing scum as it rises to the top). Pour into hot jars, seal and label.
Blackberry Jelly
Ingredients
1 lb. apples
3 lb. blackberries
1/2 pint water
Sugar (one cup for each cup of liquid)
Method
Wash and cut apples roughly, wash berries, place fruit in a saucepan with water and cook till set. Strain through butter muslin. Allow one cup of sugar to each cup of liquid and boil quickly till it jells. Bottle and seal.
NOTE: Loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, dewberries, mulberries, or a mixture of these, may be used instead of blackberries.
A bunch of fresh stinging nettles hung up in an open window of a room stops flies coming in. (From old pages. Interest piece only)
Guava Jelly
Ingredients
Guavas
Water
Sugar (one cup to one cup of liquid)
Lemons (juice of half a lemon to each 2 cups of liquid)
Method
Wash guavas, remove tops, cover with water and bring to the boil, simmer 2 hours. Strain through colander, then through jelly bag. Allow one cup of sugar to one cup of liquid to the guava mixture, add lemon juice, boil quickly till it jells. Bottle and seal.
NOTE: Loquats may be treated in a similar way.
Join our Supporters Access Hundreds of Extra old Aussie recipes
Fuchsia & Geraniums in Australia
Glorious Australiana images from a cd-rom called Images-Australia by ©GUM TREE GRAPHICS Artwork created by Australians Barry Gardner & Jason Jover. I recommend when looking for excellent computer graphics you request ©GUM TREE GRAPHICS from your retailer.