Jam Today!

It was a perfect day for making jam - dull, grey, wet! First to the chopping board were the gooseberries to be made into Gooseberry and Elderflower Cordial Jam. Once bubbling in a saucepan I had a couple of Buttermilk pancakes with last years Rhubarb and Strawberry jam and a good dollop of double cream!
Next up the redcurrants I had picked earlier in the week - all into the jam pan, stalks and all! No Liquid added, just heated till all the juice burst out of them, sugar and boiled till setting point reached by testing with a teaspoonful on a plate in the fridge - if the jam had a "skin" when pushed with the finger it was ready! Into the straining bag to drip it's clear red jelly into the pan below! 
Finally the rhubarb and strawberries. The Rhubarb had been macerated with a vanilla pod in sugar for 2 hours - I love how it goes from solid to liquid!Then into the pan with the strawberries to bubble away till done! Warmed jars out of the oven, messily poured jam and jelly into them - much finger licking at this point! Then into the Jam Pan and covered in water to boil and sterilise! 
Finally labels and pretty covers and all done! 2 jars of Gooseberry, 2 jars of Redcurrant Jelly, 6 jars of Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam! Just in time to go up the allotment and put the girls to bed! Next time the Jam pan comes out it will be making chutney!!!
The only bad aspect of the day was listening to the news and hearing one shadow minister after another resign - I like Corbyn and all he stood for and his manner of conducting himself, but I fear he is another casualty of this whole disgrace and I don't know whether he deserves it or not.