another day, another jam

What do you do with a glut of tomatoes (over 3kg!) a few apples, 1/2 lemon and a 1kg bag of granulated sugar? Odd combination you may be thinking but it does make a great tomato + apple jam suitable for toasted crumpets, perfect for the autumn or a tea time treat.

If you fancy giving it a try here is the recipe. Its easy and only takes about an hour to make.

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2oz) tomatoes (skinned, deseeded and diced)

500g (1lb 2oz) apples (peeled, cored and diced)

1kg (2lb 4oz) granulated sugar

juice of half a lemon

1. Put the tomatoes and apples in a large pan with the lemon juice and gently cook on a low heat until the fruit turns into a pulp mixure
2. Add the sugar and bring gently to the boil stirring often, and boil rapidly for 5 mins stirring lots to prevent burning
3. Reduce the heat, and simmer very gently for a further 15-20 minutes stirring to prevent burning until setting point is reached. If using a sugar thermometer, the jam is ready when the temperature reaches 105°C/210°f. If you don't have a thermometer, chill a saucer in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Spoon a little of the jam onto the cold saucer.
4. Push the flat edge of a knife against the edge of the jam blob and if the surface wrinkles it is beginning to set. If it doesn't wrinkle, put the plate back in the fridge and cook the jam for another minute, then test again
5. Allow to cool for 15 minutes then pour into sterilised jars. filling them almost to the top
6. Cover the jars at once, using waxed discs and lids if you have them, set aside to cool
   If you don't have lids, when the jam is cold, cover the jars with cellophane, and secure with a rubber band
7. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months

taken from cookit.e2bn.org/recipes