When I tell people one of the first things I made after moving in was greengage jam the first thing they always ask is “what’s a greengage?.” I never thought they were all that weird but I do come from a family of prolific jam makers and I think this ugly wee fruit may make just about the best jam I have ever tasted. And God knows – I love jaaaaam!
They day that I picked the greengages (mid September) I was actually picking apples from the small orchard someone kindly planted for us about 10 years ago. I didn’t actually know they had planted us a greengage tree to until I saw dozens littering the ground. I think if it had been just few days later when I noticed them it would have been too late. But as providence would have it I did spot them and they were at the ripest they could be without spoiling!
They tree bore about 3 kg which I gave a good wash, chucked the dodgy ones, halved and tumbled into the jelly pan. I don’t know why jelly pans and are called jelly pans in Scotland. Jam is jam in UK and jelly in US so why we call them jelly pans is beyond me. Answers on a post card please. Anyway mine is my Grannies and is very sentimental. To think I’m the third generation (at least – I have no idea where she got it from) to swirl and mix fruit and sugar about this pan brings me a lot of joy. That’s before I even get to eat it! Did I mention I love jam by the way?
Here’s where I made my big mistake – in my super excitement I just put everything (water, sugar and fruit) in the pan at once. School boy error. Greengages, plums and damsons all have very annoying little stones. They are almost impossible to dig out of the raw fruit but once they are cooked they should all float to the top where they can be scooped out with a spoon. This doesn’t work though if you put they sugar in at the start because as you boil it up its already turning to jam, getting thicker and thicker, making it harder and harder to catch all the stones before they are set into the jam forever more.
So, next time I make it I will try boiling the fruit up in just water, scoop out stones, THEN add the sugar!
So anyway, here are the ingredients and how you make it which is generally what’s needed to call something a recipe I believe. These amounts are for 1 kg of fruit. Divide/multiply accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 kg greengages
- 250 ml water
- 750 g sugar
Method
- Wash and chuck away and rotten gages.
- Cut in half around the stone like a mini avocado and twist to separate.
- Put the greengages in large pan and bring to the boil with water.
- Once boiling try and scoop out all the stones that should hopefully be floating on top.
- add the sugar and boil up until thick (usually about 20 minutes)
- pour into sterilised jars and store and/or eat immediately on toast 🙂
I’m not too sure if it’s just because it’s the first thing I made or that I managed to pick the gages at their absolute sweetest but this jam was an absolute belter! It was great in porridge over the winter months and obviously on toast was brill. I still have on more big jar which I’m saving. I’ll post a wee pic of the actual finished jam when I do. Amazing to be eating fruit that you picked 9 months ago… The power of preservation!!
Rurally Ever After... 