Džem Od Krušaka I Karamele
Yields 1 1/2 kg of jam.
- Prep time: 1h
- Cook time: 1h 15min
- Total time: 2h 15min
- Difficulty: Intermediate
In this recipe I used Dr. Oetker gelling sugar with 2:1 ratio of pectin to sugar. Since the amount of sugar in this recipe is quite small, you must use some sort of a gelling agent or pectin to help it thicken. Use any gelling agent you are most comfortable working with, but make sure you use it according to manufacturer’s instructions and adjust the amounts of fruit and pectin for this recipe.
For the jam.
- 1kg pears, peeled and finely chopped
- 300g sugar
- 10g vanilla sugar
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds and pod
- 2cm ginger root, peeled
- 25g powdered pectin
- 100ml pear juice
- 50ml dark rum
For the caramel.
Ingredients:
- 100g sugar
- 50ml cold water
- 50ml hot water
Directions:
For the caramel, combine sugar and cold water in a small heavy bottomed pot. Cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves and starts to get a dark amber color. Remove from heat, stir in hot water and cool to room temperature.
Puree approximately 2/3 of the prepared pears in a blender. In a heavy based large pot combine chopped pears with pear puree, sugar and vanilla sugar. Add caramel, zest and juice on one lemon, vanilla seeds and pod and a piece of ginger root. Put the pot on high heat and cook, stirring occasionally until it boils and starts to bubble. If it starts to froth, skim the froth from the surface with a spoon. Put a saucer in a freezer so you can test the thickness of your jam later. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for approximately 1 hour, stirring frequently. Because the juices evaporate and jam thickens, you’ll have to stir continuously towards the end of cooking time to prevent it from burning.
When the pears have cooked through and most of the juices have evaporated, take the vanilla pod and ginger root out of the pot and discard.Add pectin and cook on high heat, stirring constantly, until the jam thickens. This should take somewhere between 5-10 min, but it may vary depending on the gelling agent you’re using, so adjust the times according to instructions on the package. Test the thickness of your jam. Take the saucer out of the freezer and put a teaspoon of jam on it. The coldness of the saucer will cool the jam instantly and you will see how thick it will eventually be. If it’s too thin, return to heat and cook until it reaches a desired thickness. Add pear juice and adjust the flavors now if necessary by adding more sugar or lemon juice. When you’re happy with the flavors and thickness, add rum and remove from heat.
Ladle the hot jam into clean sterilized jars. I sterilize mine in the oven by baking them for 30 minutes at 110°C. I sterilize my lids by cooking them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully seal the jars with a lid, turn the jars upside down and let them stand on their lids for 5 minutes. Turn them right side up and let them cool completely. Store in a cool and dark place and use within a year.
Commentary.
Category: Breakfast, Preserves
We love making our own jams and the number of different flavored jams in our pantry can reach up to 6-8 different kinds each year. It’s a really special process, especially if done with your loved ones. I get this tremendous feeling of accomplishment just looking at all those jars. They make a great edible gift as well!