Damson Jam

I love foraging for berries this time of year - blackberries for pies and crumbles, sloes sooth the winter blues with Sloe Gin, and damsons for tangy damson jam!

Damsons were introduced to Britain by the Romans but goodness knows what they did with them, they're so tart that only tons of refined sugar can tame them! Fortunately I love the sharp plummy flavour of damson jam, and it's very easy to make, particularly with a good jam or sugar thermometer. Damson jam is lovely on toast or hot crumpets - for carnivores it also goes well with rich game meats.

Use whatever quantity you can forage, it's actually easier to boil up smaller quantities of jam than large, particularly if you're a beginner. Make sure they're ripe, they should be juicy and slightly yielding, not too hard but not too soft. Make sure you wash the fruits thoroughly to remove bits of grit, bugs and stray leaves!

1. Weigh the damsons, and measure out an equal weight of white sugar.
2. Clean some jam jars thoroughly either in a dishwasher on a hot cycle, or with hot soapy water and dry them in a 150C oven for 10 minutes.
3. In a pan, add the damsons plus about a cupful of water, depending on quantity, and gently stew the damsons for 5-10 minutes until they're very soft.
4. When the fruits are cooked, place a sieve over a bowl and pour the damsons into the sieve. The fruit should be soft enough to push out the stones - a fiddly process but make sure you get them all, you don't want crunch in your jam!
5. Return the fruit and liquid to the pan, pour in the sugar and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. It should be liquid at this stage so add a splash more water if there's not enough for the sugar to dissolve.
6. Turn up the heat and boil til the mixture reaches the "setting point" of 105C, making sure to stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn.
7. When it hits 105C, remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly, then pour into your prepared jars, close the lid and leave to cool.

Variations

Plums and almonds go wonderfully together, so try Damson and Amaretto Jam! When the jam is cooling in the pan, add a tablespoon or three of Amaretto liqueur. Or for a non-alcoholic version, a teaspoon of almond extract.

Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade

Just showing off my Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade! I love hot buttered toast and marmalade in the morning, and the fragrant tang of grapefruit is just perfect. Using red, pink or ruby grapefruit gives it a lovely colour too.

But marmalade isn't just for toast - it's great as a glaze on duck and ham (see, I can do meat suggestions!), in a marmalade sponge cake, or as a glaze on top of a rich fruit cake. It's also tasty with a sharp cheese!

Cook it just like my plum jam recipe, equal amounts of sliced fruit and sugar but I add the juice of a lemon but to make it sharper. I love a chunky marmalade, but if you don't like "bits", whizz up the cooked fruit with a hand blender before adding the sugar.

Summer teatime: Plum jam & Scones

The downside of loving food is eating too much of it! I've been on a diet lately hence not posting in a while.

Today I had a basket of juicy black plums. To be honest I'm not keen on eating plums, but I love plum jam. And what's the best use for plum jam? Scones! A perfect teatime treat for a summer's day.

I was always rather afraid of jam making, it always seemed mysterious and complicated. But once I started, I discovered how easy it is once you summon up the courage.

My tips are, get a sugar thermometer, and make sure you keep stirring so it doesn't burn on the bottom! Jam tends to bubble and splash when cooking, so I recommend using a large pan that's only a third full to minimise mess. Rubber gloves also protect your hands from sugar splashes!

Plum Jam

Jam uses roughly equal amounts of fruit and sugar. I always try to use less sugar (say 60/40), but it just makes it trickier to set.

• 750g plums, chopped and stoned
• 750g sugar
• 1 small apple, peeled and chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 100 ml water

1. Add the fruit, juice and water to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour or so until the fruit is cooked.
2. Take off the heat, and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.
3. Return to the heat and crank up to maximum. I have a sugar thermometer which hangs on the side of my pan so you can always see the temperature.
4. Stir gently every so often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
5. Keep checking the temperature. When it rises to 104C, that's the "setting point" at which it turns into jam.
6. To test whether it's set, the traditional method is to put a couple of saucers into the freezer. Drop a small dribble onto a cold plate and poke it with your finger. If it "wrinkles" or just feels jelly-like, it's set. If it stays runny, you need to cook for longer.
7. Once it's reached setting point, take off the heat. Leave to cool for a few minutes. It will thicken as it cools so don't worry if it still seems runny, but if it's very thick while it's still hot, you might want to add a splash of water from the kettle.
8. Pour into sterilised jam jars. I always label my jars so I remember what they are and when I made them!

Scones

Scones are one of my store-cupboard staples. If I was a glamorous housewife I could claim I only make them when unexpected guests pop by, but the truth is I make them for myself because they're so quick! I tend to leave out butter but add 50g for more indulgent scones. Serve them with butter and/or clotted cream for full-fat luxury, or just with greek yoghurt for those watching their waistline!

• 225g self raising flour 
• (or, 225g plain flour plus 1.5 tsp baking powder)
• 150 milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• Handful of dried fruit (optional)

1. Mix it all together in a bowl.
2. Bring together into dough, you just want to mix it so everything is incorporate into a ball.
3. Preheat your oven to 220C.
4. Transfer to a floured surface, and roll so that it's an inch or more thick.
5. I'm greedy and like big scones so I use a large pastry cutter to make 4 scones. A smaller one should make 6, or 8 for bite-sized ones.
6. Punch the cutter straight down, trying not to twist the sides.
7. Pop each one onto a baking tray. You can leave them plain or glaze with milk.
8. Whack into the hot oven and cook for 15 mins.