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Pam's Q&A

 

Affectionately known as Pam the Jam, Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember. For more than twenty years she ran the Thursday Cottage jam company, converted from an old pig farm. Now Pam works closely with the River Cottage team running regular courses and has written the second in our handbook series, 'Preserves'...

 

How old were you when you made your first jam/chutney?
Probably not until I left home in my late teens, but we would always have home-made jam at home and my part of the making would be picking (and eating) the fruit.


How did you first get hooked on preserving?
It was part of running a home and garden – using up fruit and veg’. I really got hooked and it became a way of life when Hugh (husband) and I changed direction in life and started making jam for a living and the domestic amounts turned into 2,500 jars each day. Even then I never got fed up but just wanted to make the very best jam anyone could buy.


Do you have a favourite recipe or glut that you love to use?
 I love gooseberry jam and apple butter.


What would you recommend a beginner preserver tackles?
Gooseberry, blackcurrant or plum jam – these fruits are all rich in pectin and relatively easy to get a good set. Alternatively, bottling currants and berries is really easy and a wonderful way to keep their flavours true.


Have you had any preserving failures?
Oh yes. Most frequently with strawberry jam that doesn’t set, but I do know why. It’s because I don’t want to overcook the jam so that it becomes too sticky and sweet. Thankfully this is simply remedied by re-boiling for a couple of minutes the following day.
Pickled walnuts seemed to turn to lumps of charcoal...........I must try again.


Is there a particular vegetable or fruit you grow just to put in a jar?
Redcurrants. We use loads of redcurrant jelly at home ( I’m in the midst of making some right now) and we’re all quite hooked on currant shrub.


Do you have a particular ritual or trusted equipment that you cannot work without?
Most preserving equipment is fundamental to most kitchens. However, I do like to have a couple of good large pouring jugs. A recent acquisitions that I find very useful for making fruit purees is a hand operated passata machine – this throws out skins, pips and stones from gently softened fruits leaving you with a smooth fruit puree to turn into fruit butters, cheeses, curds and of course excellent tomato passata.

 

Finally, scone, clotted cream…but which jam??
Can’t beat raspberry or strawberry ...... and I put the cream on first!

 

As you know, Pam is an expert jam maker and preserver, and will be judging our *new* competition Perfect Preserve. If you have a favourite recipe handed down from your granny maybe, enter the competition and win a day making your own jam in the River Cottage Kitchen. Top 30 entrants win a signed copy of Pam's Preserves handbook