Jam making

I have started making jam since I retired with some of the fruit glut from the garden, and it is one of those things you learn as you go! I use jam sugar from the supermarket, you can get it with added pectin for fruits like strawberries or without but it dissolves more easily. I often add half a pound of cooking apples to my fruit to take an edge of the sweetness and add pectin naturally. I usually have some ready sliced in the freezer.

I learnt like you that gooseberry jam was nicer if I cut or crushed the fruit first, so slice your plums how you like. My favorite is damson, but it takes a bit of time with a slotted spoon fishing out the stones!!!

Good luck and enjoy making some more.

I've made strawberry jam this year, plum jam in previous years and tried raspberry jam. I also make Blackberry jelly and apple jelly. I tend to buy jam sugar but don't use as much as the recipes suggest. I do also often add lemon juice,also sometimes throw in the peel while the fruit is cooking down then discard it. I've had mixed results but usually successful - DH and sister &aunt all like it anyway!

I've made peach, apricot and plum jam this year. I always quarter the fruit before boiling and then give it a squash with a potato masher to make sure it is a pulp. I only add lemon juice and like NonnaW sometimes throw in the rind while it is cooking. I always add less sugar than the recipe or the jam is too sweet for our taste.

Hilltopgran I cook down my damsons in just enough water before adding the sugar. I strain the mixture well keeping the liquid in a pan and then work through small quantities of the pulp on a plate at a time, using the back of a spoon and pushing the stones aside onto a separate plate. This way you can then feel the stones with the spoon.

I find this much easier than trying to do it with more mixture around, you just put the pulp back in with the liquid and sugar and whatever. I usually freeze my Damsons first. Damson Jam (and chutney) are wonderful. My favourites. I love Jam making.

I made Rhubarb and Ginger jam this year I enjoyed that but would use less lemon next time. The internet abounds with info. There is a good jam making thread somewhere on GN

We often make jam, mostly apricot which is my favourite.
We use as little sugar as possible, and use the special jam sugar which has added pectin.
With plums, try tasting one first to see how sweet they are. One of our plum trees has very sweet fruit, dark red, too sweet for me, so I add lots of lemon juice and rind. The other one, a greeny yellow, is more tart.
As Hilltopgran says, it's one of those things you learn as you go, trial and error. Don't be upset by your mistakes.
With strawberries, best to use fruit which isn't too ripe, or there'll be a problem with setting. Make compote with them instead.

Thanks for all the comments, really useful! I'm going to do some experimenting tomorrow with smaller batches. I'll try one with plums again, but with added lime juice (i need to get rid of them) and less sugar. Also want to try another batch with plums but substituting some of the plums with cooking apple, and no lime. I want to see the difference that high pectin fruit or acid can make with my own eyes! I also got some reduced price raspberries at the supermarket tonight, so will try a small batch of that too (perhaps with added lime and a bit of apple). I'll report back on my results

One tip about using stoned fruit. Chop the fruit however you like but don't try to remove the stones as there is often quite a bit of fruit clinging to them. Boil up as usual and then add your sugar. You will then find the stones rise to the top and can be fished out. It is a good idea to count your fruit before you start and then you know how many stones you need to find. If you have older kids around they do like sucking the cooled stones ! It used to be a treat in this house.