rgl

For a beginner in jam making, a thermometer can be helpful. It will indicate when the jam setting stage should have been reached as a preliminary to trying the wrinkle test to check if it has actually has been reached. Thermometer accuracy should be checked occasionally by immersing it in a saucepan of boiling water. The thermometer I use thinks water boils at 96c (205f) so I do the first wrinkle test when the thermometer indicates 100c which means the temperature is really 104c (219f). Put testing saucers in freezer so jam cools quickly and see if the surface of the jam blob wrinkles in front of your finger as you push your finger through it. If it wrinkles and the 'trail' through the jam doesn't close up again, then it's set. At 104c (219-200f) the first wrinkle test is usually successful but occasionally the jam mixture temperature needs to increase by a very small amount before the wrinkle test succeeds. After you have made a few batches of jam you will also be able to tell when it is almost at setting point by its appearance, the way it bubbles and the way it falls from a spoon.

I use lemon juice and the peel of green apple as a substitute for pectin.

It would be interesting to see the lemon jam recipe and I am curious why so much lemon jam was wanted. I had never heard of lemon jam before but there are a couple of websites that have quite different lemon jam recipes.

RH: Also curious about the use for the "marigold and echinacea tincture" that you mentioned. Some of the recipes in the cucumber link you supplied, thanks, were by the admirable and amazing Aunt Daisy. Her best known book which is still in print 40 years after her death includes this preserving recipe.

How to preserve a husband - By Aunt Daisy

"Be careful in your selection. Do not choose too young. When once selected, give your entire thoughts to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them into hot water. This may make them sour, hard and sometimes bitter. Even poor varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well-sweetened with love and seasoned with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus prepared, they will keep for years."

Rural Hungary

How did you get on with the lemon jam? I couldn't find any campden tablets in town so will need to start the elderberry wine without them, picked up some lemons and jars for lemon curd, will post some photos if it goes well

PaulinEger

well, we re-heated the jam but were very wary of over cooking it so we'll just have to see how it turns out. It tastes nice though

I need to pick up the campden tablets and yeast tomorrow so I can start my wine this weekend.

Rural Hungary

for the jam. I'm giving myself a pat on the back today - another tincture made, 20l of squash and marrow soup, 2 jars of lemon curd, cucumber and apple chutney, ginger and lemon ice cream, 8l of elderberry syrup and crystallised ginger.
Tomorrow it's mozzarella and ricotta cheese using nettle retin - so not sure how it will taste. Hope to get campden tablets on Sunday and will start the wine then as I couldn't have managed it today

PaulinEger

I keep for getting to get the recipe for the lemon jam from Erika to post it here but the reason for so many jars was to give out as small gifts along with the pickled walnuts.

What's the Hungarian name for campden tablets? I was asking a Hungarian friend who's trying to start up a micro brewery and he gave me the names for some of the other stuff I need but he didn't know what campden tablets are. He said Hungarians use citrom sav (I think).

Rural Hungary

No idea, they do sell them though - well they did but not this year! Sure I saw them last year or the year before, in Obi with the other home brewing items but I didn't need them then as I still had some brought from the UK. Well, I assumed they were Capmden tablets as they were the same size, shape an colour but actually could have been anything
I think citromsav is citric acid and I don't see that it could be a replacement for the campden tablets. I have heard wine makers here talking and using the word sulphur and as campden tablets are sulphur based, I assume that is what they were talking about.

dave1982

Kálium-metabiszulfi is the technical term of the Cambden tablet. Its the source of the sulfites required to kill off the fermentation process including the yiest and any wild yiests. It can also be used to disinfect the vessels and anyother implements used while making wine.

Hope this helps.

Rural Hungary

Cheers Dave. I use it for sterilising and sometimes before adding the yeast to sterilise the juice, so to speak. I used it once before racking but felt it altered the taste of the wine.

I've decided to freeze the elderberries and make both the grape wine and elderberry at the same time.

Managed to make Mozzarella and ricotta cheese today though the ricotta wasn't great, probably due to my stinging nettle rennet - do you know the name for rennet tablets and I'll give it another try?

dave1982

If there's no alcohol involved I'll know nothing about it!

dave1982

Will try to dig out my old hungarian dictionary for that if I have time.

Rural Hungary

Think I found it - oltó

You can now return to thinking about all things alcoholic

Shotgun

This could be of interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campden_tablets

dave1982

Ok found something on this.

tejoltó galaj bogáncs fajta virága.


Translation.

Milk thistle rennet type of flower.

galaj = renet

Bogancs = thistle

fajta virag =type of flower.

tejoltó galaj = milk renet.



Google translate is unreliable but combined with a couple a well chosen Hungarian words I pulled from my limited vocabulary. This is all I could come up with.

May help?! or not.

Rural Hungary

Cheers for trying, the thistle or nettle rennet was the one I made and the galaj in the sentence I believe refers to a plant which is similar to sticky willows - which incidentally I can't find any of and need for a liver tincture

The type I'm looking for is Tej oltó in liquid or tablet form, I've found some online and might order them rather than traipsing round town looking

This is the type I need, I think!

rgl

While "researching" nectarines in Hungary I have come across this illustrated eBook in .pdf format entitled The Treasury of Hungarian Fruits and Vegetables. It is in English and is a free download from a Hungarian tourist information site. Apart from interesting information about the fruits and vegetables grown in Hungary, it also contains one Hungarian style recipe for each of the fruits and vegetables which are featured. It also provides some possibly useful uses for things like cherry stalks and walnut leaves.

http://itthon.hu/documents/13008/817...f-4263e470449b