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High Dumpsy Dearie Jam

High Dumpsy Dearie Jam is a traditional English recipe (from Worcestershire) for a classic preserve of cooking apples, plums, pears and ginger cooked with sugar, lemon juice and water until they reach the setting point before being stored in jars for later use. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic English version of: High Dumpsy Dearie Jam.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

55 minutes

Total Time:

75 minutes

Makes:

8 jars

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesBritish RecipesEnglish Recipes

This is a traditional Worcestershire recipe that originated from the need to preserve surplus fruit left over after the fruit harvest (Worcestershire being one of the traditional Orchard counties of England). The fruit would often be past their prime and ginger was used as a flavouring. According to tradition it was a farmer's wife who first came up with this recipe to preserve windfalls (and originated the slightly whimsical name!)

Ingredients:

900g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
900g plums, halved and stoned
900g pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2kg sugar
25g fresh ginger
juice and freshly-grated zest of 1 lemon
freshly-grated nutmeg

Method:

Add the fruit to a saucepan along with just enough water to cover the base and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, or until all the fruit is tender.

Add the sugar to the saucepan, heat through, stirring until completely dissolved. Place the lemon zest, nutmeg and ginger in a muslin bag and add to the jam. Bring to a boil and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a little of the jam onto the plate, allow to cook then move it with your fingernail. If a crinkly skin forms then the jam is ready. If not continue boiling for 5 minutes more and test again.

Remove the muslin bag, skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 5 minutes. Allow 1cm of head space then secure the lid, allow to cool and store.