We’re JAMMIN’
It’s Sunday again- another day to talk about FOOD at Daily Dose of Art. After a whole week exploring World Music – today we’re JAMMIN’. One time or another, you have heard of or used this term, especially if you are or related to a musician.
Let’s look into the word ‘jam’ and then try out making some jam that perhaps we can share with friends after a jamming session. HAHAHAHA
All About “JAM”
Beyond the Sweet Spreadable Goodness
Info from Now You Know: Big Book of Answers
by D. Lennox, p169
All musicians refer to an informal and exhilarating musical session as “jamming”, but it first surfaced in the jazz world during the 1920s. Jam in jazz is a short, free, improvised passage performed by the whole band. It means pushing or jamming all the players and notes into a defined free-flowing session.
Preserved fruit was first called jam during the 1730s because it was crushed and then “jammed” into a jar. To be “in a jam” has the same origin and means to be pressed into a tight or confining predicament. Jamming radio signals is a term from the First World War and means to force so much extra sound through a defined enemy channel that the original intended message is incoherent. All this is from jam, a little seventeenth-century word of unknown origin that meant to press tightly.
no glass jars.no metal lids.easy to make.
Why buy jam when you can create your own?
Only 30 minutes to your own tasty homemade strawberry jam.
Thirty Minutes to Homemade JAM
What You Need
2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (sounds like a lot! just adjust amount of sugar to taste)
3/4 cup water
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
Directions:
Step 1
RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.
Step 2
MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)
Step 3
FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.
In case you are curious… here’s a little history of jam
Info Source
Making jam has a very long history. The earliest cookbook, called Of Culinary Matters, which dates back to 1st century Rome, contained recipes for making jam. It was part of the diet in the countries of the Middle East where there was an abundance of sugar that grew naturally. Honey was also used as a sweetener. This enabled the people to have vitamins from fruit all year round. Crusaders returning to Britain brought the jams and recipes back with them. The Spanish brought the tradition to the West Indies with them where fruit was in abundance and so they used the method of making jam to preserve the fruit.
Marmalade came into existence in the 16th century when Mary Queen of Scots’ physician mixed orange and sugar to help with her seasickness. Thus, marmalade became a favorite of royalty. Louis X1V of France had a variety of jams at his feasts made from fruits from the palace gardens, which include pineapples and other exotic fruits.
Although the immigrants to the US brought their own recipes with them, the first book on making jam appeared in this country in the 17th century. Early settlers in New England used other ways of making jam, using molasses, honey and maple sugar to give it the sweet taste. They used pectin obtained from boiling apple peel to use as the thickening agent.
Once it became known that Vitamin C prevented scurvy, jam became part of the staple used on ships. Fresh fruit did not last long, but the jam lasted for the length of the trip providing the sailors with the vitamins they needed to stay well.
Have fun jamming!!!
DAILY DOSE OF ART 
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