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11:49 am
Fri 9-Sep-11
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Further to my previous post I have a problem which maybe someone has the answer to. How do you deal with scum which forms on top of a jelly when it's in the preserving pain " I use a slotted spoon to remove it at the end when it's ready to bottle but find that I'm left with a lot of little bits which I just can't scoop up and it spoils the appearance of the jelly when bottled. I've thought of perhaps getting an old fashioned tea strainer (if they still exist) and scooping them up through that whilst still in the pan and my hubby suggested straining it through a clean pair of tights but I can see that being fraught with difficulties. Any other ideas please. I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place so I copied and pasted my previous post from 'comments' on a topic somewhere!
12:15 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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Hi Lesley,
Welcome to the forum.
You could have put this second post below your your first one by pressing the POST REPLY button below the 1st post, rather than starting another thread. You could also press the EDIT button above your !st post. Don't worry tho' as I expert our lovely moderater "Toffeeapple" will be along soon & she can probably wave her magic-wand 
& re-organise things. It took me a long time to sort out how things worked when I first joined in the fun here.
As to you scum problem, do you add a lump of butter to your jams & jellies when you first see the scum appearing because it usually gets rid of it. If it doesn't I first use a slotted spoon & if that doesn't do it I gently & very carefully drag the edge of a sheet of paper towel across the surface.
Hope that helps,
Nadine/aka Hattie 
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
7:12 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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You are a wealth of information Hattie. How did you find the time to accumulate such information? 
Hi Lesley 
welcome to the forum
7:26 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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JoannaS said:
You are a wealth of information Hattie. How did you find the time to accumulate such information?
My wonderful old granny, an aunt who was a professional cook in country houses in the 1920's & 30's, my own sense of self preservation in the light of my mothers boring cooking & most of all working all over the world for 40 odd years. Oh & I did have my own restaurant for 5 years until I was forced to give it up because of my health. It all adds up in the end....!!
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
7:57 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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I've always used butter too and it does work
Trying to enjoy life as it is
6:46 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Right Hattie, that sure is a lot of experience. 
Thanks for being prepared to pass on the knowledge
8:58 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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I'm not disagreeing with anyone, but butter added to jelly can make it go cloudy, fine for jams, but just be warned for jelly...any one who's done it and not had a problem, let me know.
I tend to allow the jelly to start to cool ever so slightly, and then skim, usually it's started to form a skin and you can take the skin and scum (!!) off with a slotted spoon. I usually still bottle the scummy stuff and use it ourselves, tastes fine, just doesn't look that good.
9:53 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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I skim- then I eat the skimmed bits , cook's perks.
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
6:54 am
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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Hi Janet, I haven't had problems with jellies going cloudy but maybe that is because I only add the butter if there is a bad scum. I suspect the straining of the fruit through a jelly bag must remove whatever makes the dreaded scum.
Also, because you are selling to the public you have to be a perfectionist¦.I fear I am not¦¦.! 
The scummy stuff is always eaten on fresh bread as soon as it cools a bit¦.defo cooks perks¦..!! 
My quinces (donated by my next-door neighbour) are ripening beautifully in a bowl so I will be making both jelly & membrillo very soon. Meanwhile I am enjoying their glorious perfume along with their lovely yellow colour¦¦¦Mmmmm !! I think I have just enough jars left; I'm running short but I refuse to buy any¦¦.new lids, yes, but not jars.
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
11:35 am
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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Yes I'm running short on jars too, been texting friends who collect them for me to see if I can warrant a drive to see them, petrol costs beign what they are..
12:02 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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I buy batches of lids from Lakeland that fit most jars, it just looks obvious when jam is in a Branston pickle jar, bit of a distinctive shape!
Since living here I have built up a stock of kilner jars and they sell packs of the sealing discs for re use. I hunt them down at the boot fairs and brocantes.
Trying to enjoy life as it is
1:08 pm
Expert
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Fri 9-Sep-11
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Re: Adding Butter to get rid of scum.
I was given this tip about a year ago and always used it up until recently when I made a batch of hedgerow jam and blackberry & apple jam. I was mystified as to the strange taste my jams had - could sort of recognise it but couldn't work out what it was. Then the penny dropped - it was the butter 
I only used about half a teaspoon size lump but the jam must have been so hot it burnt the butter (the pan was off the heat by this time so it wasn't boiled). In the end I reheated the jam and added some lemon juice and the lovely fruity taste returned but since then I have avoided using the butter trick as I don't want to risk it again. The taste was definitely the butter - it was a bit like when you make an omelette and use melted butter to grease the pan and sometimes it gets a bit too hot.....that taste. Can't describe it but I'm sure you will know what I mean 
Also....no one ever says if it's OK to use salted or unsalted butter - I'm sure salted would be more noticable.
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
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