Using Ginger Jam
Asked by Neese. Answered on 22nd August 2016
Full question
Last year I made "jam" with big courgette, ginger and lemon, but I added sugar too soon and so have quite a lot of delicious, but not really "jammy" product as it unfortunately crystallised. Now, with the year turned, I am again making jam with the same ingredients, but more carefully. But this has turned my mind to using up last year's effort. I have something in mind between a lemon drizzle cake with this mixed in or a kind of upside-down cake with the jammy stuff on the bottom and perhaps some lemon-drizzleness injected before turning out. I will experiment, but if you have any advice, or bright ideas, for other uses for this "yummy, but what do I do with it?" stuff I'd be grateful. Thanks
Our answer
If your jam has crystallized it is possible that the sugar had not fully dissolved before the mixture was brought up to boiling point. Make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved on a low heat, without any trace of graininess, before increasing the heat and boiling the jam. Ginger jam has many uses and we would suggest that for a cake it may be used as a filling for a Victoria sponge cake or for spreading on sponges for a quick free-form trifle.
For other recipes using your ginger jam we would very much suggest trying Nigella's My Grandmother's Ginger Jam Bread And Butter Pudding (from NIGELLA BITES) as this is a delicious version of a traditional pudding. You could also try using the jam as an alternative to the ginger preserves for the Ginger-Glazed Ham (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS). Although it is listed as a Christmas recipe the ham is good at any time of the year.
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