Quince and Pear Jam

Quinces are pectin rich and create easily gelling jams with other fruits.

• Quince, peeled and cored, 500 g (1.1 lb)
• Pears, peeled and cored, 500 g (1.1 lb)
• Sugar, 700 g (1.76 lb)
• Lemon juice, 125 ml (4.23 oz fl), 1 lemon
• Lemon zest, 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• Finely diced fresh ginger, 10 g (2 tsp)
• 1/2 pint jars

Quinces and pears.

Quince and pear jam.

1. Wipe off little hairs, wash and quarter quinces. Discard the blossom ends, peel the skin off, remove cores and seeds, but do not throw away. Wash and quarter pears, discard the stems and blossom ends, peel off the skin, remove cores and seeds, save. Slice quince and pears quarters thinly.
2. Liquid pectin. Place the skins, cores and seeds from quinces and pears in pot, adda little water (do not cover with water), bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and save the liquid for later.
3. Place sliced quinces in a large pot, add a little water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, diced ginger, lemon zest and continue cooking over low fire for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add sliced pears, sugar and lemon juice and continue cooking for 25 minutes.
5. Add the liquid pectin (see step 2) and cook for 5 minutes more. Perform refrigerator test to test jam.
6. Fill jars with jam to within ¼ inch from the top. Remove air bubbles, install and tighten covers.
7. Place jars in a bath canner and bring water to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Remove jars from the canner and leave undisturbed for 12 hours.
9. Store in cool and dark place.

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The Practical Guide to Making Salami is a companion book to The Art of Making Fermented Sausages, published in 2008. Since then, more information has become available; safety standards have been updated and tightened, new cultures have appeared, and getting supplies and newer equipment online has become more accessible. The most relevant theory has been transferred from The Art of Making Fermented Sausages. Still, The Practical Guide to Making Salami includes plenty of new materials such as fermented spreadable sausages, acidified sausages, or combining acidulants with natural fermentation. The recipes section has been expanded and includes 264 selected recipes from different countries so the reader can immediately produce sausages.