Good Morning All,
Here we are mid-week already and end-of-month. As everyone is saying, June has rushed by.
Yesterday was a beautiful day here. Delightfully cooler and less humid. The bathrooms were cleaned and jam was made prior to lunch! And that even included an unexpected trip to the grocery store for more canning jars, sugar and blueberries. No blueberries to be found, so some raspberries were subbed.
The only thing is, it does not appear that the jam "set." When I tilt a jar it is a bit runny. I had hoped they would firm up over night, but nope. But, as I said to Fletch, if it is too runny to put on toast or a bagel, it will most likely be delicious spooned over vanilla ice cream. Now I need to make some ice cream - maybe in time for the 4th of July!!
The lack of setting is a bit perplexing as I used a recipe I have made in the past with success. The right amount of sugar, the right amount of pectin, the correct amount of fruit and water. A mystery.
Meanwhile, it's time to link up with Kat and the other Merry Unravelers to talk making and reading. If you read my post yesterday, you know that a lot of my time in the past week or so was spent on the Adam & Eve sampler. Still, I managed to do a little bit of knitting.
First up, Nai Nai's Favorite dishcloth knit in KnitPicks CotLin yarn (a blend of cotton and linen):
The color is Conch and is gorgeous. And, this has already been put to use and pronounced "wonderful" by Fletch! It is much lighter than the cloths I've made from Sugar and Cream - easier to grasp and wring out. Bonus: it did not bother my hands to knit with this yarn.
Next up, some things in progress:
Fletcher's first Cafe Au Lait sock is through the heel flap and ready for the magical heel turn. And, a second dishcloth has been started - this one in scrubby yarn in tropical colors. Scrubby yarn dishcloths may be nice for washing dishes, but the yarn is definitely hard on my hands. I will not be buying more of this yarn!
Reading has been a bit slow the past week or two. I did finish Copper River by William Kent Krueger and it was ok...not my favorite in the series (or maybe I'm just tired of the series?). Likewise, I am now about 100 pages to the finish of "Necessary as Blood" by Deborah Crombie - part of the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. I will finish it, but will hold off on picking up more in this series.
Has anyone read Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson? I had read reviews which looked good and borrowed it from the library, but just can't seem to get into it. I may just return it today. There are a couple of books that came in for me yesterday, so I will stop and pick them up.
I've a busy morning ahead of me. I'm running into the office for a brief visit - I have some things I'd like to print in color for myself and I should check the mail. I'll make a run to Trader Joe's from the office...and pick up wine...then to the library and home.
Be sure to check out Kat's blog to get inspired by what everyone is making and reading. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
The last time I made jam that didn't set we used it for pancake syrup. I think your vanilla ice cream idea is a better one! I wish I had ordered some CotLin. That cloth looks good and sounds great, and the same for Fletch's socks. The Scrubbie yarn looks like multicolored muppet!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had an answer for your jam conundrum, but I have never made jam before. I'm sure it'll be delicious even if it's not quite the right consistency!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear your review of CotLin. I think I may have used it once before (a long time ago), and I was thinking it might be a good yarn for some summer tops. And that color is so lovely!
I've used that Scrubbie yarn before, and I'm not a fan. It makes a heavy dishcloth, and one that drips a lot. I prefer the one that is bristly. It dries better and scrubs better. It's lighter and knits up more easily, too.
ReplyDeleteYou could always use the jam as a cocktail syrup as well! Imagine it shaken up in some ice cold vodka. Mmmmm.
I love lightly set jam as an addition to plain yogurt! And with a healthy scoop of Wheat Germ you have my typical morning brekkie!
ReplyDeleteI love that dish cloth texture! I think I need to get some of that yarn and get to knitting!
Sometimes if the fruit is too juicy it can cause setting issues. The strawberry jam I made a couple years ago was like that. The berries I used this year we definitely "drier", and the jam set well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great dishcloth, Vera! I love the waffle-y once best, so I'm definitely going to check out that pattern. I used Cot-Lin for a couple of summer tops, but I didn't really like it for the tops. (It wasn't terribly drape-y.) I think it would make a fabulous dishcloth, though! I may need to stock up. . . (And that Scrubbie stuff sounds miserable to knit with. . . ) XO
ReplyDeleteI made a washcloth out of Cotlin ages ago for a gift that I never gifted and I am so glad I kept it. It just keeps getting better and better every time I wash it and it's really pretty. It was a cabled pattern and it held the cables really well. I've still got a few balls of it in the stash and I really should make a few more because it's a bathroom favorite.
ReplyDeleteDamnation Spring pops up on my Amazon rec list pretty regularly, but for some reason I have not looked at it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it just went on Kindle Unlimited, so I downloaded it and we'll see.
ReplyDeleteHumidity can affect the success of jam/jelly as does the amount of natural pectin in the fruit which is why unripened fruit should also included, if possible. Sometimes recooking the jam and adding more pectin or lemon juice can save a batch of runny jam/jelly.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made jam in years, and I wasn't that keen on it if I remember. I haven't read that book but you've piqued my interest!
ReplyDeleteI know when that happens to me, I use it as syrup, too. I think the problem is when you are to have it at a hard boil--it probably needs a shot of temp reading to make sure you are bringing it to the right temp to set--kinda like candy or fudge. The socks are so handsome and the dishcloth is a great idea--I have some of that same yarn in the leftovers so I will try it!
ReplyDeleteCotlin makes such nice face cloths. I have turned runny jam into syrup for pancakes and waffles with the stroke of a pen. Cafe au Lait socks sound wonderful. Your husband is a lucky guy.
ReplyDeleteI've never made jam, but my Mom had the same problem with her fudge recipe. One time it would be perfectly set, the next time we ate it with a spoon. No problems there! It was just as delicious. She never could figure out what she did differently but it was always a guessing game if it would set or not. We called it "Mom's Never Fail Fudge" with a bit of tongue in cheek. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't care for the scrubby yarn either. I should just bag up the little I have left in baggies and give it to the thrift store next time I go. It really does hurt the hands a lot.
I like Knit Picks Dishie and Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn a lot. Soft and log lasting. They seem to hold the color well too.
I'm off to a few doctor appointments with Mom and then more playing with Piper!
Blessings,
Betsy
Thanks for the link Vera. As for the soft set, it's happened my last two batches of jalapeno jelly. I doubt they would change the amount of pectin in the packet since it is critical in recipes. It's a mystery!!
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