Keeping soft fruits firm

It may sound like a contradiction to have firm 'soft' fruits, however fruits such as strawberries and blackberries have a habit is disintergrating when you make jam. The final product often lacks recognisable bits of fruit and becomes a uniformly textured spread.

To preserve the shape of soft and watery fruits mix the fruits and sugar together the day before you make the jam. Weight out both ingredients and cover the fruit with the sugar in a bowl. If left overnight, the sugar will absorb much of the water from the fruit thus making it firmer and better able to withstand boiling.

The final jam should then contain firm, clearly recognisable fruits. If you prefer a jam with a few fruits in a jelly like mix, treat a proportion of your fruits this way and add the rest of them when you start the cooking.