High Dumpsy Dearie – Traditional English Fruit Jam

French Tart's Note:

I cannot resist sharing this recipe with you all, if only to try to preserve its delightful name! Nobody appears to know where the name originated from, although it has been suggested that it was an enterprising farmer’s wife, using up her windfall fruit that came up with the quirky name. The jam is thought to originate from Worcestershire, although Gloucestershire also lays claim to it! Nevertheless, this is a wonderful jam which makes full use of three of my favourite Autumn fruits – Apples, Pears and Plums. The jam is a lovely deep rosy pink colour and is delicious not only on bread, toast and scones – but also when used in steamed jam puddings such as Jam Roly-Poly. Do not omit the lemon and ginger – they are the key to the flavour in this lovely jam. The recipe is easily increased or reduced, as long as the ratio of fruit is the same, it works just as well. N.B. It is sometimes seen as Dumpsie Dearie Jam. Please note that I have quoted UK yield - we use pound and half pound jars, which I believe may equate to pint and half pint jars in the States.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 7 lb jars

• 2 lbs cooking apples , peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 lbs pears , peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 lbs plums , halved and stoned
• 2 ounces fresh gingerroot , bruised and tied in a muslin bag
• 4 ½ lbs sugar
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of , grated
• butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare fruit and weigh them AFTER they have been peeled, cored and stoned.
2. Place all the fruit and the ginger into a large preserving pan and simmer VERY gently for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft and tender.
3. Add some water if the fruit does not make enough juice itself – and keep stirring constantly to avoid the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Remove from the heat and add the sugar stirring well. Put the pan back on a gentle heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
6. Bring up to the boil and cook rapidly until the setting point has been reached; test after 15 minutes and every 2 minutes thereafter.
7. Removes as much scum as you can – small knobs of butter helps to disperse the scum – add it and stir well.
8. Discard the ginger in the muslin bag – pressing it well before removing to extract the last of the ginger flavour.
9. Pour into cooled and sterilised jam jars and seal.
10. Label and store for up to 2 years in a cool and dark place.
11. Serve with bread, toast, scones, cakes, pancakes and use in steamed and baked puddings and desserts.
12. How to test the setting point:.
13. Have one or two saucers in your freezer; as soon as the jam starts to feel "thicker" and is very syrupy, after about 15 minutes, take the jam off the heat and put one teaspoon of jam on to one of the very cold saucers. Then push the jam with your finger, if it wrinkles and is firm and not runny, then the setting point has been reached. It is important to take the jam off the heat whilst you check!
14. If the setting point has not been reached - put the jam back onto the heat and continue to boil rapidly for another 2 minutes, continue with this method until the setting point has been reached!

Reviews

[Aaliyah's&Aaron's mum]

This was my very 1st attempt in making jams and I am SO GLAD I picked this recipe to make my 1st batch! A WONDERFUL jam - lovely flavours of the fruits with a hint of ginger lurking in the background. Thank you, FT, for sharing this wonderful recipe!

[Chef Tweaker]

I can't rate this yet because I did not have gingerroot so I substituted 1/8 tsp of ground ginger which I mixed with the sugar. I think I got the right amount as there was just a shadow of ginger flavor. Also I have no scale so I used the conversion to cups that is given in the canning forum. The suger seemed a bit much and I reached the setting point early so I may not have had enough fruit. That being said. I loved the recipe and will probably give it 5 stars once I make it right! Please adjust the yeild. I believe you meant to put 7 half-pints instead of 7 pounds!