Jam making season is here.

Shortages of food choices continues here in the UK.

It’s not because we have a food shortage but a shortage of skilled people available to produce or deliver the goods. This has meant a shortage of supply in preserving sugar.

White granulated sugar is available and now having had to substitute this into my jam recipes, I can say there is no noticeable difference in performance. Granulated sugar is also cheaper and can be purchased more widely and in larger quantities.

I’ve just made a batch of banana and raspberry jam. My grandchildren love banana jam so I thought I’d add a twist by adding raspberries.

Banana jam is normally a pinkish colour and adding the red raspberries has made an interesting combination.

I weighed peeled bananas then weighed the raspberries I had and placed them in a pan, raspberries first, chop bananas after weighing. I then added the two totals together and weighed out half the total in sugar, add to pan.

Roughly for every pound and half of sugar I added one whole lemon, sliced, pipped and finely diced with peel on.

Cover and heat very slowly

Mash with a potato masher as the sugar melts.

Add a sugar thermometer (specialist tool for the high temperatures). Bring to 107c.

Remove from heat and add to sterilised warm jars. Always place the warm jars on a tea towel so that the jars are not shocked and crack. I then place the screw top lids on while hot and cover the jars with a towel so you don’t shock the glass.

Wipe jars when cold. Label and date.

Store in a cupboard until eaten. I always keep opened jars in the fridge. Closed jars should keep for a year or possibly longer.