JAM MAKING KITS

JELLY TIME

A piece of muslin hung from a cupboard door by a piece of string has served me well for decades, but it was time to get more professional. I chose three jelly strainers and tested them all with the same amount of blackberry pulp to see how well they measured up.

SOLID CHOICE

KITCHENCRAFT HOME MADE PRESERVE STRAINING KIT

A chunky, well-constructed bit of kit, this was easy to assemble. The big plus point of this strainer is that the legs are adjustable, so it will fit a wide variety of containers. The stand isn’t tall, so it will easily sit on a worksurface under wall units while it’s working. The mesh bag was very wide and well-supported by metal eyes. The horizontal bottom of the bag meant the weight of the pulp was spread out, and this was the slowest to drip through. That said, I tend to do mine overnight, and this would be perfect for that. The mesh bag discoloured and didn’t come clean, but nor did my muslin – purely a cosmetic issue. The more unique design of the bag may make sourcing replacements tricky.