Remember that first time you tasted a homemade jam. Whether it was smothered on a hot piece of toast or dripping off a fresh scone, there’s nothing quite like the taste, especially if it’s made with love. Glenmore Park resident Graham Larkham has been making homemade jams for 40 years and I guess you could say the proof is in the pudding! 

“I started making jams in the late seventies. We lived in the country and the local shows had jam entries. It was a great time and opportunity to make them back then” explained Graham. 

There is certainly an art to making good homemade jams. The first tip is to always use fresh fruit. He makes his famous lemon butter using lemons he picks from his tree at his own home. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. 

Depending on the type of fruit that you use, preparation time can vary. Lemon butter takes less than an hour to make, after you have all the ingredients on hand. Marmalades need to be soaked overnight. Once soaked, the cooking time is 1 to 1 ½ hours. 

“I enjoy making jams. I like the old-fashioned types such as melon and lemon and melon and pineapple. They’re my favourites to make” Larkham said. 

Graham said that anyone can make homemade jams, with a few simple tips. Firstly, remember the taste that the old preserves had. This could have been one that your Grandmother or Grandfather may have made when you were growing up as a child. Get a cookbook and do some research online. 

It’s important to use the right kind of fruit if you’re wanting to make homemade jam. He wanted to make an old jam called Melon and Lemon, with a Jam Melon or Pie Melons, but these are not sold in the green grocer’s shop anymore. After a little bit of looking, Graham managed to get one at the Royal Easter Show from the Agriculture Displays. 

So, what’s the secret to making a good jam? “Patience” was his reply.