Mixed Fruit Jam

These are the fruits I used. You can also add some other seasonal once like mango, papaya etc. But do not add Guava coz it will have too many seeds. Also change the ratio of different fruits according to your taste.

Mixed fruit total 1kg :

Grapes                                       300 gms

Bananas                                     200 gms

Strawberry                                 200 gms

Apple                                         200 gms

Lemon                                        2 Tbl

Water                                         1 Cup

Mixed fruit essence                     5 drops

Strawberry essence                     2-3 drops

Red Color (optional)                   2 drops

Sugar                                          500 gms

Citric Acid(Nimma uppu)             1/4 Tbp

Pectin                                          1 Cup

Method:

• Wash the grapes and soak them in warm salt water for about an hour. Meanwhile cut rest of the fruits.

• Add all the fruits in a cooker and add water. After one whistle remove it and let it cook. Add Lemon juice.

• Grind the above mixture and using a soft cloth ( I used cotton cloth) squeeze out the juice into another cooking pot.
• Now add the sugar, citric acid, pectin (Details below) and bring it to boil. This should take about 5-10 mts.

• Now pore it into glass jars once you turn off the stove. Let it cool down n set.

Tips:

• Stir now and then after adding the sugar. When it starts to boil remove the froth and throw it.

• Transfer it immediately into the glass jars. Coz then it looks like the one which we buy from the shop ;-)

• Close the lid immediately so that it creates vacuum. 

• For 1Kg of fruit we add 500gms of Jam sugar.

• Don't forget to sterilize the glass jars. To sterilize them boil them in water for about 10-15 mts. 
• For people living out of India you can find jam sugar separately. I used Gelier Zucker 2plus1. This contains the gelling agent pectin, the citric acid and the preservative sorbic acid. If you are using this jam sugar please don't add citric acid, pectin and sugar from the above list.

Homemade Fruit Pectin: 
Pectin is a natural carbohydrate found in fruits, causes jam or jelly to set.

• Combine 1 kg (2 lbs) sliced unpeeled apples and 750 mL (3 cups) water. 

• Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, adding water as needed. 
• Drain through moistened cheesecloth. To clear, heat the fruit juice to a boil and can or freeze the pectin for later use. 

Pectin Test:
To determine if a fruit juice has enough pectin for jelly, do a pectin test.

• Stir together 5 mL (1 tsp) fruit juice with 15 mL (1 tbsp) of non-methyl alcohol. (This is a poisonous mixture, so do not taste it and destroy it immediately after the test.)

• If the juice forms one big clot, which can be picked up with a fork without breaking, it has sufficient pectin. If the juice is low in pectin, several small clots will form.

•  If a clot doesn’t form, simmer gently to reduce the water content of the juice.