Your summer project: homemade jam

This is one of my classic jams that I made when I first started experimenting back in 2011. At the beginning, I used pure liquorice pellets from Calabria in Italy that are incredibly strong but take some time to melt down in the jam. Then I switched to soft liquorice, which, when cut into small pieces, melts down. If you wish, cut it into bigger pieces so that they stay solid after cooking, which is a nice little surprise at the bottom of the jar.

Raspberry & Liquorice Jam

Makes 5 x 220g jars

Ingredients
1kg raspberries
60g soft liquorice, cut into 1cm pieces
600g caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Method
Put the raspberries and liquorice in a heavy-based saucepan and set over a low heat. Cook for 5 minutes to release the juices and partially melt the liquorice, stirring so that the liquorice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Slowly add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the jam reaches setting point, 105°C, on a sugar thermometer. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately. Store in a cool, dark place.

Extracted from Five Seasons of Jam by Lillie O’Brien (Kyle Books, approx €23). Photography by Elena Heatherwick.