LAUNCHING OF A NEW FLAVOUR: THE BREADFRUIT JAM

The breadfruit is one reason I live in Asia. This name of fruit supposed to be able to replace the (French?) bread puzzled me when I was reading the narration of the European navigators of the 18th century in Polynesia and other islands. I really wanted to see that. And many of us certainly remember the movie: Mutiny on the Bounty where the Captain Bligh in charge of transportation of 1000 breadfruit trees between Malaysia and Jamaica has to face the revolt of his crew.

I was a little disappointed when I tasted my first breadfruit prepared like a vegetable. I know now it was not the good recipe to make a bread!
Perfecting this jam has not been very easy and many trials was needed to offer you this new flavour. But I will not give you all my secrets, just enjoy this original jam which respects the subtle taste of this fruit. It is not only jam but sun in jars.

BREAKING NEWS 
We are very proud of the agreement of Mrs Virginia Chua to present our jams in his so beautiful store. So many years at the service of the gourmets  is an example for us:

We thank also Chinchin Uy and his staff who welcome us in his stand at the back entrance of Robinson. Our jams in the middle of organic products are in very good company.

The question of the week:

What is the pectin in some jams ?

The pectin is a natural organic coumponds present in some fruits like guava or apple. The pectin is involved in the jellification of the jam after cooking and when it gets cold. It depends also of the pH or acidity of the mixing and the quantity of sugar. It is irreversible. When there is not enough pectin in the fruit we can add a fruit containing a lot of pectin or an extract of a fruit like guava or, more simply a little commercial pectin. Of course we use a natural pectin of lemon.

     Available this week:

           Guyabano-calamansi, 

            Jackfruit-calamansi, 

            Pomelo-orange, 

            Papaya-Buko,
            Breadfruit

     The unique starting price is still 130 P*/bottle 300g,

     Minimum order: 6 bottles mixed,

     Free delivery in Bacolod (payment at the delivery)

*not applied in local selling places
Send your remarks and orders to:

lolasgardenjam@gmail.com

or Text: 0919 3555 424

THE SMALL STORY OF JAMS

Of course, large production of jams appeared in France, country of the gluttons. But as sugar is needed to make jam we have to wait the time of Crusades. Before the way to give a taste of sugar was the honey. It is said Alexander the Great heard about "the reed which gives honey without bees"; people of Negros recognizes the sugar cane, I think...

It is so expensive that only the nobility can afford sweet meals and only for sweet and sour dishes.

First page of the treatise of
Nostradamus

As for many matters, Europe discovered the sugar and jams through the Arabian world. But at the beginning jams (confitures in French) was called "letuaires" which means medicine to lick. Doctor Nostradamus himself (1555) wrote a jam treatise where sugar and fruits are considered as a medicine.

Then, from medicine, jam becomes a greed. When the source of sugar in Europe changes from sugar cane to sugar beet, in the 19th century, sugar is low cost and jam extend everywhere.

In France, in 2004, the annual production of jam is around 120 000 tons plus 30 000 tons home made. 35 types of fruits are used but 50% is strawberry and apricot jams. French people eats 2 kg of jam per year, just before English and German.

The question of the week:

You told about new jams. Do you have soon new favours ?

Yes, we are working on. Next week you will probably discover a new rare jam which is really original. We finalize the processing and offer you a new bud taste experience. But for now, we keep secret... 

     Available this week:

           Guyabano-calamansi, 

            Jackfruit-calamansi, 

            Pomelo-orange, 

            Papaya-Buko,

     The unique starting price is still 130 P*/bottle 300g,

     Minimum order: 6 bottles mixed,

     Free delivery in Bacolod (payment at the delivery)

*not applied in local selling places
Send your remarks and orders to:

lolasgardenjam@gmail.com

or Text: 0919 3555 424

"LES CREPES, CE N'EST PAS SEULEMENT A LA CHANDELEUR!"*

No, * the crepes it is not only at the Candlemas! In France, the tradition is to eat crepes on 2d of February, date of the "Chandeleur". This very old feast started in 472. At the end of the Roman empire, the pope Gelase wanted to replace the pagan rites by religious feast. The Chandeleur was born and became in 1372  the feast of Mary's purification. In the churches, the torches were replaced by blessed candles and the light was supposed to move away the devil.
How the crepes arrived on the table that day of the year, I don't know. May be because a crepe looks like the disk of the sun! Now we appreciate crepes every day. Many restaurants, especially in Brittany serve only crepes with various toppings, but my favourite is, of course, crepes with jams. We generally drink cider with crepes.

So, today, I suggest: you prepare the crepe and I bring the jam! By the way, crepes and pancakes are not the same. The ingredients are different. The crepes are thinner and lighter (and delicate).
This French recipe is really easy. For 8 to 10 people (or 2 like me...) you will need a few minutes to prepare the batter, but it is important to prepare it a few hours in advance. You will need:


- 250g of all-purpose flour,
- 4 eggs,
- 1/2 litre of milk,
- a pinch of salt,
- 1 table spoon of sugar,
- a few drops of vanilla
- 1 table spoon of rum.


In a large bowl, pour the flour and the eggs, and progressively, add the milk and mix with a whisk. Please, don't mix the eggs with the flour without the milk or you get clots. Add the sugar, the vanilla, the rum and the salt.
Now the most difficult: you have to wait at least 1h... You can cover the bowl with a cloth.

In a fry pan add a nut of butter and pour 1/2 soup ladle of batter. The crepe must be thin but without holes. Cook 1 minute each side. The tradition wants the crepe must be turned only in the air and without any tool. If you think it is too risky turn gently in the pan. A crepe stuck at the ceiling is not usable!


Here is the second big problem: you have to prepare plenty for all the hungry mouthes all around you! 


Spread the jam or other toppings, simply sugar, sugar with lemon, chocolate or  fruits, etc. all is good with pancake (but the best is jam...). Some toppings like cheese should be added to the crepe in the fry pan to melt slowly.


BREAKING NEWS 
You can now buy per unit our different flavours at: 

EL IDEAL
118 Rizal St.
SILAY CITY
Telephone: +63(034) 495-4430






The question of the week:

If I order jams now for Xmas, will the jams be good in 3 months?


Yes, the jam have a time life generally 1 year. So no problem. Our problem will be to face orders just at Xmas with flavours not available or delays too short. It is possible to order now for a delivery later. It allows us to manage better the production and you will be sure to have your delivery on time.


     Available this week:

           Guyabano-calamansi, 

            Jackfruit-calamansi, 

            Pomelo-orange, 

            Papaya-Buko,

     The unique starting price is still 130 P*/bottle 300g,

     Minimum order: 6 bottles mixed,

     Free delivery in Bacolod (payment at the delivery)

*not applied in local selling places
Send your remarks and orders to:

lolasgardenjam@gmail.com

or Text: 0919 3555 424

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE JAM WITH LESS SUGAR?

The answer of the law is clear: "The soluble solids value of the finished product may not be less than 65 percent." (Regulation B-4.13-01 of DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ).
The answer of the microbiologist is: "The sugar guarantees the preservation of the fruit and so the jam."
And the answer of the cooker is: "There is proper gelling if some conditions are fulfilled - the concentration of sugar at the end of the cooking, the quantity of pectin and the acidity of the mixing."


Reducing the quantity of sugar is the door open to the growing of moulds. In jam sugar free, the taste of sugar is coming from: Aspartame, Saccharin or Acesulfame-K. The effect of this sweeteners is not insignificant. It needs also more pectin and preservatives. It should be reserved for diabetics. Very frankly it is more a chemical product than the sweet jam of my Lola! Question of culture and taste education, probably...


To maintain the sweetness of our jam constant, we first measure the content in sugar with a refractometer and we adjust the sugar we have to add to a certain degree Brix (the unit to speak of the percent of sugar), always the same.
We prefer to use washed sugar to limit the presence of chemicals which could be added with white sugar. It change a little the colour of the final product but it is really acceptable. We don't use brown sugar or muscavado because all the jam would be brown colour.
Note that when the quantity of sugar is reduced, the preparation is called butter fruit and with less sugar the name is compote. Of course these products must be keep in fridge and the time life is very short.

"Is it possible to have MORE sugar in my tubo?"

BREAKING NEWS 
You can now buy per unit our different flavours at: 

CAKES & PASTRIES
Corner Burgos Lopez Jaena Sts
BACOLOD CITY
Telephone: +63(034) 433-4566

PENDY'S SNACK BAR & RESTAURANT

25th Corner Lacson St.

BACOLOD CITY

Telephone: +63(034) 434-0269

TAMERA PLAZA INN

79 Lacson Street

BACOLOD CITY

Telephone: +63(034) 432-1708

Telefax: +63(034) 709-0886

Mobile: 0923-6350535

Email: Tamera Plaza Inn

The question of the week:

- I noticed skin of calamansi and orange in some jam. Is it normal?

Yes, all is good in the fruit! The skin of fruits generally contains vitamins and for example, it is better to eat the apple with the skin (after cleaning of course). The skin of some fruits, especially the citrus fruits (lemon, orange,...) are used to add a special taste to the fruit itself. The external skin is called the zest and is often used in confectionery. The internal white skin, the zist is less used because of its bitter taste. We use the zest of orange and calamansi in the pomelo jam to give this special bitter taste of the English marmalade of orange.


As nothing was interesting or new in the market or on the trees, no new flavours this week. 
We are looking for local organic fruits to develop our line of jams. Please contact us.

     Guyabano-calamansi, OUT OF STOCK.

            NEW BATCH END OF THE WEEK    

         

Jackfruit-calamansi, the new batch has really the delicate taste of Langka!

         

Pomelo-orange,  the jam of the breakfast!

Papaya-Buko, the kids love it!

     The unique starting price is 130 P*/bottle 300g,

     Minimum order: 6 bottles mixed,

     Free delivery in Bacolod (payment at the delivery)

*not applied in local selling places

Send your remarks and orders to:

lolasgardenjam@gmail.com

or Text: 0919 3555 424