THE Women’s Institute may have moved on over the years, but the simple art of jam making still lies at its heart.

So much so that this month they are hosting the world’s biggest jam festival at WI HQ at Denman College, Marcham, near Abingdon, during which they’ll be holding jam-making classes and looking to discover the country’s best jams.

Ruth Bond, chairman of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, says that with the afternoon tea trade booming and celebrities making their own jam, there’s been a resurgence in the craft.

“Jam making is really enjoying a revival right now, and with so many people in the public eye currently making their own, we are all really excited about the possible range of entries for the competition,” she says.

Denman College spokesman Allie Hogsbjerg, from Burford, said the festival – which runs on November 20-21, could not have come at a better time.

She said: “Jam making is certainly growing in popularity. Shops selling jam jars have seen a 50 per cent increase in sales, while sugar sales have gone up by 60 per cent.”

But is jam making a piece of cake? I joined one of the institute’s jam-making workshops to find out.

Tutor Kath Mepham tells me she makes 700 jars of jam a year. That’s about two a day, I estimate to myself, and conclude that if she can’t teach me then no one can.

“Choosing your fruit is a very important part of jam making,” she says, opting for raspberries as they’re in season. “Because jam only consists of sugar and fruit, it has to be a good quality.”

We let the raspberries tumble down into our preserving pans, add the sugar and stir. The raspberries break down as their juice forms a sticky syrup with the sugar. The first test is to run your finger through the liquid to check the granules have all dissolved. Once all the sugar is dissolved, Kath tells us to turn up the heat.

After the jam has bubbled away for five minutes, it’s time to “test for set”. This is done at one-minute intervals until the right consistency has been reached. The right temperature for set is 103C.

The ‘wrinkle test’ sounds like fun. We do it after the next minute, placing a small amount of jam on a saucer, popping it in the fridge for a few seconds, then running our fingers through to see whether it wrinkles up.

The last test is to check the pectin content.

We put a teaspoon of our jam into a little dish, and add three teaspoons of methylated spirits, leave it for a minute, then slop it into the sink.

If it forms a nice lump it’s perfect, if it’s too runny then you need to add a bit of lemon or apple juice to help it set.

We add a little butter to clarify and pour it into jars.

For more details, see the WI Real Jam Festival website.

  • WI RASPBERRY JAM RECIPE

(Makes two-three jars).

750g granulated sugar.

750g fresh raspberries.

30ml cassis (optional).

Wash and dry three jam jars, then sterilise in a preheated oven at 180C. Heat the sugar in the oven along with the jars for five-10 minutes.

Put the raspberries into a large pan or wide stainless steel preserving pan and bring to a simmer until the juices begin to run (about 10 minutes), then add the hot sugar and stir over a gentle heat until dissolved.

Increase the heat to a rolling boil and boil for five minutes, stirring frequently. Test for a set and, if necessary, boil for a further minute, then test again. Continue testing at one-minute intervals, as necessary, until the jam has reached setting point.

Remove the pan immediately and add the cassis, if using. Skim off any froth, and pour the jam into the sterilised jars, filling to the top and covering immediately.