Thursday, July 7, 2016

Lakeland Gadget

Can a £99 machine really make better jam than the WI? FEMAIL's jam queen takes on a Lakeland gadget - and is impressed

Rachel Halliwell loves jams - but isn't convinced about making it at home
She pits a mechanical jam maker against trusted WI recipes
The jam machine comes out on top with consistent and tasty results

PUBLISHED: 22:01 GMT, 6 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:27 GMT, 7 July 2016

There is little more likely to elevate you, in the eyes of your children at least, to the realms of domestic goddess than a row of freshly potted jam jars waiting for them when they arrive home from school starving hungry.

But who wants to bother with all that stirring and temperature taking? Not to mention the nightmare of a pan of molten hot fruit syrup boiling on the stove ready to scald the next small person passing by.

As fruit growers head into glut season, it’s far more economical to make your own rather than splash out on Bonne Maman jam but, oh boy, what a faff it is. Frankly, who has the time?

+10

Rachel Halliwell loves jams - but isn't convinced about making it at home as it can be sticky and difficult to get right

+10

Rachel's daughter Bridie, age 10, loves the results of her mother's experimenting - jam is perfect for eating on scones, toast or ice cream

Now Lakeland, that well-known purveyor of innovative kitchen gadgets, claims to have found the answer - a machine they say can make perfect home-made jams and jellies in as little as 21 minutes.

According to the spiel, the Ball FreshTech Jam & Jelly Maker uses ‘Smart Stir’ technology to create small batches of preserves with a perfect set every time, thanks to an in-built paddle and thermostat, thus bypassing all that heating and stirring to get your fruit and sugar to the all-important setting point of 105 degrees.

But can it really be this easy? And will the jam taste as good as the traditional WI recipes, tried and tested over decades?

However much I hate the process of jam making, I do love the results; my husband and three daughters will testify I make a mean strawberry jam. Could a machine - even one endorsed by Lakeland - really beat my own efforts in a fraction of the time?

Armed with a pinny, a preserving pan, a thermometer and some trusted Women’s Institute recipes, I decided to find out...

MARMALADE

By hand

Memories of my mother cursing in the kitchen while she scalded citrus fruit (and her fingers) are re-lived as I attempt a simple marmalade. After scalding then peeling a kilo of grapefruit and a couple of lemons, I shred the rind and simmer it for a couple of hours in three litres of water. Meanwhile, the fruit and its pith cook gently in the same amount of water for an hour and a half, to be strained and added to the cooked peel.

+10

The Ball FreshTech Jam & Jelly Maker uses ‘Smart Stir’ technology to create small batches of preserves with a perfect set every time, thanks to an in-built paddle and thermostat, thus bypassing all that heating and stirring to get your fruit and sugar to the all-important setting point of 105 degrees - but will it taste better than homemade?

Then I stir in a phenomenal amount of sugar - three kilos - until it dissolves, and bring the gloopy mess to a rolling boil. It takes 25 minutes to reach setting point and I struggle to keep it there for more than a few seconds. I’m close to boiling point myself as I pot up the resulting gloop.

Time: Two hours, 43 minutes. Eighteen minutes prep, two hours simmering and 25 minutes boiling and temperature testing.

Quality of set: Borderline treacle. My mother says I didn’t boil it hard enough.

Taste: So sugary it even puts ten-year-old Bridie’s super-sweet tooth on edge. I can’t taste the fruit or rind at all.

Verdict: This has a beautiful glossy amber finish, but the taste lets it down.

3/10

Machine

+10

Despite the homemade marmalade, left, having a glossy set, the jam machine marmalade tastes superior

I wash two each of oranges, lemons and limes, peel them and chop the rind in my food processor before removing the pith from the fruit. Then I pulse the pulp in the processor and tip that with the juice and rind into the jam maker (having first sprinkled three tablespoons of pectin setting mix you buy with the machine into the pot).

I press the ‘jelly’ button, press enter and wait for a beep after four minutes that means it’s time to add 660g of sugar. Job done, I grab a magazine and wait.

Time: 30 minutes. Five minutes to prep and 25 minutes cooking.

Quality of set: A slightly runny set that’s perfect for marmalade.

Taste: Tangy and I can make out the individual flavours of the fruits. The rind still has some bite.

Verdict: Looks like pickle but the taste makes up for it.

9/10

Winner: Machine

CHERRY CONSERVE

+10

A conserve is a mix of at least two types of fruit. Rachel's WI recipe demands half a pint of redcurrant juice but I can’t get hold of any so I use apple juice, dissolving a kilo of sugar into it over a low heat

By hand

A conserve is a mix of at least two types of fruit. My WI recipe demands half a pint of redcurrant juice but I can’t get hold of any so I use apple juice, dissolving a kilo of sugar into it over a low heat.

I stone a kilo of cherries, chuck them in and stir non-stop for ten minutes. Next I drain off the syrup, which goes back in the pan where I boil it hard until it thickens.

I then tip the cherries back in and take the temperature - it registers at 105 degrees, which is setting point. And it’s rising rapidly. I panic, immediately turning the heat off and hoping for the best.

Time: 25 minutes. Pitting the cherries takes 11 minutes but the cooking time is only another 14.

Quality of Set: It hasn’t set at all.

Taste: Delicious - the cherries are soft and sweet and cooking them has only enhanced their flavour.

Verdict: While this didn’t set, the syrup-like result would taste fantastic over ice-cream.

6/10

Machine

+10

Rachel's cherry conserve are delicious, but too runny to eat on toast. While the jam machine's offering took longer, the results were better

I crush 750g of pitted cherries with a potato masher, layer them over three tablespoons of the setting mix, add 45ml of lemon juice and press the ‘jam’ button. After four minutes I add 660g of sugar. I pop on the lid - job done.

Time: 32 minutes. Eleven minutes to pit the cherries plus automatic 21 minutes of cooking time.

Quality of set: Firmer than mine, but still slightly runny.

Taste: Phenomenal. Hard to differentiate between this and my own.

Verdict: Took longer but required less effort to match the flavour of mine with a better set.

8/10

Winner: Machine

STRAWBERRY JAM

+10

While Rachel is terrified that her family will be splashed with hot jam syrup, the strawberry jam that she makes is delicious and beats the jam machine's version

By hand

I place a kilo of berries in a preserving pan with lemon juice and 1.5kg of sugar, stirring until the volume reduces by a third. The next stage is laborious: I’ve been stirring for 14 minutes to get it to boiling point and another 22 before setting point. Family members are drawn into the kitchen by the sweet smells. Terrified they’ll get splashed by the hot syrup, I bark at them to leave.

Time: 41 minutes. Five minutes to hull the fruit, 36 minutes cooking.

Quality of set: Slightly runny - perfect for strawberry jam. The fruit is consistently distributed.

Taste: Sweet and smooth, this bursts with the taste of summer. My husband Carl says it reminds him of his childhood.

Verdict: Worth the aching arm. My family has now banned shop-bought strawberry jam.

10/10

Machine

+10

The strawberry jam the machine produces is grainy as a result of too much pectin being used in the mix

I crush a kilo of hulled strawberries and tip them over three tablespoons of pectin, press the ‘jam’ button and add 660g of sugar after the four minute alarm. The next beep tells me my jam is ready.

Time: 26 minutes. Five minutes to prep the fruit, 21 cooking time.

Quality of set: Good set, but a less even distribution of the fruit.

Taste: Pleasant. Less pectin mix would reduce graininess.

Verdict: Quick and easy but a discerning palate will pick out the graininess.

7/10

Winner: Homemade

ROSEMARY BALSAMIC JELLY

+10

The only use for Rachel's handmade rosemary jelly would be as a salad dressing as it doesn't set at all in the fridge

By hand

The only savoury recipe to come with the machine was for a balsamic jelly. For this I added a teaspoon of gelatin to 250ml of dark balsamic vinegar and heated it until the gelatin dissolved. After stirring in 80ml of runny honey I refrigerated it overnight to set.

Time: 5 minutes

Quality of set: It was as much a liquid the next day as it was when I first poured it into the jars.

Taste: Sharp and vinegary with the balsamic overpowering the honey.

Verdict: Disaster. The only use for it would be a salad dressing.

1/10

Machine

+10

Rachel wishes there were more savoury recipes provided as for £99 for a jam maker you want to be able to make a wide range of potted delights

I whisk four tablespoons of pectin mix into 625ml of apple juice and 175ml of white balsamic vinegar, add a sprig of rosemary and tip the lot into the machine. Then I press the ‘jelly’ button and add the sugar after four minutes.

Time: 27 minutes. Two minutes to prep followed by an automatic 25 minutes cooking time.

Quality of set: Perfect consistency and a lovely golden colour.

Taste: Perfect contrast of sharp and sweet - if slightly grainy.

Verdict: I wish there were more savoury recipes provided as for £99 you want to be able to make a wide range of potted delights.

9/10

Winner: machine

BALL® FreshTech Jam & Jelly Maker, £99.99 from lakeland.co.uk

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Pay as You Trash System

Unique ‘Pay as You Trash’ System Helps South Korea Cut Food Waste

By Sumitra on April 27th, 2016 Category: News

In a bid to control the nation’s growing problem with food wastage, the South Korean government has started a unique initiative – ‘Pay as You Trash’. Residents are required to separate their food waste from the rest of their trash and dump it separately in a centralised bin. And in order to access the bin, they actually need to pay by the kilo!

As of now, the South Korean government has three methods in place to charge citizens for the food thrown away. One is through an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card – when users tap this card – embedded with their personal tag – over a specially designed food waste bin, the lid will open, allowing them to dump their waste. This waste is automatically weighed and recorded in the user’s account. The user needs to settle this bill on a monthly basis. Each RFID bin costs 1.7 million won ($1,500) and can cater to 60 households.

The second billing method is through pre-paid garbage bags. These specially designed bags are priced based on volume. For instance, in Seoul, a 10-liter garbage bag costs around 190 won (less than $1). There’s also a bar code management system in place, in which residents deposit food waste directly into composting bins and pay for it by purchasing bar code stickers attached to the bin.

Photo: Kim Jinha

Nearly every residential complex in the nation is equipped one of these three payment systems. Even before the pay-by-weight system was introduced, South Koreans were still being charged for food waste – the cost was simply divided equally among the tenants of each apartment block. The new system is not only fair, but is also designed to make consumers really feel the pinch of excessive waste. The more food they toss out, the more they end up paying.

And it’s working – residents like Seoul housewife Ms. Kwan are now adopting innovative methods to avoid food waste. She makes sure to strain all the liquid out of leftover food before throwing it away. She also separates fresh produce and other food items into smaller portions so that only the required amount of ingredients are used up per meal. While prepping vegetables, she tries to make use of as much as the edible parts as possible, in an effort to minimize waste.

“Because I’m worried about the disposal fees, I’m more careful about food waste now,” she said. “Our food waste has become much less than before.”

“People used to buy a lot of food and throw away leftovers without much care,” said Yu Gwang Mo, a government official from Seoul’s Mapo district. “After realising they have to pay for how much they throw, they have started to control their food purchase.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” added Mapo housewife Cho Sung Ja, “because people started to pay more attention to how much trash they throw and there’s now less food waste and the trash bin area has become cleaner too.”

Restaurants and other food-based businesses are also actively trying to reduce their pay-by-weight disposal bill, by in their own food waste processor – a machine that converts food scraps into dried powder that can be used as fertilizer. Some restaurants are actively trying to reduce the amount of food they waste by donating leftovers to the poor and hungry.

According to official surveys, food waste in South Korea accounts for 28 percent of total waste by volume. 30 percent of this comes from leftovers, while 5 percent of the wasted food is thrown away uneaten. In smaller restaurants, leftovers account for 68 percent of all food wasted. Disposing this kind of waste costs the government a whopping 800 billion won per year. Through various initiatives such as ‘Pay as You Trash’, the government has managed to cut food waste from 5.1 million tons in 2008 to 4.82 million tons in 2014.

Japanese Home Gardening Pod

Japanese Home Gardening Pod Lets You Grow Vegetables Indoor

By Spooky on April 29th, 2016 Category: News

Many of us living in tiny apartments can only dream about growing vegetables in our own backyards, but thanks to Foop, an ingenious home gardening pod developed by Japanese company C’estec, we can now grow veggies in the comfort of our own home.
Foop (a combination of the words ‘food’ and ‘people’) is a small-size hydroponic agriculture kit that allows users to grow plants in water instead of soil. Its designers claim that you can use Foop to grow small crops of popular vegetables, including lettuce, arugula, basil, parsley or shiso, all of which can be raised from seeds and will develop faster than non-hydroponic plants.
The elegantly-designed wooden frame of the Foop is is produced by craftsmen from Hida, in Gifu Prefecture, one of Japan’s most famous woodworking regions, but the device also comes with a clear acrylic cover that lets you check the progress of your crops. There are no buttons or switches visible on the Foop, because all the settings – temperature, humidity, light, water levels, etc. – are done via a smartphone app. The Foop will also regularly send notifications regarding the state of your indoor garden and alert you when the crops are ready to be harvested.
Foop-home-garden2

C’estec designed this gardening pod for people living in crowded cities like Tokyo who lack both space and extensive gardening knowledge, so it’s really simple to use. The compact device houses a set of moisture-rich sponge pods in which you plant the seeds. After that’s done, all you have to do is pair the Foop with your smartphone and you’ll receive a prediction of how long the plants will take to fully grow. Gardening enthusiasts can also alter lighting, heat and humidity via the dedicated app.
Foop-home-garden

To ensure plants have everything they need to grow at an optimal pace, Foop relies on a number of built-in features, like LED lights, environmental regulation fans, CO2 sensors and a small hand pump for feeding air to the water. And just in case you’re not the kind of person who checks phone notifications every five seconds, the device features a small LED screen that can display 20 different statuses regarding the state of the plants. Once they are fully grown, all you have to do is open the clear cover, slide out the trays and help yourself to some home-grown veggies.
Foop-home-garden3

Foop will be officially launched in September, but C’estec has already started taking preorders. You’ll have to fork out ¥38,800 ($360) for it, but you should probably hurry and preorder, as the initial launch batch will aparently be limited to 100 units
Foop-home-garden5

So now you can grow your vegetables indoor, you can raise bees for honey indoor, you can socialize on the internet. Soon you won’t have to leave the house at all, and when you do, you’ll probably just hop on yourWalkCar instead of actually walking. Technology, man, you gotta love it!
Foop-home-garden6