Making jam in a Thermomix
A Thermomix combines a heated, stirring bowl with a blade, so it can chop fruit, cook it, and stir the jam without much supervision. For people who make small batches, this is a convenient way to cook jam without standing at the stove and watching for scorching.
I have not been able to verify model-specific cooking settings from the sources available for this article, so I am not going to invent temperatures, speeds or times. They differ between machine generations, and a wrong setting can scorch fruit or overfill the bowl. Instead, this guide explains the general approach and where to find exact settings.
Use a recipe written for your model
- Cookidoo is Thermomix’s official recipe platform and has jam recipes for berries, stone fruit and citrus marmalade. Recipes are written for specific models and note quantities and settings. Access depends on a subscription.
- Your machine’s manual lists the maximum fill level and rules for cooking foams and thick mixtures. Follow it for safe operation.
If you adapt an ordinary stovetop recipe, scale it to a small batch and expect the cooking time to be different from the pot version.
A general workflow
These steps describe what most Thermomix jam recipes have in common. Use them with settings from your own recipe.
- Prepare the fruit. Wash, hull, pit or peel as needed. Cut larger fruit into pieces. For chunkier jam, chop briefly; for smoother jam, blend longer.
- Macerate if the recipe says so. Letting fruit sit with sugar draws out juice and can improve flavor.
- Add sugar, lemon juice and pectin if used. Add acid as the recipe directs. Do not exceed the maximum fill mark.
- Cook with the measuring cup off or the simmering basket on the lid. Most jam recipes do this to let steam escape so the jam can reduce. Check how your recipe handles splatter on your model.
- Test the set. Use a chilled plate, as described in our beginner’s guide to making jam. If it is too loose, continue cooking in short intervals and test again.
- Let it rest briefly and then fill jars. This helps the fruit distribute evenly.
Tips for a good set
- Use pectin-rich fruit or add pectin. Apples and citrus help, as do commercial pectins for low-pectin fruit. If you use a commercial pectin, follow its instructions for the correct order of adding sugar and pectin.
- Do not overfill. Jam rises and foams. A smaller batch tends to reduce faster and with better color.
- Mind the sugar. Sugar helps pectin gel and aids keeping quality. If you want to cut sugar, use a pectin made for that, as explained in our sugar-free jam guide.
- Be careful with hot jam. The bowl, lid and contents are extremely hot. Use heat-resistant gloves and a ladle or funnel to fill jars.
Jars and storage
- Use clean jars. For jam you will keep in the fridge, wash them in hot, soapy water and dry them.
- Refrigerator jam should be used within the time the recipe states, typically a few weeks. Freezer-safe containers with headspace work well for longer storage.
- Canning. Cooking jam in a Thermomix does not by itself make it shelf-stable. If you want pantry storage, use a tested recipe and process the filled jars in a boiling water canner for the time given, or use a recipe from a tested source. Self-adapted Thermomix recipes are best kept in the fridge or freezer. For a canning example, see our raspberry jam recipe.
- Discard any jam with mold, off smells, bulging lids or leaks.
Fruit ideas
Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, apricot, plum and peach are popular, as are citrus marmalades. For something unusual, try Illawarra plum jam or herb-flavored jams, scaled down to your bowl’s capacity.
Troubleshooting
- Jam too runny. Cook a bit longer or add pectin, depending on the recipe. Some jams firm up overnight.
- Jam too stiff. Usually overcooked. Use it as a glaze or filling.
- Scorched bottom. Fruit with a lot of sugar can catch. Check that the volume meets the minimum your manual specifies, and use the recipe’s stirring settings.
- Foam. Skim, or use the simmering basket to limit splatter.