AD: Come late summer into winter and the citrus fruits start arriving, and for me that means a return to marmalade making and the annual @marmaladeawards at @dalemainmansion in Cumbria. When I was in Japan last January for the Japanese Festival of Marmalade @yawatahama_marmalade_festival the great preserve maker Mrs Berry @akasobereiko introduced me at @threetiers_bp to ATAGO Instrument Co who make all sorts of measuring devices for pastry chefs, distillers and brewers, and preserve makers. So I’ve been trying out this very fancy and easy-to-use electronic #refractometer to measure the amount of sugar in jams and marmalades.
There are many reasons you will want to know how much sugar is in your finished preserve, as longer or shorter boiling will make this % change. Many countries like the UK have minimum-allowed sugar levels, there are customers who want to know exactly how much sugar is in their preserve, and also if you’re making batch after batch it allows you to achieve even consistency between jars.
Simple manual refractometers, at a lower price, tell you the % when you hold a telescope-like meter up to the light, and do a great job. But with this marvellous electric meter you simply spoon the marmalade or jam in and press a button, giving very consistent results.
The marmalade I tested here was one I made in Hiroshima last January at Aohata Jam Deck, using #daidai oranges I picked fresh from the tree and cooked immediately. I tried not to waste any peel and packed as much as I could into the jar. Even 9 months later it’s still tasted amazing when I opened this jar.
