This weekend yay retro! have been out foraging. We have been picking the first of this seasons blackberries ready to make jam.

We also found a tree near to where we live at the edge of the New Forest covered in lovely red fruit, luckily we tracked down a great site called 'eat weeds', which gave us the low down on what we had picked - completely delicious cherry plums!

A few hours later and we have 6 jars of apple and blackberry jam, and 10 of cherry plum - yay retro!

We also have lots of preserve pots and dishes in the yay retro! shop, ready for serving all of your jam and preserves why not take a look? From Poole Pottery, Hornsea and Carltonware and prices from just £5.00, you are sure to find something you love!

Our Retro Homemade Jam Recipe:

3lb fruit

3lb Preserving or Jam Sugar

3/4 pint water

juice of 1 lemon

Greaseproof paper seals if you have them

Put several saucers in the freezer, for testing the set of your jam

Run at least 7 jam jars and lids through the hottest setting on your dishwasher (or place on an ovenproof tray in the oven for 30 minutes at 220c)

Wash the fruit, then cook in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes until soft.

Remove the stones with a slotted spoon if necessary.

Slowly add the sugar stirring until dissolved.

Bring to a rolling boil stirring all the while for about 10 minutes.

Take a teaspoon of the mixture and put on a cold saucer from the freezer, if after a few minutes the mixture ruckles when touched with your finger the jam is ready.

Get the still hot jam jars, and using a jam funnel if you have one, pour the jam into the jars, pop a greaseproof paper seal over the jam if you have them, and immediately seal their lids tightly.

When cool, label your jars - keep in a cool dark larder for up to 6 months.