Advantages: Freshly picked taste! low sugar; No slaving over preserving pans; less washingup; makes creative gifts.
Disadvantages: Need Microwave; your fingers get filthy topping/tailing; the jam gets eaten too quickly

...Two years ago, I had finally managed to pick all the blackcurrants from the bushes in my front garden! It was a backbreaking job to "top and tail" all the blackcurrants - it was a bumper crop for five bushes. Some were so small that the berries were almost the same size as the tail… Anyhow, the best use for mini blackcurrants is jam, and the best way to make jam is in the microwave. The benefits of making the jam in the microwave include: … No metallic taste from boiling in a metal preserving pan; … No slaving over a massive pan on the cooker; … No constant stirring; … No trying to keep the jam from burning on the stove or boiling over; … No trying to wash up an oversized pan in an undersized sink; … Full, intense flavour, with less sugar required to set. A minor drawback is my inability to make a large batch at once... Read review

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Advantages: Better than some straswberry jams
Disadvantages: Not as good as some other Strawberry jams

...As a treat this weekend I made some scones, nothing nicer than freshly baked scones strawberry jam and cream. Problem uh huhh I had no strawberry jam in the cupboard, no cream either but I did expect to find no cream. I went to our local shop only 3 minutes walk away. I bought some cream and looked at the range of jams, no choice really only one type of strawberry jams Hartley's. So I bought the jam it cost me£1.14p... Now Hartley's is an ok brand of jam usually fairly good. Hartley's jam is now part of the large premier food brand and available in a lot of stores. The jam I bought was their best their Best everyday jam .This jam comes in quite an attractive shaped jar. with a red strawberry designed label with the Hartleys logo and Best srawberry jam written on it. Hartley also make a family jam this is without pieces... Read review

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Advantages: Easy, Fun and compelling
Disadvantages: Not a true Tony Hawk game, might get overlooked

...It seems that since the dawn of time there has been a Tony Hawk skateboarding game in existence! When it launched in 200BC Tony Hawk's Pro Skater set the standards for Skateboarding if not all extreme sports games, and since then the series has enjoyed much success and dominance, at last count there were 689 versions of Tony Hawk's Skateboarding games. Ok, you may have spotted a few exaggerations and inaccuracies in the opening paragraph, but there is no doubt that Tony Hawk Skating games have become a staple component on all games consoles. Since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (THPS) was launched in 1999, there have been 10 incarnations to date including this one, Downhill Jam. Undoubtedly there will be (and probably already are) more Tony Hawk games on the way. @@@@@Mmmmmm Jam! Until the launch of Downhill Jam, the series had... Read review

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Advantages: Eddies vocals, some nice tunes.
Disadvantages: The Nirvana "connection"

...PEARL JAM - TEN ---------------- Pearl Jam, are a slightly unknown band in this country, which is a big shame as we seem to miss out on so much great american rock music, and end up with the watered down pop, even when we do get a nice guitar in a song, its by a "band" such as Busted, now dont get me wrong, i can see why lots of young kids like their music but it doesnt rock! So this brings me to an album that does Rock, released way back in 1991, this was one of the first rock albums that i got into, i mean i was only 11 at the time!! know 12 years later this album is still as strong and fresh as it was then. THE BAND -------- Pearl Jam were originally known as Mother Love Bone, but with the tragic death of their lead singer Andrew Wood, there came this great band. Forming after the lead singer Eddie Vedder got a demo... Read review

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Advantages: Strawberry jam and Blackcurrant jam.
Disadvantages: It takes a while to cook.

...My favorite is Strawberry but bothof them are yummy on toast. Strawberries are at their best and cheapest during summer. Strawberry Jam Yields: About 5lb/2 kg jam, Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: about 1 hour. YOU WILL NEED. 3 and a half ib/1.5kg strawberries, 2 Lemons 3lb/1.25 kg white sugar. Hull the strawberries and place them in a cooking pan with the lemon juice,and the lemon rind and pith tied in a muslin bag. Heat very gently, stirring, until the juice begins torun. Simmer until the fruit is tender and the contents of the pan reduced. Add the sugar, stir until dissolved. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached*(see below for details). Skim the jam immediately, then allow it to cool slightly before pouring into hot jars. Cover when cold... Read review

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Advantages: Lovely flavour
Disadvantages: can be expensive to make

...We went blackberry picking on Saturday as we are fortunate enough to have quite a few areas of unspoiled (ie not near a road) blackberry bushes around here. After making several batches of blackberry jam (my preserving pan is very old and has been inherited and can only cope with 1kg of fruit - slightly annoying), I had 450g of blackberries left over. I was about to freeze them as I wouldn't have had enough to make a whole 2lb jar and the only small jar I had left would have been too small and then I remembered the punnet of blueberries I had in my fridge so thought that I would combine the two fruits and try out a black and blue jam. The recipe is simple and to be honest I think I hit on the right balance of the fruit straight away - 60% blackberry and 40% blueberry but you are more than welcome to try another combination... Read review

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