Easy Jam and Bread Pudding- Homemade Mixed Fruit Jam Recipe

Classic old-fashioned bread and jam pudding is a wonderfully satisfying no-fuss dessert. Bread pudding is a comforting dessert to treat your family on chilly winter evenings. If you have left-over bread, you can bake this delicious dessert in no time. It has a rich and creamy custard and the sticky sweetness from the jam. The pudding has a few simple ingredients and absolute comfort to dig in! Your whole family will love it, and they will even come back for seconds. I am also sharing the recipe for homemade mixed fruit jam with easy-to-make instructions. Homemade mixed fruit jam is delicious with so much flavor. It is so easy to make your jam with seasonal fruits of your choice, plus the added benefit is the quality and freshness of the fruits. Strawberry jam, plum jam, and raspberry jam taste delicious in bread pudding. Feel free to use whatever you have at hand.

Bread pudding with layers of jam is beautiful and incredibly easy to prepare. It’s so easy to layer the bread and jam sandwiches. Whisk the egg custard, pour over the bread and then put it in the oven to bake. If you love it as a breakfast pudding, prepare this the night before so that all you need to do in the morning is pop it in the oven. It will be ready in 30 minutes, crispy and golden on the top and creamy and delicious inside. Drizzle with some honey or bread pudding sauce or fresh whipped cream. Can you imagine a more comforting dessert for breakfast!

The simple custard consists of milk, cream, eggs, and sugar. Condensed milk also adds great flavor and taste to the custard. Almond milk or coconut milk can also be great substitutes for a vegan dessert. The type of bread you use is entirely up to you. You can use plain white bread, croissants, brioche, or fruit bread. Older bread is better than fresh as it will absorb the egg mixture faster. If you are using fresh bread, lightly toast it in the oven.

To make the mixed fruit jam, you can choose your favorite fruits. Fruits like apple, orange, peaches, papaya, persimmons, strawberry, grapes, mango, pineapple, guava add great flavor to the jam. Pectin is an important ingredient for a well-set jam. You can also use jam sugar. But if you do not want to use it, select fruits high in natural pectin. Fruits like apple, guava, papaya, orange, and persimmon are high in pectin. Measure the amount of chopped or pureed fruits to decide the amount of sugar. The best ratio of fruits and sugar is a 1:1 ratio. But 3/4 also works well. Sugar, acid (lemon juice or citric acid), and pectin are important to gel and thicken the jam. Try it and enjoy it with family and friends. Let me know how it turned out for you. Enjoy!

Jam and Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients
Bread - 12 slices
(I am using a 12x 8 inch baking pan)
Jam- 3/4 cup
Butter- 2 tbs
Eggs large- 5
Milk- 1 1/2 cup
Heavy cream- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar- 3/4 cup
Salt- a pinch
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter and grease baking dish with it and set aside.
Trim off the edges of the bread and spread with the desired amount of jam. Cut into triangles or squares and layer bread in the prepared baking dish.
In a bowl, add eggs, sugar, and salt. Whisk till it is light and fluffy. Pour milk and heavy cream, vanilla extract, and whisk well.
Pour this over the bread, and gently press so that the bread absorbs the liquid. Drizzle the melted butter on top. Let it sit for ten minutes, or you can chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
Place the baking pan in the center of the oven. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue baking for 15 minutes or until the pudding is set. The pudding will be puffed and golden. The pudding is set when the knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool down. Serve warm, with pudding sauce or fresh whipped cream and sliced fruits. Enjoy!

To make the mixed fruit jam

Ingredients
Mixed fruit puree- 5 cup
To make the fruit puree
Apple- 1 Gauva-2, persimmon- 2
Pineapple chopped- 1 cup, mango-1. cup, pomegranate arils- 1/2 cup, grapes- 1/2 cup, strawberry- 1/2 cup
Orange Juice- 1/2 cup

Sugar- 3 3/4 cup
Lemon juice- 1 lemon
Cloves- 2 (optional)
Butter- 1/2 tsp (optional)
Dry fruit pectin- 1 Package (1.75 ounce/ 49g)

Cut and process the fruits. If you like a chunky texture, add crushed fruits and for a smooth jam, make a fruit puree. You can use a food processor or blender. Measure the exact amount of prepared fruit or prepared puree. Measure the amount of sugar accordingly (the best ratio is 1:1). Prepare and sterilize your jars and lids.
Measure the fruit puree and sugar. Add the fruits puree into a large deep pan ( preferably a large quart pan) and mix lemon juice and clove. Mix well and bring the fruit puree to a boil, stirring frequently, to prevent sticking or scorching.

In a bowl, mix the sugar and the fruit pectin. When the fruit juice comes to a boil, add the sugar pectin mixture and mix well. You can also add 1/2 tsp of butter at this stage. Stir in low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a full rolling boil for two to three minutes, stirring constantly. As it starts to thicken, there will be lesser bubbles. To check the consistency, pour a small amount of jam on a chilled saucer or small plate, and after a few seconds push the mixture with your finger. You will notice it has formed a skin that ripples slightly. Remove from heat, and skim foam if necessary. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel or a clean cloth and let it cool down on the countertop. Once it cools down store it in the refrigerator.

Additional points

To sterilize the jars, wash them with warm soapy water. Place the jars in a boiling water rack on the bottom. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn the heat off. Let it cool down before transferring the jars to a cooling rack. You can use a large stockpot to sterilize the jars. Place a rack or fold a thick towel and place it at the bottom of the pan.
Bottling the jam- Fill prepared, sterile jars to within 1/4-inch of the top. Wipe the rims clean, and seal the jars. Place the filled jars in a large stockpot filled with boiling water. Turn the heat off after 5 minutes of boiling, and let the jars stand in the water for 5 minutes. Place towels on the countertop and carefully transfer the jam bottles and allow them to cool down. Transfer carefully to a towel-lined countertop or a cooling rack.