A-Z Recipes

12

Canning jams/ jellies (Read 862 times)


A Saucy Wench

    So....I had found a recipe for strawberry rhubarb freezer jam that claimed if you minced the rhubarb really really small and let the sugar soak in it for a few hours you could make a true uncooked freezer jam.  This would be bullshit.  The rhubarb is still crunchy and rawish tasting.  I was clearing space in my freezer and thinking it was stupid to waste space on this when no one likes it.  But I hate waste

     

     

    If I thaw and cook all the jam  will I need more pectin to make it set again? Or should I just say good bye.  Wasting all the strawberry really hurts especially since I am down to my last jar of strawberry jam already.  I didnt make much because we werent using jam very fast but suddenly dd is on a PB&J kick. 

    I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

     

    "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      Thaw, cook and use as sauce, or add new pectin for it to set.


      A Saucy Wench

        Thaw, cook and use as sauce, or add new pectin for it to set.

         I did do this.   I should not have added an entire PACKAGE of pectin the second time round.  That stuff was setting while I was pouring it out of the pan.  I now have strawberrry-rhubarb finger jello

        I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

         

        "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


        Jazz hands!

          Pectin report!

           

          I just finished using the low/no sugar pectin (Pomona Universal, aka Pectin for Hippies) to make spicy pepper jam, and while the jars are still cooling the leftover pint or so that's just going in the fridge is GREAT. Most recipes I found for pepper jam wanted me to use 1:1 or greater amounts of sugarTongueeppers, but I used about 0.5:1 and it still jelled well, and I can't imagine this being any sweeter. I bet it would also work well with concentrated fruit juice or honey.

          run run run AHHHHHH run run run


          A Saucy Wench

            Funny, I am making jelly today too.  The wonderous sound of 14 little pops.

            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

             

            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

              Pectin report!

               

              I just finished using the low/no sugar pectin (Pomona Universal, aka Pectin for Hippies) to make spicy pepper jam, and while the jars are still cooling the leftover pint or so that's just going in the fridge is GREAT. Most recipes I found for pepper jam wanted me to use 1:1 or greater amounts of sugarTongueeppers, but I used about 0.5:1 and it still jelled well, and I can't imagine this being any sweeter. I bet it would also work well with concentrated fruit juice or honey.

               

              I will also report that I've used Pomona for jam and had 100% success!  I used honey as a sweetener and it turned out great.  It's definately a different taste, but a good different.  I was really worried that I'd have syrup or sauce, but it's the same as any other jam that I've canned.  I called the # for Pomonas asking about the concentrated fruit juice.  As I think maybe Anne suggested earlier, the concentrated fruit juice that the commercial jams have in them is super concentrated, not like what we can buy in the store.  So if you use that, don't expect the same sweetness.  I'll probably try it eventually anyway.  If anyone else does, please let us know!

               

              Anne, I love those little pops! 


              A Saucy Wench

                I would like to make jam using honey or agave.  I have a friend who's little girl can not tolerate cane or beet sugar at all.  But she does well with Agave.    I've also played around with it and my glucose monitor and I do seem to do a bit better with it.

                 

                I need to look for Pomonas next time I make jelly.  I've always used the low sugar surejell cause that what I used the first time!

                I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                 

                "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


                A Saucy Wench

                  LOVE the Pomona.  It is VERY jelled.  I didnt go as low in sugar as it said I could, but way lower than the surejell low sugar recipe and the kids like it better because *drumroll* it tastes more like peaches.  I may go lower next time

                  I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                   

                  "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                    LOVE the Pomona.  It is VERY jelled.  I didnt go as low in sugar as it said I could, but way lower than the surejell low sugar recipe and the kids like it better because *drumroll* it tastes more like peaches.  I may go lower next time

                     

                    Wooohoooo!  I was extremely happy, considering how worried I was about having a big runny mess...not to mention how would it taste?  Isn't it great!  You can play with the # of sugar until your heart's content!!  So glad it worked out for you!  Does it seem to set even more than the surejell?


                    A Saucy Wench

                       

                       

                      Wooohoooo!  I was extremely happy, considering how worried I was about having a big runny mess...not to mention how would it taste?  Isn't it great!  You can play with the # of sugar until your heart's content!!  So glad it worked out for you!  Does it seem to set even more than the surejell?

                      Yes.  It's like finger jello.  I almost feel like I need to stir it before I can spread it on PBJ.  I have a jar of surejell peach jamly in my fridge that I made a week earlier and side by side it is MUCH softer. I still used regular sugar but  "low sugar" surejell peach  is 1.5:1 pulp to sugar and I went with 3:1 this time. 

                       

                      I think for the grape jelly when they ripen (grapes are usually late October) I'll do a taste test with the juice until I get the ratio I like.  That grape juice was so sweet last year I may not need much at all. 

                      I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                       

                      "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


                      A Saucy Wench

                        OK the grape jelly is TOO jelled.  Not spreadable without microwaving first.  I followed the recommended amount but the way I make my juice does tend to jell easier anyway (its more "high pulp").  Do you think less pectin or less calcium, or both?  What matters? 

                        I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                         

                        "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                          OK the grape jelly is TOO jelled.  Not spreadable without microwaving first.  I followed the recommended amount but the way I make my juice does tend to jell easier anyway (its more "high pulp").  Do you think less pectin or less calcium, or both?  What matters? 

                           

                          Well, it makes sense to me to decrease the pectin if you're getting more from the fruit,  but I really don't know for sure as I'm still really a newbie Pomona user.   If you had too little or too much CA water I'm wondering if it would  not activate properly?  Maybe reduce both using the same ratio (don't remember what it is) of the recommended amount??   If you don't find a definate answer here, I'd try the # on the direction sheet.  I called them with my fruit concentrate question and the lady was very helpful. 


                          A Saucy Wench

                            for the record I did the grape jam with the amount called for jam and not jelly the next year and it was perfect.  (2t and 2t instead of 4 and 4).  I'm finding in general with pomona that stone fruits and grape over gel a bit for the amount of pectin called for but berries under gel a bit. I did strawberry this year again and it was about honey thickness.  1.25 the amount for raspberry seemed to work well.

                            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                             

                            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


                            running yogi

                              I have been making jams for several years now(mostly strawberry, blackberry and mango- my favorites).

                               

                              I do not use store bought pectin. Pectin changes the taste of the fruit considerably and i don't like that.

                               

                              Just slightly mushed fruit, sugar and lemon juice, cook it down and jar. I have saved them for over six months in a dark closet. Some may think too much sugar, but I only need two teaspoons on my toast.

                               

                              Once you make jam without pectin, you will not use store bought pectin again.


                              A Saucy Wench

                                Blueberry Cayenne Wine Jam. 

                                 

                                OMG. 

                                 

                                I used Shiraz for the wine and I doubled the cayenne.  By accident.  Good accident. 

                                 

                                Only other note is the recipe makes 6 cups, not 4.

                                 

                                Oh and since I had pomona and not the Ball flex batch, I used 2 t. each calcium water and pectin

                                 

                                This is a serve at a party with brie kind of thing.  But also good with cream cheese.

                                 

                                Sorry RunZrun - I actually really really dislike pectin free jam.  Way too sweet for me, I'm all about getting it as much fruit and low sugar as possible.  I made a boiled marmalade today and the sweetness hurts. 

                                I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                                 

                                "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                                12