Jams & Jelly, Tips, Tricks and Good Info
This month my group of Crafty Ladies meets to talk all things Jams and Jellies. We will get to make some and learn how to make these yummy treats at home. In order to prepare for this class, I have been scouring the internet for everything I should know about making jam and jelly at home.
This is all the good info I found. I learned many new things, even though we have been making our own jams and jellies for a couple of years now. I hope you learn something too!
Jams
& Jellies
Tips,
Tricks and Good Info
Both jam and jelly are made from fruits mixed
with sugar and pectin.
Jam:
The fruit used, is in pulp or crushed form and is not as stiff or settled as
jelly, therefore it spreads unevenly or bumpy.
Jelly: The fruit used is in the form of juice, whether
buying 100% Juice from the store, squeezing juice from fresh fruit or crushing fruit
and straining all the liquids using cheese cloth or a fine mesh sieve. It has a thicker consistency than jam and
spreads more evenly.
Pectin:
a soluble gelatin like substance that is used as a setting agent when making
jams and jellies. It is extracted from
ripe fruits (pectin keeps the fruit walls together in the cell walls as a fruit
ripens, overly ripe fruits have less pectin than fruit that have just ripened). (AKA: Soluble Gelatinous Polysaccharide)
*Not all jams and jellies need pectin to set up
and may become jams/jellies by reaching a specific temperature for a specific
amount of time, and them cooling.
Using pectin ensures a good gel if there is not enough
natural pectin in the fruit being used.
Pectin reacts with sugar to make the “gel” but
does not necessarily require heat, so sometimes it may be used in freezer
recipes.
FACT: Apples
and Oranges have the best gelling properties of natural fruit pectin.
FACT: Pectin can lower LDL cholesterol and is
considered a dietary fiber because it is not digestible.
Your grandma probably didn’t use pectin. She just stood by the hot, boiling pot until
she cooked all the vitamins out of the fruit and cooked it down to a thicker
consistency.
Types of Pectin:
Liquid and Powder (Regular and Low Sugar) pectin.
Liquid
pectin is always added after boiling and then not reheated back to boil but ladled
into sterilized jars. Used most commonly
in clear jellies.
Dry or Powder pectin must be added then
boiled for a specific amount of time to activate the gelling process. Low sugar pectin needs less sugar to activate
the pectin.
-Websites vary on opinions whether you can
substitute them or not. Know there is a
possibility that they me not be replaceable (especially when the recipe calls
for liquid pectin).
TIPS
-Make sure you don’t overcook or, cook for a long
time at a low temp, this may cause a stiff jam because the pectin did not break
down.
-Make sure the temperature is not too high, or
you can boil off all the water and form a stiff jam.
-Stir your jam frequently, jam that is not
stirred may become lumpy.
**Commercial
Pectin is intended for use with fully ripe but not overripe fruit.**
-Runny jam will occur because of undercooking, make
sure to hit a full rolling boil for ONE minute.
-Use the correct amount of pectin/sugar. Too little of either can cause a runny jam.
-Don’t make a double batch, unless you have
commercial canning equipment, the temperatures vary too much in home cookware
causing uneven heat distribution. This
may cause the pectin to break down, forming runny jam that doesn’t set.
-Use fresh pectin, follow the expiration dates.
-Always sterilize your jars before using by
passing them through the dishwasher in a hot water cycle to avoid
contamination.
I hope you try making your own jam and jelly at home. What jam or jelly have you been dying to make? I would love to hear in the comments below.
Resources:
I loved this class!. The jellies were Amazing. Thanks for aharing!!
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