Jellied Products

  • Jellies are ordinarily made by cooking fruit juice with sugar. Jelly should be clear or translucent and business firm enough to hold its shape when turned out of the container.
  • Jams are thick, sweet spreads, which will hold their shape, just are less firm than jelly. They are made from crushed or chopped fruits and carbohydrate.
  • Conserves are jams made from a mixture of fruits, especially when they include citrus fruits, basics, raisins or coconut.
  • Preserves are made of small, whole fruits or uniform-size pieces of fruits in a clear, thick, slightly jellied syrup.
  • Marmalades oft contain citrus fruits and are soft fruit jellies containing small pieces of fruit or skin, evenly suspended in the transparent jelly.

Homemade blueberry jam.

Bootleg blueberry jam.
Adair Hoover, Clemson HGIC

Common Ingredients

For proper texture, jellied fruit products require the correct combination of fruit, pectin, acid and sugar.

Fruit: Fruit gives each spread its unique flavor and color. It also supplies the water to dissolve the rest of the necessary ingredients and furnishes some or all of the pectin and acid. Proficient-quality, flavorful fruits make the best jellied products. Commercially canned or frozen fruit preserved in its own juice may exist used to brand jellied products, but pectin must be added. If you preserve your own fruit, use ¼ slightly under-ripe and ¾ fully ripe fruit. Preserve the fruit in its own juice and note how much sugar is added to permit for that in the jelly recipe.

Pectin: Pectin is a substance in fruits that forms a gel if it is in the correct combination with acid and sugar. All fruits contain some pectin, merely some must be combined with fruits high in pectin or with commercial pectin products to obtain gels.  Because fully ripened fruit has less pectin, one-quaternary of the fruit used in making jellies without added pectin should be nether-ripe. The apply of commercial pectin simplifies the process, just jelly fabricated without added pectin contains less sugar and tastes fruitier. Follow the manufacturer'southward directions for using commercial pectin and do not interchange liquid and powdered pectins.

Acrid: The proper level of acid is critical to gel formation. If there is too little acid, the gel will never set; if at that place is too much acid, the gel will lose liquid (weep). For fruits low in acid, add lemon juice or other acid ingredients as directed. Commercial pectin products contain acids that aid to ensure gelling.

Sugar: Sugar serves as a preserving amanuensis, contributes season and aids in gelling. Granulated white sugar is the usual type of sugar for jelly or jam. Corn syrup and dear may be used to replace part of the sugar in recipes, but also much will mask the fruit season and change the gel construction. Use tested recipes for replacing sugar with honey and corn syrup. Do not try to reduce the amount of sugar in traditional recipes. Too little sugar prevents gelling and may allow yeast and mold growth. Tested recipes must exist used to brand jellies without added sugar, and these products unremarkably must exist stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Pectin & Acid Content of Mutual Fruits Used to Make Jelly

Group I: If not overripe, has enough natural pectin and acrid for gel formation with only added sugar – Apples (sour), Blackberries (sour), Crabapples Cranberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Grapes (Eastern Concord), Lemons, Loganberries, Plums (not Italian), Quinces

Group II: Low in natural acid or pectin and may need addition of either acid or pectin – Apples (ripe), Blackberries (ripe), Cherries (sour), Chokecherries, Elderberries, Grapefruit, Grape Juice, bottled (Eastern Concord), Grapes (California), Loquats, Oranges

Group Three: Always needs added acid, pectin or both – Apricots, Blueberries, Figs, Grapes (Western Agree), Guavas, Peaches, Pears, Plums (Italian), Raspberries, Strawberries

Equipment & Containers

  • A large 8- or x-quart saucepan is recommended because jellies and jams have a tendency to boil over. A heavy metal is best because it allows fifty-fifty rut distribution.
  • A jelly bag or suitable cloth is needed when extracting juice for jelly. Firm unbleached muslin or cotton flannel with the napped side turned in, or four thicknesses of closely woven cheesecloth may be used. Jelly numberless or cloths should be damp when extracting the juice.
  • A jelly, candy, or deep-fat thermometer tin can be used to determine doneness in jellied products without added pectin.
  • A boiling water bath canner is necessary for processing all fruit spreads. A deep cooking pot with a rack may be used for a canner if it'due south deep enough for one or two inches of boiling water in a higher place the tops of jars. Exist sure the pot has a close-fitting lid.

Preventing Spoilage of Jellies

Even though saccharide helps preserve jellies and jams, molds can grow on the surface of these products. Enquiry now indicates that the mold people normally scrape off the surface of jellies may non be as harmless as it seems. Mycotoxins have been found in some jars of jelly having surface mold growth. Mycotoxins are known to cause cancer in animals; their furnishings on humans are still being researched. Considering of possible mold contagion, methane series or wax seals are no longer recommended for whatever sweet spread, including jellies.

All jellied products should exist processed in a boiling water bath to prevent mold growth. To process in a boiling h2o bath, cascade the boiling production into a hot sterilized canning jar, leaving ¼-inch head-space. Wipe the jar rim, and close with a treated canning lid and screw band. Identify on a rack in a canner filled with boiling water. The water should comprehend the jars by at to the lowest degree one inch. Embrace the canner. Bring the water dorsum to a boil; eddy gently for 5 minutes. Remove the jars to a protected surface and cool, abroad from drafts, undisturbed for 12 hours.

General Procedures for Making Jams, Preserves & Marmalades

  1. Use half-pint canning jars and pretreated lids.
  2. Check jars and lids. Discard any cracked or chipped jars and whatsoever lids with blemished sealing surfaces. Wash in hot, soapy water; rinse. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Go along jars hot.
  3. Wash and rinse all fruits thoroughly before cooking. Do non soak. For all-time flavor, apply fully ripe fruit when making jellied products with added pectin. For recipes without added pectin, use simply-ripe fruit. Remove stems, skins and pits from fruit; cutting into pieces and shell. For berries, remove stems and blossoms and crush. Seedy berries may be put through a sieve or food mill.
  4. Combine ingredients and cook in modest batches, one recipe at a time, in a large, heavy, 8- to 10-quart saucepot.
  5. Stir fruit mixture over low oestrus until sugar dissolves. Then boil rapidly for a clear-finished production. Equally the fruit mixture begins to thicken, stir frequently to forbid sticking and scorching.
  6. If non adding pectin, test for doneness using one of the methods described below. For a softer product, shorten the cooking fourth dimension; for a firmer production, lengthen it.
  7. If liquid or powdered pectin is used, follow manufacturer's directions. The method of combining ingredients varies with the form of pectin used. Pectin, acid and doneness tests are non necessary with added pectin. For a softer product, utilise ¼ to ½ cup more fruit or juice. For a firmer product, use ¼ to ½ cup less fruit or juice.
  8. Before filling jars, skim off foam that forms from the boiling procedure. The addition of ¼ teaspoon butter or margarine during cooking helps cut down on the foam formed.
  9. To fill the jars, pour hot fruit mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
  10. Process jams, preserves and conserves in a boiling water bathroom for the length of time specified in the recipe. If no processing instructions are given, process for 5 minutes in sterile jars. If jars accept non been sterilized, the filled jars should be processed 10 minutes, but the added 5-minutes processing time may cause weak gels, especially if using low-pectin fruits.
  11. Allow to cool undisturbed for 12 hours, and then remove spiral bands, carefully wipe the exterior of the jar with a clean, damp cloth, and store in a dark, dry, cool place. The shorter the storage fourth dimension, the amend the product.

Altitude Adjustments: The processing times given for processing jellied fruit products are for altitudes of 0 to yard feet. Most areas in South Carolina will fall inside these altitudes. Add one minute of processing and sterilizing time for each thou anxiety of additional altitude.

Making Jellies Without Added Pectin

To Excerpt Juice: Utilise only house fruits naturally high in pectin. Select a mixture of most three-quarters ripe and 1-quarter under-ripe fruit. Do not use commercially canned or frozen fruit juices; their pectin content is too low. Wash all fruits thoroughly before cooking. Vanquish soft fruits or berries; cutting firmer fruits into small pieces. Using the peels and cores adds pectin to the juice during cooking. Tabular array ane provides instructions and proportions for extracting juice from specific fruits. Put fruit and water (as instructed) in a large saucepan and bring to a eddy. Then simmer according to the times in Table 1 or until fruit is soft. Stir to preclude scorching. One pound of fruit should yield at least one cup of clear juice.

When fruit is tender, strain through a colander, then strain through a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly pocketbook. Allow juice to baste through, using a stand or colander to hold the bag. Pressing or squeezing the bag or fabric will event in cloudy jelly.

To Brand Jelly: Use no more than 6 to 8 cups of extracted fruit juice at a fourth dimension. Double batches exercise not always gel properly.

  1. Measure out juice and sugar. When a recipe is not available, endeavour using ¾ cups sugar for each one cup of juice. Put juice into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Add saccharide to juice. Add lemon juice or citric acid if additional acid is required.
  3. Test for doneness equally instructed below.
  4. Remove jelly from heat; rapidly skim off cream.
  5. Cascade quickly into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch caput infinite. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and process in a boiling water bathroom for 5 minutes.

Testing Pectin in the Juice

For jellies made without pectin, it is of import to know whether there is enough natural pectin to form a gel. There are 3 ways of determining this.

Cooking Test: Measure ⅓ cup of juice and ¼ cup of carbohydrate into a pocket-sized saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until all the carbohydrate is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a eddy and boil rapidly until information technology gives the sheeting test. Pour the jelly into a make clean, hot jelly glass or a small bowl and permit it cool. If the cooled mixture is jelly-like, your fruit juice will gel.

Alcohol Examination: Add 1 teaspoon of juice to 1 table-spoon of rubbing alcohol. To mix, gently stir or milk shake the mixture in a closed container so that all the juice comes in contact with the alcohol. DO NOT Gustation— the mixture is poisonous. Fruit loftier in pectin will form a solid jelly-like mass that can be picked upward with a fork. If the juice clumps into several pocket-size particles, there is not enough pectin for jelly.

Jelmeter Test: The jelmeter is a graduated glass tube that measures the rate at which fruit juices catamenia through the tube. It gives a rough estimate of the corporeality of pectin present in the juice and how much carbohydrate should be used.

Testing Acid in the Juice

There is no dwelling exam to determine the amount of acid present. But you tin can do a simple sense of taste examination for tartness by mixing 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 3 tabular array-spoons water and ½ teaspoon sugar. If your fruit juice does not taste as tart every bit this mixture, it is non tart enough. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or ane/8 teaspoon citric acid to each cup of fruit juice.

Doneness Test

The biggest trouble in making jelly without added pectin is to know when it is washed. Information technology is particularly important to remove the mixture from the heat before it is overcooked, as there is petty that tin can be washed to better an overcooked mixture. Signs of overcooking are a modify in color of the mixture and a taste or odor of caramelized sugar. When cooking jelly remember that it should exist boiled chop-chop, non simmered.

Temperature Test: This is the near reliable of the doneness tests. First examination the accuracy of the jelly or candy thermometer by placing information technology in humid h2o to meet if it measures 212 °F. Then place the thermometer in a vertical position into the boiling jelly mixture and read at eye level. The bulb of the thermometer must be completely covered with the jelly but must non touch the bottom of the saucepot. Apply a jelly or candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches 220 °F or eight °F above the boiling point of h2o. Most areas in South Carolina would use 220 °F, but at altitudes between g and 2000 anxiety, boil until the mixture reaches 218 °F.

Sheet or Spoon Test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon about 12 inches above the pan (out of steam). Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. When the mixture showtime starts to boil, the drops will be light and syrupy. As the syrup continues to boil, the drops will become heavier and will driblet off the spoon ii at a time. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that menses together and canvass or hang off the border of the spoon.

Fridge/Freezer Test: Pour a small-scale amount of boiling jelly on a plate, and put information technology in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator for a few minutes. If the mixture gels, it should be done. During the test, the rest of the jelly mixture should be removed from the oestrus.

Jellies Made With Added Pectin

Jellies fabricated from powdered or liquid pectin are prepared differently from those made without added pectin. Be sure to follow manufacturer's directions carefully. When commercial pectin is used, it is not necessary to test for pectin, acid or doneness. All-ripe fruit may be used for best season.

Jellied Products Without Added Sugar

Jellied products can be made without adding saccharide or by adding less saccharide than in a regular recipe. This cannot be done by leaving the sugar out of the regular jelly recipes. Four methods tin be used every bit shown beneath. Follow the directions on the modified pectin box or in a no-sugar recipe exactly. Alterations in the recipe could result in product failures. These products practice not have carbohydrate equally their preservative and must be processed or stored equally directed. Some need longer processing in a boiling water bathroom and some need refrigeration.

Special Modified Pectins: This is a quick, like shooting fish in a barrel way to make lower sugar jellied products that can exist stored on the pantry shelf until opened. These pectins are not the same as regular pectin. Look for packages that say "light," "less sugar" or "no sugar needed" in the label. Specific recipes and directions are listed on the package insert. Follow these carefully for the brand of pectin you are using.

Regular Pectin With Special Recipes: These special recipes take been formulated so that no added saccharide is needed. However, each package of regular pectin does contain some saccharide. Artificial sweetener is oft added.

Recipes Using Gelatin: Some recipes use unflavored gelatin equally the thickener for the jelly or jam. Artificial sweetener is often added.

Long-Eddy Methods: Humid fruit pulp for extended periods of time volition make a production thicken and resemble a jam, preserve or fruit butter. Bogus sweetener may be added.

Remaking Runny Jelly & Jam

Remake a trial batch using 1 cup of jelly or jam first. Measure jelly or jam to exist remade. Don't remake more 8 cups at one time.

To Remake Cooked Jelly Without Added Pectin: If the fruit juice was not acid enough, add 1½ teaspoons lemon juice per cup jelly earlier boiling. Heat the jelly to boiling and boil until the jellying signal is reached. Remove jelly from rut, skim, cascade immediately into sterilized hot containers and seal and procedure for 5 minutes.

To Remake Cooked Jelly or Jam With Powdered Pectin: For each cup of jelly or jam, measure 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon water and one½ teaspoons of powdered pectin. (Stir the package contents well before measuring.) Mix the pectin and h2o and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add together jelly or jam and sugar. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a full rolling eddy over high heat, stirring constantly. Eddy hard ½ minute. Remove from heat, speedily skim foam off jelly and fill up hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Accommodate new lids and procedure in a humid water bathroom for at to the lowest degree 5 minutes or for fourth dimension specified in the recipe.

To Remake Cooked Jelly or Jam With Liquid Pectin: For each cup of jelly or jam, mensurate 3 tablespoons sugar, one½ teaspoons lemon juice and ane½ teaspoons of liquid fruit pectin. Place jelly or jam in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Quickly add the sugar, lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil difficult for 1 infinitesimal. Remove from heat. Apace skim off foam and fill hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims. Arrange new lids and process in a humid h2o bath for 5 minutes.

To Remake Uncooked Jelly or Jam With Liquid Pectin: In a basin, mix jelly or jam and for each 1 loving cup of jelly or jam add iii tablespoons sugar and 1½ teaspoons lemon juice. Stir well until sugar is dissolved (about 3 minutes). Add 1½ teaspoons liquid pectin per loving cup of jelly or jam and stir until well blended (nearly 3 minutes). Pour into clean containers. Embrace with tight lids. Allow stand in fridge until gear up. Then store in refrigerator or freezer.

To Remake Uncooked Jelly or Jam With Powdered Pectin: In a basin, mix jelly or jam and two tablespoons sugar for each cup of jelly or jam. Stir well until dissolved (most iii minutes). Measure 1 tablespoon h2o and 1 ½ teaspoons powdered pectin for each cup of jelly or jam. Identify in pocket-size bucket and place over low heat, stirring, until the powdered pectin is dissolved. Add together to the sugar and fruit mixture and stir until thoroughly blended (near ii to 3 minutes). Pour into clean containers. Cover with tight lids. Allow stand in fridge until set up. Then store in refrigerator or freezer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should cooked jelly be made in small batches? If a larger quantity of juice is used, longer boiling is needed causing loss of flavor, concealment of jelly, and toughening of jelly.

Should jelly be boiled slowly or rapidly? It should exist boiled apace since long, slow humid destroys the pectin in the fruit juice.

What do I do if there'southward mold on my jellied fruit product? Discard all of the product. Mycotoxins have been found in some jars of jelly having surface mold growth. Mycotoxins are known to cause cancer in animals; their effects on humans are still being researched.

Why did my jellied fruit product ferment, and what do I practise? Jellied fruit products may ferment considering of yeast growth. This can occur if the production is improperly processed and sealed, or if the saccharide content is also low. Fermented fruit products have a disagreeable taste. Discard them.

Table ane. Instructions & Proportions for Extracting Juice from Specific Fruits

Fruit Cups of Water to be Added Per Pound of Fruit Minutes to Simmer Fruit earlier Extracting Juice Ingredients Added to Each Loving cup of Strained Juice Yield from 4 Cups of Juice (Half-Pints)
Saccharide (Cups) Lemon Juice (Tsp.)
Apples ane twenty-25 ¾ one½ (opt) four-5
Blackberries None or ¼ v-10 ¾-1 None seven-8
Crab Apples 1 20-25 1 None four-5
Grapes None or ¼ v-ten ¾-i None 8-ix
Plums ½ 15-20 ¾ None 8-ix

For more information on making jellies & jams, see HGIC 3200, Jelly & Jam Recipes. For data on using a water bath canner, see HGIC 3040, Canning Foods at Habitation.

Originally published 06/99