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Jam that won't set
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Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 06 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dougal wrote:
chrissy wrote:
... The sugar's in, so I'll have to reboil it + Certo. ...

Note that Certo needs the presence of a bit of acid (lemon juice) to get it to work... (I'd put in a squeeze more than whatever may be there already)


Agree, and in my experience it can take ages to set, so don't be tempted to overdo things.

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 06 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

chrissy wrote:
I'm wondering is it possible to make from apples your own pectin rich aid to setting fruits that need a bit of help? I kind of think you ought to be able to.

Well, yes. Thats why so many jams and jellies are apple&whatever.

The apple skin is particularly rich in pectin - so you might want to make an "apple jelly first stage" using largely peelings, strain and then perhaps freeze it in small (using) quantities, ready to be boiled up with whatever fruit pulp, sugar and lemon juice you are wanting to assist...

A point about Certo is that they've tried to extract as much pectin while minimising the apple taste - so its cherry jam, not apple and cherry...

IIRC, crab apples and early windfalls (lots of skin, not much flesh I s'pose) are supposed to be rich sources of pectin.

chrissy



Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 238
Location: Pangbourne
PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 06 8:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I used Certo in the end and it all looks great. I was worried as it was no small quantity. About ten pounds of fab tasting slop.

Thanks everyone.

Pilsbury



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex
PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 06 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

just made some apple and blackberry jam from foraged fruits so 11 jars have cost me £2.16 and that was for the jam sugar, Thinking now i should have just used ordenary sugar cos it was setting as i poured it into the jars but after my strawberry jam not setting twice in a row i wasn't taking any chances.
When i made this i peeled and cored all my apples and then took 200ml from the 500ml of water i needed for the apple puree and boiled all the peelings and cores for 10 mins, then strained it off and added it to the apple pulp and as i said it seems to have worked.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Our cherry jam is not setting, 3kg sugar, 3kg cherry, 3 lemons

It's a bit like soft glacé cherries in a very heavy syrup, hmm.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Watery fruit? You said you'd had a lot of rain.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 8:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nope sugar content is 65% and the cherries tasted fine

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Get yer Certo out then.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes, you can make your own pectin from either apples or from citrus pith, the white stuff between the zest and the pulp.

From my book, Preserving Memories -

Homemade Apple Pectin

Wash about 4 pounds of green apples. If immature apples are not available, Granny Smith apples can be used. Do not peel or core, just cut into quarters or eighths, depending on the size of the apples. Place in suitable size pot and add water to just cover the cut up fruit.
Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook until the fruit is soft.
Line a colander with damp cheesecloth, place over a clean saucepan, and then add apples and liquid. Allow liquid to drain freely. Do not squeeze or twist the cheesecloth, as this can force small particles through the cheesecloth and the liquid will be cloudy.
Return the pulp to the kettle and add an equal amount of water (e.g. 2 quarts fruit, 2 quarts water.) Bring to a boil, then keep at a high simmer for 20 minutes. Strain as before. Combine the two extractions, and measure.
Boil rapidly to reduce the liquid by two-thirds. If you started with 3 quarts of liquid, boil down to two pints.
Sterilize 4-ounce canning jars. Bring filtered liquid to high simmer, fill jars, and cap with two-piece metal lids.
Place filled, capped jars in hot water bath, bring to boil, and boil for 10 minutes.
Let cool, label and date.
This will provide enough homemade pectin for 8 batches of jelly.

Homemade Citrus Pectin

If citrus seeds are available, soak them in water to cover overnight. A jelly-like substance will form around them. Use seeds, jelly stuff and water together with the white pith of any citrus fruit. Remove colored rind of grapefruit, orange, lemon, or a blend. Coarsely chop white pith, cover with twice as much water as pith, and proceed as described above.

Necessary Acidity

As well as pectin, preserves need acid. You can easily raise the level for low acid fruits by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to each cup of prepared juice. This adds tartness without significantly affecting the flavor.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 15 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Jam lady, got a dead cert recipe for cherry jam? Would be handy, must invest in your book too. Is there a pH that is necessary for set to happen?

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 15 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

tahir, I have a box of the books in my closet. But overseas postage is ridiculous. Let me know if you buy a copy, and I'll send you an autograph / book plate for you to paste inside.

Here are the notes for one that isn't in the book. This will not have a firm set. A spoonful of the syrup mixed with soda, over ice, is very refreshing. And there's another recipe I came up with - may be on a scribble-y stained piece of paper somewhere - (that perhaps never made it into the computer) for what I named Black Forest Jam, using sour cherries and chocolate covered cacao nibs. That one was tricky, I remember, to keep the chocolate from melting.

Sour Cherry Spoonsweet - June 2007

Pit 5 pounds sour cherries
Yield: 9 cups pitted

4 cups sugar

Layer pitted cherries with sugar
1 cup water with juice of 1 lemon
Let sit overnight

In morning bring to simmer. Let sit for 24 hours

Measure. Yield: 5 cups pitted cherries, 6 cups liquid. Set aside 3 cups juice for cherry raspberry jelly. Divide rest.

Combine 2 ½ cups cherries with 1 ½ cups liquid, 1 ½ cups apple pectin, 1 cup sugar.
Bring to boil, cook to gel point. Stir in 4 to 6 drops almond extract.

Yield: four 8-ounce, one 4-ounce jars.
2nd batch yield: three 8-ounce, three 4-ounce jars

Last edited by Jam Lady on Thu Jul 09, 15 1:30 am; edited 1 time in total

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 15 1:29 am    Post subject: P.S. Reply with quote
    

tair, pH has nothing to do with it. It is a balance of pectin and acid, fruit and sugar, cooked to the gel point.

In increasing order of difficulty from easiest it goes like this: fruit butter, jam, conserve, marmalade, jelly.

There are tests for pectin, tests for gel point etc but I can't post the whole book, entry by entry. Fulcrum, my publisher, would be annoyed with me.

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 15 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'll order the book

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 15 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Not available in the UK, getting it via a US reseller

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 15 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Excellent! PM me with your address and I'll send the autograph.

Scuffs feet shyly - do you want to wait until you receive it, have a gander, and tell me what you think? Of course I know it will be positive . . . .

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