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["Dianne Stephany" <iluvdanc@rochester.rr.com>]

Mark,

I make jam and have the same problem--I don't know why sometmes it sets and sometimes it doesn't.  Definitely on the first batch reducing the sugar alters the set, but why also in the second batch I dont know. I don't do strawberry jam, though.  

 

I usually use red currant juice as my pectin source and mix and match to make jelly. Red currant juice with mixed berries is nice in a ratio of 1:1, equal parts.  Red currant peach is nice, more red currant less peach. The only batch I made using pectin (Ball) was ginger peach preserves and it worked out ok.

 

Dianne In zone 5 where the pears are starting to look golden. 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mark & Helen Angermayer

To: North American Fruit Explorers

Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 1:59 PM

Subject: [NAFEX] Pectin jell

This may be a question asked before, but was wondering what went wrong with our jam making?  Made a batch of peach jam and used 75% of the sugar that the recipe called for.  Used "Ball" brand pectin and followed all other instructions, which called for boiling the jam hard for one minute.  Then hot packed the jam.  Problem is, the jam didn't set up as firm as I thought it should.  Although the flavor is excellent, it's the consistency is thinner than I'd like.  About the consistancy of thick honey.  Thought maybe using less sugar caused it not to jell.  But then we made another batch of jam, this time with some strawberries left over in the freezer.  This time we used the full amount of sugar on the recipe.  Again the jam didn't firm up real good (although it's slightly firmer than the peach jam).

 

My question, what caused the jam not to jell well?  I know a lot of folks recommend Pomona's pectin, which is what I should have used, but we used what was available at the time.  Is Ball pectin a really bad product?  Would it have helped if we would have boiled the jam longer?

 

Mark

KS 

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