Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - [NAFEX] pectin jell

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Jacquelyn Kuehn <jakuehn@verizon.net>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] pectin jell
  • Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:22:13 -0400

I might have missed this comment, but in addition to making small batches, cooking them in a broad, open pan, such as a skillet, makes a big difference, I guess because it allows for quick evaporation.
<x-tad-bigger>Jacquelyn A. Kuehn</x-tad-bigger>
Musician, writer
http://www.pennsacreskitchen.net
www.wmugradio.org

11 AM-12:30 PM M-F (Eastern)



On Aug 27, 2008, at 5:46 PM, nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

Send nafex mailing list submissions to
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
nafex-request@lists.ibiblio.org

You can reach the person managing the list at
nafex-owner@lists.ibiblio.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of nafex digest..."


Today's Topics:

1. Re: Pectin jell (Ginda Fisher)
2. Re: Pectin jell (Stephen Sadler)
3. Re: Pectin jell (Stephen Sadler)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:17:35 -0400
From: Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Pectin jell
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <7467-SnapperMsgBFA27874C4DB7544@[99.205.108.26]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

My experience with sugar-syrup recipes (jam, butter-cream frosting, lemon
curd) is that the only way to boil it just right is to do it several times
and learn what it looks and feels like when it's reached the right
temperature. Unless you make much larger batches than I it's very hard to
get the thermometer fully in the juice/syrup, and even if you do, it's
troublesome to have it sticking out from the smooth interior of the pot
when you need to stir constantly.

I find all sugar syrup recipes to be unreliable until I have made them
successfully 3-4 times, which is about what it takes me to learn to
recognize when it's 'done'.

Once I master a particular recipe, though, I get consistent results. I am
especially fond of my red-currant jelly, which is made of red currant juice
and sugar. (nothing else)
...... Original Message .......
On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:33:32 -0500 Bob Randall
<YearRoundGardening@comcast.net> wrote:
I don't know the answer for sure, but based on years doing marmalade, it
is possible you didn't get the boiling correct. Many recipes say this or
that about how long or much. If you didn't learn this from someone who had
it figured out, the best way is to use a "candy" thermometer which will
tell you when you have reached the jelly stage. If it still doesn't jell,
then its pectin or sugar is the problem. But for certain if you didn't get
it to the right temperature, you won't get it to harden just right. If you
do it too long, you will get something more like peanut brittle. All three
types taste good.
Bob Randall
On Aug 27, 2008, at 12:59 PM, Mark & Helen Angermayer wrote:


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
_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on web
sites.
Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have
permission!
**YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
No exceptions.
----
To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be used to change other
email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/


"Share What You Grow and What You Know!"

Bob Randall, Ph.D.
YearRoundGardening@comcast.net
713-661-9737



_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on web
sites.
Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have
permission!
**YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
No exceptions.
----
To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be
used to change other email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/
___
Ginda


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:42:44 -0700
From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Pectin jell
To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <00f901c9088d$d7270780$85751680$@org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I'm guessing you're not at altitude - there doesn't seem to be much of that
in KS.



Your jam should be done when it reaches 7 degrees above the boiling point of
water - probably 219, but may vary with barometric pressure. Regardless,
see what the thermometer you'll be using will register in boiling water,
then add 7 degrees for your jam. Visually, the jam should begin to hold its
shape in a spoon.



You may be using too much fruit, or too-ripe. If it's too ripe, you'll need
more pectin. If it's too much, you'll need less fruit. If you can find
recipes that measure the fruit by weight rather than volume, that may help.
If you're trying to perfect a recipe, weigh the fruit it calls for so you
can make educated changes and create a reliable recipe. It's not unusual to
want to vary even a successful recipe for your own conditions and taste.



If a closely followed recipe fails, you may want to try a different recipe,
rather than try to alter that one. Once you get a really good eye for
what's-gelled-to-what-point - and that's different for jams vs. jellies -
then you can vary things on your own with more confidence. It can be more
cost effective to vary small batches, so you can test your changes without a
big investment of ingredients.



Ball pectin and recipes are very consistent and work for most people for
most batches - but every home canner has his share of failures. Terminology
can be important though - a thin jam might be called a "delicious fruit
topping" rather than a "failure." Likewise, there are canners who never
know if they're making syrup or jelly until it sets up.



Lately I've become appalled at the prices of ingredients like pectin (and
baking yeast) and buy them in bulk. Here's where I get my pectin:
http://www.cattailcreekfarm.com/Baking%20Needs.htm



It's a pretty forgiving pectin, and will work for freezer or regular jams;
still, I notice differences as I vary recipes. I've been doing very small
batches using the jam setting for my bread machine. I started with the jam
recipes from Beth Hesperger's The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. She
uses the same machine I do, so the reliability of the recipes is excellent
for me - as it is in general. She likes her jams tarter and runnier than I
do; it was a simple adjustment to increase the sugar and pectin, and safe to
experiment with such small batches.



~ Stephen







From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Mark & Helen
Angermayer
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:00 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
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

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex/attachments/20080827/51c40237/attachment-0001.htm

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:45:37 -0700
From: "Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Pectin jell
To: "'North American Fruit Explorers'" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <010401c9088e$3e2cee40$ba86cac0$@org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

PS to my last post:



I kinda suspect you needed another 30 seconds boiling in addition to using
the full amount of sugar. That timing depends on fruit acidity/ripeness and
the weather, as well as pectin and sugar amounts.



~ Stephen



From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Mark & Helen
Angermayer
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:00 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
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

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex/attachments/20080827/543515fb/attachment.htm

------------------------------

_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on web sites.
Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have permission!

**YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
No exceptions.
----
To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be used to change other email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/


End of nafex Digest, Vol 67, Issue 62
*************************************



  • [NAFEX] pectin jell, Jacquelyn Kuehn, 08/29/2008

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page