North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

The bwb shouldn't effect set - it just helps preserve by destroying
microorganisms.

The fridge test works for jam or jelly: spoon preserves onto a chilled
saucer, fridge a minute, then see if it seems firm and wrinkles when you
push it from the side.

When using pectin, try to be sure of measures and then follow the
recommended boiling time; you shouldn't need a temperature check or other
test if you follow the recipe exactly.  The temperature check that's used
for preserves made without added pectin is 8 degrees above the boiling
temperature for water for jelly, or 7 degrees above the boiling temperature
for water for jam. 

I still can't recommend doubling a recipe.  Master food preservers (I'm not
one anymore) are instructed to just say no to that... but if you do anyway,
do, measure the lemon juice but weigh your sugar, fruit (prepared as per the
recipe - chopped, whole, pureed, whatever - but changing that changes the
weight of the fruit per volume), and pectin (the pectin should be easy -
you'll probably be doubling packages), and when you have a really reliable
single batch method, double it; better yet, search for a larger
tried-and-true recipe.  You might have more luck finder larger-batch recipes
of preserves without added pectin; those are the ones where you'll want to
turn to a thermometer until you get a feel for them.  

You should follow the same timing, including the timing for the boiling
water bath - usually 5 minutes for cherry, peach, or raspberry jam, but
check your recipe. Larger jars will require longer processing, btw.

~ Stephen

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Kehler Ewing
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 9:09 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] (no subject)

I forgot to mention that I also water bath can all my jam for 10 minutes in
boiling water.  That worked fine (obviously!) for sour cherry and raspberry
jams this year and sour cherry, strawberry and nanking cherry jams last
year.
I have never made peach jam at all before: they don't grow here and are
usually an expensive jam option.

I did try gel tests with all but the first batch (assumed since the sour
cherry and raspberry worked with the alterations that the double batch of
peach would too!) and they worked fine... in the fridge and the freezer, but
not in the jars!  I may just have to try weighing a single batch of chopped
fruit and then measuring how many cups it makes when mashed and then proceed
to double the batch from there.  I am unfamiliar with the posts on cooking
pectin+fruits to a certain temperature and may also have to explore that
avenue.




      

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