Jams, jellies and preserves are foods with many textures, flavors, and colors. They all consist of fruits preserved mostly by means of sugar and they are thickened or jellied to some extent.
Can I re-cook my jam and add water to make it less thick?
Janet from Evesham, England
Just reheat it, then slowly stir in water a teaspoon at a time until it is the right consistency. No need to cook it over again.
Hi there.
I once had jam that turned out too thick...so I added
a little apple juice (concentrated), reheated it and it
was great.
Hope this helps you.
Julia in Orlando, FL
Thanks for your help, I have already thinned one jar and will do the rest soon, it worked a treat.
I recently made several batches of peach jam. In one batch all the jars had a peachy color liquid layer at the bottom of about 1/2 inch. Also the jam is a slightly liquidy. Is the jam edible and what happened?
Is it actually canned? Or wax on top? If canned, I would stir it up and use it on pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. If waxed, I would put it back in a pan and boil it until it thickens. Or, boil for several minutes to thicken it somewhat and kill any germs, then use it as a topping.
If it has simply been refrigerated, either of the above would work.
Did you use pectin? Did you make any changes in the recipe -- like use less sugar? I don't think there is anything wrong with your jam. It just sounds as if there was not enough pectin in the last batch. I always use Certo -- either liquid or crystals, but any brand will do I think, and my jam is always fine. You could do as the last poster suggested and use it as a peach syrup, or you could re-do it using pectin. There are recipes for fixing jam that did not set included with the pectin. Another thought I have is that this particular batch was juicier for some reason, and therefore required more cooking if you did not use pectin, or perhaps was so juicy that it required more pectin than ordinary. Whatever, the jam is edible. It will taste the same -- just isn't quite as solid.
How long ago did you make the jam? It sometimes takes 2-3 weeks to set up. Since it is still liquid and slightly separated, if it is properly sealed (boiling water bath) just invert the jars for a week or so and see what happens.
This practice is not considered safe anymore. ThriftyFun recommends using modern canning techniques instead.
Cook prunes and remove seeds, pour 2 cups water over seeds and let stand 1 hour. Strain. Combine this liquid with that in which prunes were cooked.
Is it true that jelly and jam will not set when it is raining? I will be using commercial pectin.
By amy from Los Angeles
I don't think it does. I use to make it anytime I needed to, good luck.
I have never had a problem but you may need to cook the juice longer. Also I don't follow the directions on the pectin which says boil for one minute.
I recently made a batch of sour cherry jam that didn't set right.
If you have a stainless steel or ceramic pitcher (anything not aluminum), you can use it to pour the jam into the jars, even small ones, without spilling! Works great and a real time-saver.
I have been given a lot of rhubarb and thought I would make some jam. What I would like to know is can you use powdered gelatin instead of pectin? Many thanks. Helen xxx
By helen from U.K
I wouldn't. Gelatin contains protein which can grow bacteria quite nicely and make you very sick. In canning proteins are canned with pressure and I think it would ruin the gelatin.
I did some research, check below. I knew NO was the answer for interchangeable but went for the reason why.
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Here is what foodsubs.com says about pectin
pectin Equivalents: 2 tablespoons liquid pectin = 4 teaspoons powdered pectin Pronunciation: PECK-tin Notes: In order to make preserves like jams and jellies, you normally cook together fruit, acid, sugar, and pectin, a substance found in certain fruits that gels when heated. Some fruits, like quinces, gooseberries, tart apples, and sour plums, contain enough natural pectin that they'll thicken all by themselves into preserves. Others, like cherries and some berries, need an extra boost to firm up. Jam recipes for pectin-deficient fruit normally call for liquid or powdered pectin, which you can find among the baking supplies in most supermarkets. The recipes usually specify what brand of pectin to use, and it's not a good idea to substitute one brand for another, since they have different formulas. Some brands (like Sure Jell and Certo) need acid and sugar to set, some (like Sure Jell for Low Sugar Recipes) need acid and just a little sugar to set, some (like Pomona's Universal Pectin or Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell Fruit Pectin) don't need any sugar to set. Liquid pectin contains sulfite, which can cause an allergic reaction in people with sulfite sensitivites, but powdered pectin does not.
and here is what they say about gelatin
gelatin = animal jelly = gelatine = unflavored gelatin = unflavored gelatine Pronunciation: JELL-uh-tin Equivalents: One envelope of plain granulated gelatin = 1/4 ounce = 1 tablespoon, enough to gel two cups liquid. 4 sheets leaf gelatin = 1 envelope granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon granulated gelatin Notes: Gelatin is flavorless and colorless, and if you dissolve it in a hot liquid, the liquid will gel as it cools. When reheated, say in your mouth, the gel melts. Most of us know gelatin as the key ingredient in the quivering dessert we call Jell-O, but cooks also use it to make cheesecakes, mousses, marshmallows, meringues, chiffon pies, ice cream, nougats, aspics, and many other things. Gelatin will break down if exposed to the enzymes of certain raw fruits, like kiwi fruit, papayas, pineapple, peaches, mangos, guavas, and figs. Cooking these fruits, though, destroys the enzymes. If you plan to add these fruits to a gelatin salad, it's often easiest to buy them in cans, for all canned fruit is pre-cooked. Gelatin is made from the bones, skins, hooves, and connective tissue of animals, including pigs, so it's objectionable to vegetarians and members of certain religions. Kosher gelatins are available, and some of these are also vegetarian. Substitutes: agar (A good choice for vegetarians.) OR guar gum OR carrageen OR arrowroot
My guess after reading this, is no they aren't interchangeable.
Posting again. There are many recipes out there that you use strawberry jello in making jams. They are not processed jams but the kind kept in the fridge and eaten shortly. Check for those recipes.
Last year I boiled and boiled black/marionberry juice added Sure Jell pectin in 1 recipe and Certo fruit pectin in another. I got lots of syrup. Can I use Knox unflavored gelatin and how?
Start with enough strawberries to make 3-4 cups mashed berries and 3 cups sugar. Place these ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well to dissolve sugar, cover, and let sit overnight or at least 8 hours.
Today I did not have enough crab apple juice to make the jelly I wanted, so I took blackberries, squeezed them with my hands to get the juice and combined the two to get the proper amount required.
