Homemade Jam Questions

[Savin' Moola]

I tried to make orange marmalade and it just would not thicken. I even went to the store and bought some pectin and that didn't even thicken it. It looked just like orange soup. Has this ever happened to anyone? What happened?

Laurie-Maine

Date: Fri Jun 21, 2002 9:14 am
Subject: Jam Question

[Savin' Moola]

> I tried to make orange marmalade and it just would
> not thicken. I even went to the store and bought
> some pectin and that didn't even thicken it. It
> looked just like orange soup. >

Laurie,
Chances are you didn't let it cook down enough. Here
is a non-pectin Orange Marmalade recipe from Ball.

2 C. thinly sliced orange peel (about 10 medium)
1 quart chopped orange pulp (about 10 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced lemon (about 2 medium(
1 1/2 quarts water
Sugar (about 6 cups)
Add water to fruit and simmer 5 minutes. Cover and
let stand 12-18 hours in a cool place. Cook rapidly
until peel is tender, about 1 hour. Measure fruit and
liquid. Add 1 cup sugar for each cup of fruit
mixture. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar
dissolves. Cook rapidly to jellying point, about 25
minutes. As mixture thickens, stir occasionally
toprevent sticking. Pour hot into hot jars , leaving
1/4-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes
in boiling water bath. Yeild: about 7 half pints.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind if
this is the first time that you have made jams. First
and foremost there time frame for reaching the
jellying point is under ideal conditions. If it is
humid it will take longer, be patient and keep
stirring. Sometimes it is a matter of having the heat
up just a tad bit more. I have found that it is best
to make jams in a "jam/jelly" pot. Makes it go much
faster as opposed to a regular pot. In order to check
the jellying point, put a metal spoon in the freezer
to chill it, dip into the jam/jelly, when your jam is
at the jellying point it will sheet or flake off of
your spoon (think solid). hth
Marva

[Savin' Moola]

A jam/jelly pot is normally sold at hardware/wal-marts
etc. They are wider on top then on the bottom and are
round. The last one I bought I got at Wal-Mart,
unfortunetly it was one of those things that didn't
make the move with me, so I will have to go buy
another one this year. hth
Marva

[Savin' Moola]

--- In Budget101_@y..., "Sheila Kyer" <ferretslave@e...> wrote:
> For those of you who routinely make your own jam/jelly, could you
please post your favorite recipes and the canning instructions.

Shelia, this is a 'jelly' recipe, but not for toast! We make this
periodically throughout the year as a glaze for chicken (and serve it
over fresh spinach leaves - the kids love it!) The original recipe
is from Recipe Source; my modifications are below.

* Exported from MasterCook *

RED PEPPER JELLY

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Spices
Jams

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
5 To 6 red bell peppers
1 c Cider vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
5 1/2 c Sugar
1 t Salt
1 t Chili powder
6 oz Liquid pectin

Makes eight eight-oz. jars.

Wash and seed peppers; chop in food processor or grind
in blender or meat grinder. Add enough pepper pulp to
the vinegar and lemon juice to make four cups. Mix in
a large kettle with sugar, salt, and chili powder.
Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add liquid pectin. Return to heat
and boil hard for 1 minute; turn heat down to simmer.
Stir and skim off foam for 5 minutes more as mixture
boils gently. Pack in hot sterilized 8-ounce jars;
seal and let cool on counter top. Store in
refrigerator up to 1 year.

We add a 1/4" piece of grated fresh ginger root, 1/2 tsp ground
cloves and 1/2 tsp hot pepper powder (we use our home grown
habeneros) to ours and substitute lime juice for the lemon juice.
We've also substituted powdered pectin for the liquid with good
results. It sets up semi-soft.

I pack it into half-pint and the little 4 oz decorative jars and
process mine in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

I searched for this recipe for several years after having chicken
made with it in one of those 'hotsy-totsy' restaurants.

Roben Skillman
Designs by Roben

[kdog539]

My strawberry jam came out like strawberry syrup and didn't set up. Is that because I didn't cook it long enough?