Thank you!
If you make jam with SureJell Lite or DutchJel Lite & it doesn’t set you can put it back in the pot, bring it back to a boil & add more pectin. Although usually when I have a batch that doesn’t set i make a couple new batches & add half 9f the old batch with additional pectin to the new batches.
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Perfect! Thanks. I made a small test batch to experiment with.
Thank you!
This was the “apricot juice” part of my recipe. I added a few chopped aji amarillo and yellow scotch bonnets when making the juice, and later, “as needed” to get the heat right.
I re-made it using the chart in the earlier Ling, with surejell for no or low sugar recipes, but I also added a little vinegar, a pinch of salt, and almost 1 cup sugar with 3 cups juice.
A softish set, and not quite clear, but I think it’s alright .
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Sorry for the delay and thanks for your patience @shrinkrap. Here is a link to the recipe I use. The only change is that I add jalapeños - about 5 large ones, 3 Serrano, and usually 2 Habanero. I typically leave all seeds and veins in, and it comes out about right, heat-wise. Just hooked DD2 up with a fresh jar from the pantry stash today. She begs for it.
https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/063268/surejell-sweet-pepper-relish
I whir things up in the FP, but I don’t purée it. I leave some small chunks and texture to it.
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Raspberry Jam from this past week, using local berries. Turned out really well. Pictured are 8 pints, and 9 half pints. Two 1/2’s were given away earlier, and two partial jars are in the refrigerator. Had some on homemade scones for breakfast, but forgot to take a pic.
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12 more jars of Greek Monastery Sauce AKA Greek style tomato sauce from garden tomatoes. A combination of heirloom, Roma, and a couple other varieties. So sweet and flavorful. We’re at 21 pints now and counting. Have more picked early due to stormy weather, as well as green ones still on the vine. Probably will be processing at least a couple more batches of this sauce. A pretty good cro this year, but not like some years. Can’t complain.
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Nice! You seem to have had a good season and the energy and motivation to go with!
My latest batch of pepper jelly has not yet set up as firmly as I would like. Some references say to give it days! Why would that be? I’ll be researching pectin.
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Yes, energy and motivation are good things! As well as nature’s bounty. It is true that jams and jellies can firm up over time, but not quite sure why. You could always leave as is, and if it hasn’t set up to your satisfaction, you could reduce it in a pan, further. You may not want to do that if gifting though. Will keep fingers crossed for you…
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A friend of mine calls poorly set jam “ice cream topping”.
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Yes & also good as syrup, mixed together with maple syrup and heated. Or syrup on its own, heated with a little water or juice.
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It did eventually set up enough to be spreadable, but not as firmly as I’d like. I’ll probably just leave it. I have another batch to make!
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which pectin did you use? For gifting, which therefore implies water bath processing, I still use Certo, for its consistent results. For at home use, I prefer Pomona’s so that I can use less sugar. And for small batches, I don’t bother with pectin, but reduce fairly quickly in a skillet.
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Thank you!
I think I used Sure Jell light this time. I used Certo liquid for pepper jelly (not jam) at first; it is consistent, and it seems to be the one in most pepper jelly recipes. Later I tried Pomona, and last year Dutch Gel.
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Strawberry lemon purée jam…equal quantities by weight, 1 lb. each of strawberries and lemon purée plus 2 cups of sugar makes for a very flavorful jam. The lemons are pressure cooked in water to cover for five minutes. Then cooled, seeds removed and puréed with one cup cooking liquid and one cup sugar. I then added to the blender, cut up strawberries that had been macerating in sugar and puréed/chopped . Process however you like, it makes a thick spreadable jam with a vibrant color.
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Do you cook the strawberry and lemon purée together before jarring? I wonder how the jam is after several months… i.e., does it separate?
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The strawberries/sugar are added to the lemon purée in the blender and are mixed together and then cooked. I have never had a separation as I’ve made them previously. Using the entire lemon also provides a lot of pectin. I just made a raspberry/lemon combination, in this case , I used 12 oz. of raspberries, 150g. sugar to one pound of Meyer lemons. I mixed the lemon purée with the macerated raspberries and then cooked as usual.
Very interesting technique! Does the pressure cooking remove some of the bitterness from the pith?
