MAKING JAMS & JELLIES

Making Jelly

In order to make a jelly, jam or marmalade the gel must first be produced and the product must be allowed to set. Very few fruits contain sufficient amounts of pectin to produce a jelly. We compensate for this by carefully selecting fruit(s) and adding the necessary amount of sugar. This process has been in recent times largely simplified by adding commercial pectin.

The correct amount of the following substances are needed to create a gel:

Pectin

Acid

Sugar

Water

A sufficient amount of these ingredients allows for the creation of a firm and elastic jelly.

Pectin molecules are loosely connected to each other and to water particles. Sugar displays a great affinity for water and when added to juice or fruit, will try to grab some water which is bound to pectin. There must be a sufficient amount of acid in the fruit for this to occur as acid helps water molecules to break loose from pectin and connect with sugar. Water that has left the pectin structure creates spaces, which allow the pectin molecules to come closer together, and the gel is created.

Most recipes include some lemon juice, not for the taste but for better gel creation. By adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to a very sweet fruit, we can achieve a correct acidic balance.

To be sure whether the fruit juice will gel, the pectin alcohol test should be administered first. See pectin alcohol test.

Jellies are probably the most difficult products to make as they require pectin rich fruits and more attention to detail. Although all fruits contain some pectin, only crabapples, quinces, unripe kumquats (citrus tree), Damson plums, grapes, and some berries contain sufficient amounts of pectin and acid to produce a strong gel. Such fruits are of course well suited for making other jellied products too.

The main characteristics that distinguish jelly from other products are:

Jelly is made by cooking filtered juice with sugar.

It must be clear so the fruit pulp must be drained, but not pressed. Its clarity and sparkle determine quality.

Its gel must be strong enough to hold the shape of the container when removed.

Making Jam

Jam is made by cooking crushed or cut fruits with sugar. Jams and preserves are not characterised by such a firm gel structure as jellies and require a lesser amount of pectin. Thus, a larger variety of fruits can be selected for making jams. This, plus the elimination of a time consuming filtering step, makes them easier to make than jellies. Although less firm than jellies, they must still be thick enough to spread.

The processing steps for making jam and making jelly remain basically the same, with the slight difference in selecting and preparing the fruit for jellies as explained in Fruit Preparation.

Processing Steps for Making Jams and Jellies

Fruit selection and preparation

Cooking

Filling and capping

Boiling

Cooling

Storing

Fruits for Making Jam and Jelly

Top quality fruit results in top quality jams and jellies. To make a good jelly, the fruit must contain the proper amount of pectin and acid. Only few fruits contain a sufficient amount of pectin and acid to produce good jelly or jam. Other fruits may be rich in pectin but low in acid or vice versa. Such deficiencies can be compensated for by adding commercial pectin and/or acid (lemon juice, citric acid, vinegar).

Carefully selecting the same even fruit will also overcome some of the problems. It should be noted that both the pectin and acid decrease as the fruit ripens. So, using over-ripe fruit may result in a very soft gel or no gel at all. Often a combination of fully ripe and less ripe fruit is used. For example, choosing 1/4 immature apples and 3/4 fully matured ones brings a better result than choosing only fully matured fruit. The under ripe fruit provides pectin and acid and the mature fruit gives flavor and colour.

The fruits are grouped according to their pectin and acid content:

Pectin rich fruits: crabapples, sour apples, lemons, partially ripened oranges, Kumquat, pomegranate, cranberries, partially ripened grapes, damson plums, sour cherries, melons, quinces.

Pectin poor fruits: peaches, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, pineapple, rhubarb, grapefruit, guavas. Low pectin in these fruits can be compensated for by adding some green apple, apple pectin stock, or orange pectin stock.

High acid fruits: currants, raspberries, crabapples and grapes.

Low acid fruits: pears, peaches, blueberries and sweet apples, sweet cherries, melons.

Strawberries and apricots contain sufficient acid, but are low in pectin. Peaches, pears and figs are generally low in both acid and pectin.

The preferred fruits for making jelly: crabapples, sour apples, sour berries, sour cherries, grapes, Kumquats, and cranberries. These fruits contain sufficient amounts of pectin and acid to gel. At first look it might seem that the finished product will have an acidic taste, but let's not forget that a considerable amount of sugar will be added, making the product delicious and of the proper texture.

A concentrated apple juice can be made by cooking down the juice obtained from crushed apples. It is commonly referred to as boiled cider and it can be used in many recipes. Boiled cider contains solid particles and enough acid to be easily preserved. Many fruit juices are not easy to obtain so it is practical to make concentrated juices from such fruits for future use.

Frozen and Canned Fruits

Frozen or canned fruits/juices can be used to make jellied products. One may want to make a jellied product from a fruit that is not available in his area or he may have an abundance of fruit on his farm. Such fruit can be frozen or canned for later use. Commercially canned or frozen fruits are made from fully ripe fruit and may contain insufficient amounts of pectin to produce gel. In such a case commercial pectin should be added. Commercial products without added sugar should be selected. If you freeze or can your own fruit, try to select 1/4 under ripe and 3/4 fully ripe. This assures you a sufficient pectin amount to produce gel.

Crabapple - is sometimes called wild apple, since the trees and fruit have a more wild look. As a general rule, crabapple trees are smaller than regular apple trees, and they may develop twisted, gnarled branches and thorns. The small fruits may be yellow to red when ripe, and they often grow in dense clusters. The flavor is sour and tart, much like biting into a lemon. The place where crabapples shine best is crabapple jelly. The small fruits are high in pectin, and when they are cooked with sugar, they develop a rich, flavorful, very tart ruby red jelly which is quite pleasing. Crabapple jelly may be used on its own or combined with other fruits.

Damson plum - Damsons were first cultivated in antiquity in the area around the ancient city of Damascus, capital of modern-day Syria, and were introduced into England by the Romans. Today this lovely plum can be found not only in the Middle East and Eastern Europe but it is also grown in Western Europe, Great Britain, and the US. These plums are usually oval in shape and have a dark purple skin. In the past, their skins were used to create dyes. Today, they are most commonly used to make jams and a plum brandy known as slivovitz.

Quince - is related to apples and pears, and has a pear shaped fruit, which is bright golden yellow when mature. Most varieties of quince are hard and sour, but they are great for making jams and jellies. The flesh of the fruit turns red after a long cooking time. This means that they can be added to jams to enhance the flavor.

Kumquat - the fruit looks like a small orange. The fruit is small and usually round but can be oval shaped. The peel has a sweet flavor but the fruit is sour. The fruit can be eaten raw but is mainly used to make marmalade and jelly.

Selecting and Preparing Fruits for Jellies

The best fruits for making jellies contain sufficient amounts of pectin and acid. Crabapples, sour apples preferably, not over matured, sour berries (not blueberries), sour cherries, grapes, citrus fruits and cranberries. These are not sweet fruits and at first look it might seem than the finished product might have a sourly taste, but let's not forget that a considerable amount of sugar will be added making the product delicious and of proper texture.

Fruit Preparation

Wash fruit and discard any damaged parts. Remove stem and blossom ends. Do not remove skins, pits, seeds and cores as these contain most pectin. They will be filtered, anyhow.

Juice Extraction

Place fruit into a pot and add a little water:

Chop hard fruits like apples into smaller pieces and add around 1 cup of water per pound of fruit.

Crush soft fruit like raspberries or grapes to start the flow of juice and add only enough water to prevent scorching.

Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a gentle boil.

Apples and hard fruits - 20-25 minutes

Berries and grapes - 10 minutes

Excess boiling destroys pectin and affects flavor and colour.

Filtering

The boiled pulp is pressed through a strainer and filtered through a jelly bag or through a colander which is lined up with two or more thicknesses of a cheese cloth.

Pour the mixture into a damp jelly bag and let it drain for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Do not press or squeeze the bag as this will affect the clarity of the jelly. That will prevent any larger fruit particles from leaking through and will produce a cleaner jelly. One pound of fruit will generally produce 1 cup of juice.

The remaining pulp may be recombined with a little water and boiled again to produce more pectin. In a factory the pH (acidity) value, pectin content, and soluble solids content of the juice is calculated by analysis. In home production we have to rely on simpler tests.

Estimating the Amount of Pectin

For jellies made without added pectin it is necessary to know whether juice contains enough natural pectin to form a gel. Test the juice for pectin. If the juice satisfies the test, the juice will gel. See below.

Cooking

Jams and jellies are cooked to proper density which is verified by the thermometer or spoon-sheet test. A rule of thumb dictates that no more than 8 cups of juice or fruit should be processed at one time. This requires a large deep pan or skillet so that the juice will not boil over and evaporation will be fast.

The mixture of fruit, sugar and water (if any) is brought to a boil, then it is boiled rapidly until a jellying point is obtained. During this procedure the mixture has to be stirred frequently. The amount of sugar in finished jams and jellies is usually around 65%.

Place juice in a large pot, apply slow heat and add 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of juice. Stir until sugar dissolves, then apply more heat and boil rapidly (don't simmer), stirring often, to jellying point. Test for completion.

During cooking some foaming can be expected, which is normal. The foam itself is edible. Foaming can be decreased by adding a little butter.

Until enough experience is gained, it is difficult to kfidence can be built to rely on the spoon-sheet test alone.

One of the reason that people make products that do not jell is because they want to use less sugar than the recipe calls for. You have to accept the fact that jams and jellies need plenty of sugar, otherwise they will not gel. The only remedy is to use commercially prepared pectin for making low sugar or no sugar products.s the foam was able to trap some air inside. That could create conditions for mold to grow.

Determining the cooking endpoint

To obtain a high quality product the cooking end point temperature should be controlled. Products made at home very often are overcooked. A correct amount of pectin, acid, sugar and juice will produce a strong gel and the right texture of the finished product. This will be also influenced by the cooking endpoint. Slow boiling weakens pectin, darkens the colour and imparts the flavor of caramelized sugar. Traditionally made products were often overcooked as the doneness of the product was usually checked by the spoon test alone.

Until enough experience is gained, it is difficult to know when the jelly is done. After using the thermometer and spoon-sheet tests a few times, enough confidence can be built to rely on the spoon-sheet test alone.

One of the reason that people make products that do not jell is because they want to use less sugar than the recipe calls for. You have to accept the fact that jams and jellies need plenty of sugar, otherwise they will not gel. The only remedy is to use commercially prepared pectin for making low sugar or no sugar products.

Pectin and Jelling Tests

Pectin test determines whether juice contains enough natural pectin to form a gel.

Jelmeter test

A jelmeter is a graduated glass tube with an opening at each end. It is used to determine the amount of pectin in fruit juice. The rate of flow of the juice through this tube is used as a measure of the jellying power of the juice. Therefore, it is an index to the amount of sugar to be used. Jelmeters were once commonly available, but are not easy to find today, most likely because the alcohol test is more reliable.

Alcohol test (extracted juice only)

One teaspoon cooked, cooled juice is mixed with 1 Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) denatured alcohol (70% rubbing alcohol, not safe for drinking). The mixture is briefly shaken inside of a container and then poured onto the plate.

Juice rich with pectin will form a solid jelly-like substance that is dense enough to be lifted with a fork.

Juice low in pectin will form small particles of jelly-like substance that is significantly weaker.

If the juice contains a little pectin, more can be added by:

Adding juice from high pectin fruit, usually apples. This is usually done using a hot extraction method.

Adding home prepared pectin from apples or citrus fruit.

Adding commercial pectin (powdered or liquid). If the pectin test is satisfactory, the juice is mixed with sugar, cooked, and filled into jars. Upon cooling, the jelly will form.

Cooking Test (jellies only)

In a small pot combine 1/3 of juice and 1/4 cup of sugar. Heat slowly to dissolve sugar, then boil mixture rapidly until it satisfies the spoon test. Pour the jelly into a small jar and let cool. If the mixture gels, the fruit juice will produce jelly.

Thermometer Test (jellies, jams, marmalades, preserves)

Insert candy thermometer into cooking jelly or jam and take the reading. The "done" temperature should be 8° F higher than the boiling water temperature at this elevation level. At sea level the "done" temperature will be 220° F, at higher altitudes the "done" temperature will be lower. For example in Denver, Colorado (5200 ft above sea level) water boils at a lower temperature so the "done" temperature is also lower.

Spoon sheet test (jellies only)

Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling mixture and raise it to eye level. This should take the spoon out of the steam. Turn the spoon to see how the syrup runs off the side. A beginner may take a few readings so it is best to remove the pan from heat to avoid overcooking the jelly. The syrup should form two drops that should join together and fall off slowly as one sheet at the bottom of the spoon. When this happens the syrup should contain the appropriate pectin and sugar combination.

Refrigerator test (jellies, jams, marmalades, preserves)

Place a small amount of boiling jelly on a cold metal plate. Put it into the freezer for a few minutes, then take it out. If the jelly gels, it is done. Remove the pan from the heat during the test to avoid overcooking the jelly.

Refractometer test (jellies, jams, marmalades, preserves)

It is necessary to cool the sample of jam or jelly to room temperature 68° F (20° C). A small portion of boiling jam is removed and placed in a suitable metal container which is closed and submerged in cool water. When the sample has cooled it is mixed thoroughly and smeared over the refractometer prism. Then the reading is taken. During that time the jam continues cooking so the sample reading should be performed relatively fast in order not to overcook the preserve. There are refractometers which will accept a hot sample of jam or jelly.

Test for Acid in Fruit Juice

This test relies on tasting a fruit juice and comparing the tartness of the juice to that of a sample.

The sample: a mixture of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 3 Tablespoons of water. If the juice compares favorably with a sample, there is a sufficient amount of acid for a strong gel. If the juice is not as tart, add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (or 1/8 teaspoon citric acid) per cup of juice and repeat the test.

If the amount of pectin was unknown, or no recipe was available, the traditional recommendation was to add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of juice. This often resulted in an overly sweet product. The latest trend is to add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of juice.

Filling

Jams and jellies should be filled when they are still hot (over 180° F). Remove jelly from the heat supply and skim off any foam (it is edible). Fill hot jam into hot sterilized glass jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe off the rim of the glass jar clean and place a hot lid on the jar with the sealing compound facing glass. Screw the metal ring down fingertip tight.

The traditional process for making jellies would usually stop right here. The glass would be inverted for 5 minutes and if no leaks would be visible, the jar would be placed in its normal upright position to cool down. This method served us well for centuries but the closure was occasionally not vacuum tight. That allowed molds to grow on top of jelly. Usually the mold will be skimmed off and the jelly would be deemed fit for consumption.

However, recent research has determined that some molds may produce toxins, and therefore, any molds should be avoided. To create a vacuum and remove the air which is crucial for the development of molds, jellied products should be processed in a hot water bath. High temperatures will kill any mold spores that could have sneaked in from the air during the filling process. This removes air and creates a much tighter seal.

The cooking step kills molds which were originally present in a juice or fruit mixture, but new molds may enter when the jars are filled. Processing filled glass jars in boiling hot water eliminates those new molds.

Preparing jars for filling

Wash glass jars in hot soapy water and rinse. There are two methods of preparing canning jars for filling and heating:

1. Sterilize the jars and lids by boiling them for 10 minutes and hold them in hot water until they are ready to use.

2. Keep clean (not sterilized jars) in hot water to prevent them from breaking when filled with the hot product. If the jars are cold, the glass is submitted to a thermal shock and might break.

Use a jar lifter to pick them up from the canner. Hook the jar lifter below the screw band of the lid and keep it upright at all times. Tilting the glass jar may spill contents into the sealing area of the lid.

Fill the jars using a ladle or just pour the product down.

Allow for 1/4" headspace. The headspace is the space between the top of the jellied product and the inside of the lid. Too much headspace results in a lot of trapped air under the seal and the heating process may not be long enough to expel all the air. This may allow molds to grow, affect the color of the product or weaken the seal. Too little space may force the product to boil out, leave particles of product under the sealing compound and prevent the formation of the seal.

Remove air by running a plastic knife or spatula around the edges of the jar, gently shifting the jelly. This will release any trapped air.

Capping

The capping process follows the filling and should be performed without any delay. The product should be capped as hot as possible, which ensures a sterile package and a higher vacuum. This in turn leaves less air in a container and creates a stronger seal.

Wipe off the rim of the jar clean and place a hot lid on the jar with the sealing compound facing glass. Screw the metal ring down fingertip tight. Do not apply excessive force when tightening the bands as this might prevent the air from escaping during heating and no vacuum will be formed. The resulting pressure may deform lids and prevent them from sealing properly.

Place the filled, closed, hot jars on a canning rack and transfer to a canner filled with hot water for heat processing.

Boiling

The traditional process of making jams and jellies ended usually with a cooking step. The jars were filled, turned upside down for 5 minutes to check the seal, and the product was cooled and stored. Theoretically, all molds should have been destroyed during cooking, but it was discovered that some fresh molds could enter the jar during the filling operation. The traditional process did not create a strong vacuum inside and there was air available for molds to grow. To prevent molds from growing, a short heating process is employed now. The increased pressure inside the jar forces the air out and prevents air loving molds from growing. This creates a vacuum inside which results in a strong seal.

Add more hot water to the water bath canner (if needed) to raise the water level 2 inches over the tops of the jars. Place the cover on and bring the water to a rolling boil.

Bring the water to a boil and process:

Sterilized jars for 5 minutes.

Not sterilized jars for 10 minutes. Those extra five minutes will sterilize them and create a vacuum at the same time.

High pressure inside the jars forces the air out what can be observed in the form of bubbles raising up to the surface.

Processing time is counted from the moment the water reaches a rolling boil. Note that those times are calculated at sea level. For an altitude of 1000 feet or more, add 1 minute of boiling time. Take note that boiling jars for 10 minutes might result in a weaker gel, so it is recommended to always sterilize jars before filling and processing them for 5 minutes only.

The heating source is switched off and after a few minutes the canning rack with jars is removed.

Cooling

After the boiling process, jams and jellies should be cooled as fast as possible without breaking the glass. This results in the brighter colour and the fresher flavor of the product. Remove the canning rack with jars from the pot and place it on a towel. Do not tighten the screw bands. Cool for 12 hours or overnight. It is important not to disturb a jelly while a setting process is in progress, otherwise the jelly strength and texture will be weakened. Using large quart size jars can result in a weaker gel, due to slow cooling.

The canning jars are removed from the canning rack and allowed to sit undisturbed for 12 hours. During this cooling period the gel sets in and the strong seal develops.

Storing Jams and Jellies

Store jams and jellies in a cool, dry and dark place. When the canning jars have cooled down the screw bands are removed. Due to humidity they may rust during storage making them difficult to remove. The bands do not form the seal, the canning lids do. Remove the screw bands, wash, dry and store them until needed again. Check seals.

A canning jar is properly sealed if the lid is curved down or remains so when pressed. If it springs back and makes a clicking sound it is not properly sealed. Improperly sealed jars can be reprocessed within 24 hours using a new sterilized lid by boiling in them hot water for 5 minutes. If they are not remade, they should be refrigerated and used within 1 month.

Fresh unprocessed lid has a little curved up nipple in the middle.

Heat processed and properly sealed lid is curved down.

Label jars and date them. Store in a cool, dry, dark place, between 50° and 70° F. They should keep well for at least one year, although their flavor and quality begins to decrease in time.