Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: GrannieAnnie on July 05, 2007, 22:26

Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: GrannieAnnie on July 05, 2007, 22:26
I give up, I'm not making jam again!

Week before last I made strawberry jam, followed the recipe, fresh picked strawbs, jam sugar as they are low in pectin!!!!  Would it set???  NOPE!  So cheated in the end and helped it along with a strawberry jelly!!!!

Now, I've spent a week picking my first decent crop of blackcurrants, got almost 4lb, got preserving sugar as morrisons didn't have any other, but thought that would be okay as blackcurrants are supposed to be high in pectin, and some recipes even use just ordinary granulated sugar!

Followed the recipe, kept trying it for a set, nothing, another little boil, another little test!!!!  Nope!

But last year, my strawberry jam was if anything TOO set, you had to cut it with a knife, but used the same recipe (I think!!)
Any ideas??
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: WG. on July 05, 2007, 23:04
Certo  :!:
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: GrannieAnnie on July 05, 2007, 23:21
Mmmmm, looks like I'll have to doesn't it?  Will it be okay boiling it up again?  My book says jam can have its taste spoiled by overcooking!?

Thanks David
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: WG. on July 05, 2007, 23:53
Quote from: "grannieannie"
Mmmmm, looks like I'll have to doesn't it?  Will it be okay boiling it up again?  My book says jam can have its taste spoiled by overcooking!?
Overboiling will boil off flavour as well as water but, unless you can use runny sauce in smoothies etc, then you don't have anything to lose.

 :idea: Use some of the runny blackcurrant stuff when you pickle beetroot.  Add a sachet of gelatin (if you aren't veggie) for beetroot in blalckburrant jelly.    Eeeeees gooood!
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: dawninspain on July 06, 2007, 09:37
Do you use a jam thermometer grannie?  I find with some jams that the 'finger test' is equivocal.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Annie on July 06, 2007, 10:05
Add a few goosberries to the stawbs next time,you can`t taste the goosberries but will set well.
Title: Re: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Oscar Too on July 10, 2007, 16:55
Quote from: "grannieannie"

Any ideas??


Call it varenie, the new health sensation that is sweeping the world - Russian preserve, made with more fruit and less sugar, doesn't set, tastes fab in yoghurt or eaten with spoons before slurping your tea from a saucer.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: wildeone on July 15, 2007, 10:54
could it be that with all this rain that the fruit has an unusually high water content???  We've been strawberry picking every year for 6 years and the strawbs are VERY different this year - Softer, larger and juicer! Farm says they are the same breed but the conditions are very different
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: WG. on July 15, 2007, 11:05
Quote from: "wildeone"
could it be that with all this rain that the fruit has an unusually high water content???
I did wonder about that myself.  Provided you are following a procedure which is based on setting point / temperature and not based purely on timing, then you should be okay.  Setting point is, I believe, 105 degs C, and this can only be attained when the water content has been sufficiently reduced.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: ytyynycefn on July 15, 2007, 16:57
It's 104C to set jam, just made my first ever redcurrant (with a few strawbs, rasps and rhubabrb to make it up a bit) jelly using my shiny new (cheap off ebay) jam thermometer, and it's setting a treat  :D

It also has "soft crack" and "hard crack" marked on it - I'm hoping this is for boiling sugar rather than making class A narcotics  :roll:

As I waaaay overboiled all my jams last year (first attempt at making any, so no idea what to do), and my marrow and ginger jam tasted like marmalade, I thought it was worth making the investment in the thermometer!

I've had a go at making picalilli today as well - I got four nice cauliflowers (minus caterpillars) from my viromesh tunnel, so mixed them with courgettes, onions, french beans, radishes, kohlrabi and carrots from the plot, plus a sweet potato, as I don't have any turnips big enough.  Smells great!  8) Had a bash at pickling some lemons as well.  I've still got about 6lbs of juicy blackberries in the freezer, so they'll be turned into bramble jelly this week...

Just got to chip the boiled over stuff off the cooker now...  :oops:
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: JCA on July 15, 2007, 18:12
There's loads of pectin in citrus fruit pips or add some fresh lemon juice. I made raspberry jam a month or so ago with raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Set lovely!
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: lucywil on July 16, 2007, 09:31
i made some blackcurrant jam yesterday using the microwave recipe off this site, and i had the opposite problem, it's set too hard!! tastes good though!!
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: David. on July 16, 2007, 16:04
My wife's black cherry (very ripe and juicy)jam failed to set this morning. She didn't expect it to be a firm as normal jam, but just right for adding to yoghurt.

It's so runny that it's like bottled fruit and I was offered it for winemaking, but I've got enough pitted cherries in the freezer for that and suggested trying to remedy it tommorow.

She spoke with a local jam expert, who said that even her blackcurrant jam has failed to set this year.

I've suggested simmering to reduce the liquid, adding more sugar, extra lemon juice, gooseberries and even resorting to powdered pectin.

Any ideas for saving it?
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: mandycharlie on July 17, 2007, 16:34
I wonder if it was because the fruit was too ripe.  If the fruit is just or slightly under ripe it has more pectin in it, if its juicy and just going over it has less.

I would just keep boiling and testing.  My favourite jam disasters seem to be strawberry, which seems quite difficult to get a set with if you don't use pectin.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: David. on July 17, 2007, 17:21
Went to Tescos and bought 3 kg of jam sugar (with added pectin) and a bottle of pectin sauce.

Pitted remainder of unused cherries, heated and added failed 'jam', then added jam sugar (including extra 1lb sugar/5 lbs fruit above the book recipe - which seemed a bit low), put lemon pips in with the cherry stones in muslim bag in with fruit, etc. and added bottle of pectin (to approx 3kg of fruit in lieu 2kg a reccommended).

The 18 jars of jam (actually still hoping it will turn out as a conserve to add to yoghurt) stuck to the pan, spoon, jug, etc. are still hot, but it seems to have worked!

But does a watery, low pectin fruit year mean a bad country wine making year?

Edit after cooling down: The jars with the fruit lumps in have turned into the expected conserve, but the jars I filled last with just juice have set into a perfect 'cherry jelly'. Must be the effect of residual juice in the lumps of fruit. When we do the next batch will make sure we have a jelly bag ready!
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: GrannieAnnie on July 18, 2007, 00:03
Quote from: "dawninspain"
Do you use a jam thermometer grannie?  I find with some jams that the 'finger test' is equivocal.


Oh what an idiot i am, went to click on quote, and clicked on edit instead, then wondered why my reply ended up in your post Dawn!!!!

I did have a sugar thermometer, but I blew it up a few months ago, and as I don't get out much, (sad sod!) I haven't replaced it yet!!!!

Also, pleased to announce that the blackcurrant jam actually set itself, but after about 3 days!!


And yes, if I do have jam that doesn't set well, I call it a conserve, and have it with ice cream or plain yoghurt!!!
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: David. on July 18, 2007, 08:04
Quote from: "grannieannie"
Also, pleased to announce that the blackcurrant jam actually set itself, but after about 3 days!!

And yes, if I do have jam that doesn't set well, I call it a conserve, and have it with ice cream or plain yoghurt!!!


Sounds like I'd better wait a couple of days before sticking "Conserve" labels on.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Oliveview on July 20, 2007, 21:06
My cherry jam did not set so re-boiled it then it set fine, still lovely flavour.  Friend had some gave me 8/10 (no label on jar so deducted points) he said it was better then his wifes... didnĀ“t tell him we reboiled ours!! Even hubby kept quiet (he knew what was good for him)
Pamela (in Spain)
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Beanzie on July 25, 2007, 23:46
Quote from: "Annie"
Add a few goosberries to the stawbs next time,you can`t taste the goosberries but will set well.


Yes, I seem to remember this working in the past. Due I think to the high content of pectin in the goosegogs
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: chrissie B on August 26, 2007, 10:48
have you tryed the powdered pectin , i ysed it this year to be on the afe sied .
chrissie b
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Trillium on August 27, 2007, 01:30
A friend of mine doesn't use pectin at all, but must have a candy thermometer so it reaches the right setting stage. If you'd rather do something quicker than 30 minutes and counting, use pectin, but we tend to add more than a pkg of pectin if the fruits seem a bit watery. per load, we'll add about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pkts of pectin depending on fruit, plus we add some lemon juice to all our jams jellies to perk up the flavours and add needed setting acid.   8)
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: Lesley Jay on August 27, 2007, 14:17
Either use gooseberries or a Bramley apple to help set jam. Another way, which I haven't tried, is to add a couple of tablespoons of redcurrant juice when making strawberry jam.   With strawberries if you wash them first you are adding extra water which affects the set.
Title: My jam STILL won't set!!!
Post by: GrannieAnnie on August 27, 2007, 22:17
I've never seen powdered pectin, but have read recently how to make your own with apples, so might try that, but don't tell the OH as he won't eat anything if he knows its got apple in it!

I never wash my strawberries Lesley, as I pick them from the field down the lane where they sit on straw, and they are lovely just as they are!!!  But I will make a note of the redcurrant juice idea for next year!!

But the plum turned out just right!!!!