[cheshirecheese]

I made some Grape Jelly yesterday from the grapes we grow for shade in the greenhouse.  After the usual process of cooking/mashing and then straining it through a jelly bag overnight, I added it to the preserving pan with the requisite amount of jam sugar (the sort with pectin) and lemon juice.  However, despite allowing it to bubble for five minutes at well over the 105 degrees setting point, I've come to the leftover jelly that I'd put in a ramekin in the fridge this morning to discover it's not set!  I don't understand it, because the little that was left on the spoon and the ladle seemed to be setting fine, but obviously the bulk of it didn't.   

What's the best thing to do?  Is it sufficient to empty all the jars back into the preserving pan and boil it some more before doing a wrinkle test (which I obviously should have done yesterday!), or should I buy some Certo and add that ... and if so, how much?  It was a large batch - 3 litres of juice after straining, and I used the usual ratio of 450g jam sugar to every 600ml of juice.  Thank you 

[chrissie B]

Ive had this problem with other jams , not made jelly yet and i reboiled it all after it had been bottled i did loose a small amount having to steralise the jars again but i did have sime jam once that took couple of days and it set .
chrissie b

[mumofstig]

Did you follow a recipe or just use the 'standard' ratio for juice/jam sugar?

Too much water, not enough sugar, lemon or pectin could all effect the set.

[cheshirecheese]

Did you follow a recipe or just use the 'standard' ratio for juice/jam sugar?

I used a recipe from the BBC Good Food website, which used the ratio of 450g jam sugar (with pectin) to 600g of grapes plus the juice of a lemon (which I then multiplied up to the correct amount).  Our grapes are full of pips, which is obviously good for the pectin levels. 

The recipe us very simple - you tip the grapes into the preserving pan, leave them to cook gently for about ten minutes until the juices start to run, then mash them from time to time with a potato masher, cooking for a further fifteen minutes.  Everything is then tipped into a jelly bag and left to strain through overnight before putting back into the pan with the lemon juice and jam sugar.

My gut feeling is to add Certo, but the question is, how much?!

[cheshirecheese]

Ive had this problem with other jams , not made jelly yet and i reboiled it all after it had been bottled i did loose a small amount having to steralise the jars again but i did have sime jam once that took couple of days and it set .
chrissie b

That's interesting, Chrissie - I'll leave it till Sunday and see what happens (although I suspect the answer will be 'not a lot'!!). 

[mumofstig]

This 'how to remake soft jelly' - gives several ways to put it right 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/remake_soft_jelly.html

Obviously we don't heat treat the jars as they do in America - so you can ignore that bit 

[cheshirecheese]

This 'how to remake soft jelly' - gives several ways to put it right 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/remake_soft_jelly.html

Obviously we don't heat treat the jars as they do in America - so you can ignore that bit 

Thanks for this, MoS ... however, I'm not sure I really want to add any more sugar!  Is it possible just to add Certo and reboil before re-potting in sterilised jars?

[mumofstig]

I'm sorry, but I don't know 

[Norfolkgrey]

http://certo.co.uk/grape-jelly/ on the basis it says 1/2 bottle of certo to 1130ml of juice you would need a bottle and a bit. Sorry I can't be more helpful I am having issues at the moment with quince jelly - it took two days to go from syrup to snot after reboiling with certo  I have also lost faith in jam sugar but my first attempt of using taste + smile pectin wasn't very good either. I will succeed 

[snowdrops]

In my  Jams,Pickles & Chutneys book by Marguerite Patten this is what she gives for grape jelly
3lb ripe black grapes
1/4pt water
31/4lb sugar
3tblsp lemon joice
1 bottle commercial pectin
Crush fruit with water,bring to boil,simmer for 10 mins
Place in jelly bag
Measure sugar,lemon juice & 1 &1/4 pts grape juice
Does that help?

[cheshirecheese]

Thank you to everyone for the various replies, and to Snowdrops for the M Patten recipe ... although I can't imagine why she'd want to add water, because there's plenty of juice from the grapes!  However, I think the fact she uses a whole bottle of liquid pectin says something.  It's strange, because it's not the first time I've made the recipe I quoted earlier, and I've not had this problem before (although admittedly, it's usually what you might call a 'soft' set). 

Ah well, I'll just have to resort to the Certo, and hope I don't overdo it and end up with grape-flavoured rubber!!  I'll do as Chrissie B suggests and wait a couple of days just in case it decides to play the game, but assuming I have to go with the Certo, I'll report back after the weekend.

[Mrs Bee]

Hi Cheshire, how are things with you apart from the non setting jelly.

marguerite Patten will set you right.

When I was given a loads of grapes I froze them until the Autumn and then  I cooked them with some cooking apples. It gave a good set without using jam sugar or pectin.

[cheshirecheese]

Hello to you too!  The sun is shining, so things are fine thanks - hope the same goes for you.

As for the Grape Jelly, I contacted Certo's boffin and he's suggested heating it up again and adding half a bottle to start off with.  He reckons that should do it (even for the quantity involved), but if it still doesn't pass the wrinkle test, I should put the rest in.  So, I shall give that a go this afternoon and see how I get on. 

[cheshirecheese]

Well, this has been a right carry on, as my grandmother used to say!   

I emptied all the jars of non-set jelly into the preserving pan, then washed and sterilised them all again along with the lids.  I added half a bottle of Certo to the pan and brought it to a rolling boil for five minutes as advised by Certo - still wasn't wrinkling properly in the fridge test.  I therefore added most of the second half of the bottle and tried again ... at last I had my wrinkles and therefore my set, but the colour now has a decidedly brownish tinge, which makes me very sad.  It was such a beautiful purple colour when I set out to rescue it! 

Ah well, what will be, will be.  Hopefully it will enhance roast dinners with chicken, gammon, pork and lamb, along with other meaty dishes.  I also enjoy it on wholemeal or granary toast ... as I now have fifteen 8oz jars, I shall have plenty of opportunity, eh?!! 

[New shoot]

Shame about the colour change, but at least it set   

I have some grape jelly I trying to use up, as it from last year.  It goes really nicely in gravy instead of red currant jelly.