You're operating under some misapprehensions.

The jell point is 8 degrees above boiling, which at sea level is 220 degrees. For a firm set you can go to 221, but it isn't necessary and can result in overcooking.

Now, at altitude, 8 degrees above boiling will NOT be 220 or 221. Instead it's 220 degrees only from sea level up to 1,000 feet; 216 degrees at 2,000 feet; 214 degrees at 3,000 feet; 212 degrees at 4,000 feet; 211 degrees at 5,000 feet; 209 degrees at 6,000 feet; 207 degrees at 7,000 feet; 205 degrees at 8,000 feet.

It can take a long time to reach the jell point, depending upon your stove, your pan and the size of the batch. Also, water content varies in fruits and the jell point isn't going to be reached until enough water has been evaporated out to the point that the preserve is 65% sugar concentration.

You can speed things up by warming the sugar before adding it to the preserve.

Candy-making, preserves, anything involving cooked sugar syrups, caramelizing, etc. will all be influenced by altitude.

Also, keep in mind processing times change with altitude. (Your Ball Blue Book should have a chart somewhere or check the NCHFP online.) So instead of 10 minutes your jams should be processed for 15.

Carol

This is exactly what I needed. Was aware of the processing difference but not the jell point. I scorched my apricots just a bit trying to get it right. They taste yummy though so hopefully all is good.

tracy, I'm too late to be of help, but I can tell you that my jams go from "not done" to "taffy" quickly. They seem to boil and boil and boil and not increase temperature at all and suddenly, it's done.

I just knew Carol would have an exact answer, though.

Oh, and those apricots? That's not "scorched". It's "caramelized". (grin)

Annie

Annie, that's funny. I thought the same thing about the apricots. They took on a lovely amber color and taste great!

Apparently the current barometric pressure can also influence the boiling point of water but I think that is taking it to too fine a point. I just use the temp as a guide (I use the cold plate method) but find mine usually set before reaching such a high temperature. (I'm only 17 ft above sea level so 212 works for me.)

Here is a link that might be useful: http://twoloonscoffee.com/map/boiling_point.php

I ran into the same thing maple sugaring. I have a hygrometer, but couldn't find an appropriate container to use it in, so went by the old timey directions. It said basically what reading lady said. Observe when the liquid first comes to a boil (since maple sap is nearly all water) and use that as 212 and count from there.

I think it boiled at 207. Does that seem too low. For Mesa, AZ? As I said, I verified with four thermometers. I got up to 215 but it still looks syrupy in the jars today. That's fine since it's whole apricots but the BB jam also seems runny.
Maybe if I'm canning tomorrow I'll add pectin to the berries and reprocess. I assume since it's the lower sugar I need to use NS or Pomona pectin?
Next time I will try the lemon seeds and rind. They do have a full fresh lemon-orange each.
I call them lemon-oranges because they look and smell like oranges and tasted like lemons until recently as they are now overripe.
No idea what kind of citrus they actually are but they sure are good!

Apricots are low pectin and low acid, so even reaching the jell point you're going to find the preserve tends to be syrupy. There's only so much pectin there to work with.

You can amend the preserve by using apple pectin stock or by adding high-pectin products like citrus, but apricots are delicate and the purity of the apricot flavor will probably be subsumed.

The peach preserves in Ferber's book are fabulous and it's the same thing - syrupy even at the jell point. But the flavor is unequalled, so I accept it.

You can "assist" the set by using the old-fashioned strategy of 25% underripe fruit. The less ripe the more pectin so preserves with a measure of underripe fruit will set better. As fruit ripens the cell walls collapse, and that's where the pectin is (mainly).

However, in a true preserve with larger pieces of fruit suspended in syrup I wouldn't use really underripe apricots because biting into one wouldn't be the most pleasant experience. I'd go for ripe and full-flavored, but on the firmer end. Dead-ripe and you're set for failure. (No pun intended, LOL.)

Carol

I agree, those peach preserves are amazing, they taste so much of fresh peach and the flavor is well worth the softer set I get.

the apples here took a devastating whack with the late frost, I'm hoping the peaches escaped unscathed.

Annie

The last time I made preserves from Mes Confitures, I squashed some of the fruit with a potato masher and added it to the syrup to thicken it a little. So it ends up like a cross between jam and preserves. I usually try to err on the side of under-cooked rather than over-cooked.

Thanks Melly! Good tip!

I did use some unripe cots. I'll have to give the peach preserves a try. I don't mind runny preserves, all the better on a scone or crepe!