Could it be a bad jar of pectin?

I guess, though it happened twice, so I guess the whole package was bad. It hadn't expired, I always check!

And in the first batch, the fruit floated to the top, as it does, and the bottom was well set. I have three jars that are almost all strawberry jelly - and they are well jelled. So at least for the first batch, the pectin was pretty good.

I was in Wegman's last spring when they were putting out the canning supplies and most of their pectin was expired. I pointed this out to the clerk in that department - and she seemed surprised - guess it was left over from the year before. Didn't buy any that day.

This post was edited by momj47 on Sat, Jun 8, 13 at 17:18

I don't make strawberry jam very often because my family only like blueberry/cherry jam, but the last few times I've made it, the jam has taken a lot longer to set than my other jams. Maybe it just needs some more time?

Did you use the exact amounts called for in the recipe? Sometimes I am tempted to add a bit more fruit, which may affect the set. If all else fails, you can try recanning it with a fresh box of pectin or use it as strawberry topping.

Thanks. I recanned it, and it's still not well set, but it will make a good topping. With the grandkids here, we can have it on an ice cream sundae.

I found a good recipe for strawberry cranberry jam, and cranberries have pectin in the skin, I may try that next time just to ensure that the jam sets up.

We've made lots of jam in the last two days. Our strawberry jam has never failed to set properly, but it is very sweet. We use five cups of mashed berries, 7 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and 6 tablespoons Classic pectic (not liquid). Actually, in 32 years of jam-making, I've never had strawberry jam fail. However, I'm off to start a new thread on today's tapioca disaster. LOL.

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Sun, Jun 9, 13 at 18:14

I thought that the problem that causes floating fruit is that the fruit hasn't had a chance to equalize density with the liquid so it floats. I've been using a multi-day method and haven't had floating fruit with it.

After cleaning, drying, hulling and cutting strawberries,
1. Mix strawberries with sugar and lemon juice and let macerate over night in a cool place.
2. The next morning, bring the mixture up to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Then cover with a towel (presumably so some of the moisture can evaporate away).
3. After at least a few hours (I usually wait until the weather cools off in the evening), bring back to a simmer and cook until thickened.

[Some similar recipes call for putting the mixture into a colander to separate the fruit from the syrup before step 3. Then the syrup is cooked down. Once the syrup has been thickened (reached 221 degrees F), the fruit is added back in and the jam is simmered until the fruit starts to look translucent. I sometimes do that extra step so that the fruit bits
are a little less cooked.]

I usually go by weight - about 5 parts strawberries to 4 parts sugar - e.g.for 20 oz of strawberries, I would add 16 oz of sugar. I add the juice of a lemon or two depending on how big the batch is - the acidity helps release the pectin from the fruit so it can do its thing. I generally don't add pectin.

Momj - one of the yummiest things to do with jam that is a bit too runny is to make fruit yogurt by stir some into plain yogurt (be careful not to get the vanilla yogurt since the carton often doesn't look much different plain carton, but it will be too sweet with the jam).

Cloud_swift,
I have never heard of this version and am going to try it with our next session. Will report back.

One set of jam instructions said to remove the jars from the processing pot, wait 15 minutes, then rotate and turn over the jars every 15 minutes to suspend the fruit evenly throughout the jaml. I did not try this because I have always thought the jars were supposed to be left completely undisturbed until the contents reached room temperature.

Momj,
Since your recipe has worked for forty years, and your proportions have been satisfactory, I, too, think the problem is the pectin. (Why this part of my first post disappeared, I don't know.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Contemplating reasons for jam not gelling

Momj,

Liquid pectin is notoriously finicky for setting. I buy liquid pectin that has the furthest expiration date as possible and have found that if it's within a year of what I am going to make, it's hit or miss for setting.

Whole fruit will always float to the top of jar of jam, no matter what type of pectin or canning procedure you are using. After you take the jars out of the BWB, let them cool for about 15-30 minutes (enough to handle the jars but not set up) and give the jars a gentle shake to redistribute the fruit. Over time, you'll learn what the "magic consistency" the jam needs to be to redistribute the fruit without it floating back to the top of the jar.

And if all else fails, call it Strawberry Fruit Syrup! :-)

Gardengirl - I disagree - the fruit doesn't always float. I have jars of jam/preserves in my pantry now where the fruit (e.g. strawberries, pears) pieces are distributed throughout the jar, not floating on top and the jam was taken out of the BWB and left to cool. The jars weren't shaken or turned to redistribute.

I recanned the jam and added cranberries. Wow, what a wonderful taste. My new favorite.

I drained most of the syrup from the original jam, so this one is mostly fruit and it's slowly jelling. We'll see how it goes.

I read an interesting recipe recently that recommended adding one peeled and diced Kiwi to your Strawberry Jam. Apparently they have lots of Pectin in them and it sets every time. I thought I would try it when my berries are ripe.

Steve

I do the same as Cloud_swift. I like that method because it uses less sugar:fruit and it's forgiving. Sometimes it sets for a bit (ahem) longer than it should. If you are above 1000 ft. in elevation, you'll need to adjust the gel point temp for your altitude.

I also let the jam cool for awhile before putting in jars and waterbathing, until the fruit stops floating. They say 10 min., but sometimes it takes longer.

Steve, strawberry and kiwi can't be bad. If I get enough berries at once on our 2 yr. old plants I'll try some in strawberry preserves. We have little green berries and lots of blossoms, so there's hope. And there's always the u-pick.

Here is a link that might be useful: gel point for your altitude