First time at canning jellies and jams

14 years ago

Hello there. I am new to canning and have been reading everything I can to learn how to do it. I really prefer to use my own recipes, so I am trying to get all the 'rules' of canning figured out. I got fruit pectin that does not require sugar to set (from Ball) because I don't like to use the copious quantities of sugar required by regular pectin. (Once I get into this a bit, I'll try no pectin recipes.)

So, here is my question. Do jams and jellies become more tart once set? I made a batch of Mango-Lime from a recipe I found online yesterday which was very good, but a bit too sweet. (I only used half the sugar and almost doubled the lime and zest.) Today, I open a jar and found it to be just perfect and not as sweet as it was out of the pot.

I also made a Lavender-Lemon jelly with White Wine. I referenced a couple recipes online to create this one. I was more cautious when adding the sugar, and it was perfect out of the pot. Today when I opened a jar it was too sour. Is that normal? I'm trying to figure out what the correlation is so I can make them end up with the flavor I want.

I ended up melting down the jelly and adding more sugar, cooking it a minute more and then re-canned and processed them. Was this okay to do? I used the same lids because they didn't appear to be damaged, and they have all sealed, but is it okay to reuse the lids?

I had no issue with either of them setting; they are jelled just fine. Even those that I re-did. I appreciate any advice. Thanks!!!

Laurie

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Comments (11)

wizardnm
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
It's great that you are starting to do some canning. I have been canning for years and love it.

My first advice is, don't just find a recipe on the web and think that it must be safe. I'm sorry to say that many are not.

You will get great help in learning the proper methods on the GW Harvest Forum. I'll post the link for you. They are very helpful and can direct you to approved and safe recipes. And why certain practices are not.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvest Forum
grainlady_ks
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I would suggest going to the National Center for Home Food Preservation and taking their free self-study coarse (link below).

When I teach canning classes we start with common canning mistakes and #1 is making up your own canning recipe. Without scientific testing, you will not know how long the product needs to be processed to be safe.

Therefore, I suggest you check the information and recipes at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, or those found in the Ball Blue Book (which is the only commercial canning book that uses the USDA standards).

Because we are contending with more kinds of bacteria, and stronger varieties of bacteria, than even existed 15-20 years ago, it's more important than ever to follow tested recipes to help assure our preserved foods are safe.

I'd also agree with Nancy, just because you find something on the internet or YouTube, doesn't make it safe. To mention a few that are considered unsafe but you'll easily find information for:
-canning butter
-canning bread or cake using an oven
-canning anything other than very acidic fruit juices (apple and grape juice) in 1/2-gallon jars
-canning pumpkin butter
-canning using a microwave, the sun, dishwasher, oven, open kettle method, adding Epsom Salts to jams/jellies to make it gel... People do all kinds of "interesting" things and call it "canning".

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation
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%he search function here is horrible when it DOES work, so Jude, here are Carol's Pear Preserves and Doris' Peach Preserves for a Cold Morning. I did cut the sugar down in the pear preserves successfully to half the amount of sugar, so I used 2 lbs of sugar to 4 lbs of pears. Any less and you won't get a gel while the pears are still intact. Be aware that cutting the sugar does result in a longer cooking time, so the slices of pear are getting more cooked and can fall apart. I do have to admit, they are sweeter, clearer, absolutely perfect with the full amount of sugar, but I like the idea of a bit less sugar, even now that Dad's gone. Darn, why can't I have everything? (grin) Old Fashioned Pear Preserves from Carol (Readinglady) You can also make Pear Preserves if you want chunks of pear suspended in syrup. By weight use equal amounts of pears and sugar. You also need the juice and seeds of one lemon. I wouldn't go over about 4 pounds of fruit because it takes too long to cook larger amounts. This takes several days, but it's mainly waiting and the results are wonderful. Here's what you do: Day 1: Peel, core and cut firm-ripe pears into chunks or slices. Leave pieces large enough to retain character in preserves. Place pears in acidified water (Fruit Fresh or Ascorbic Acid). Rinse and drain pears. Place in large bowl and add sugar equal in weight to pears. Add juice of lemon and place pips (seeds) in small bag. It's messy but I also add any of the pulp that was reamed out. Add to bowl. Stir gently to distribute syrup and refrigerate overnight. Throughout evening stir occasionally to distribute sugar. (I usually don't do this more than once.) Day 2: Place macerated pears and sugar syrup with lemon seeds in bag in large pan. Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes, skimming foam. Reduce temperature and continue to cook (about 20 minutes) until pears are translucent and candied. Turn off heat and leave pears and syrup overnight. (This can be room temperature.) Cover pan with a cloth, not a lid (to prevent condensation). Day 3: Using a slotted spoon lift pears from syrup and place in a strainer. Collect any additional syrup in a bowl beneath the strainer. (I drained syrup left in pan into a bowl and washed the pan because the syrup was crystallized along the rim then I put the syrup back.) Bring syrup to a boil and cook to gel point stirring frequently. (Depending on how thick you want the syrup, this can be anywhere from 218-222.) You can also use the frozen plate test. The advantage is you get to thicken the syrup just the way you like without cooking the delicate pears to the point of disintegration. Return the pears to syrup and boil 1 minute to reheat them. Pull off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This allows fruit to equalize with the syrup so it doesn't float to the top of the jar.) Place preserves in sterilized jars and BWB 5 minutes or clean, hot jars and BWB 10 minutes. Now, on the Peach Jam for Cold Mornings, I used a whole orange because what the heck do I do with half an orange, LOL, and I used ripe (red) jalapenos because I didn't have habs. I think the habaneros are perfect for this, though, because they have a "fruity" flavor that goes well with the peaches. This stuff is perfect for bagels with cream cheese. ORANGE/PEACH/HABANERO JAM (Jam for Cold Mornings) 3 lbs. ripe peaches, peeled and quartered 1/2 medium sized orange, quartered and seeded 2 habaneros, seeds and all 4 cups sugar 1/4tsp almond extract 3/4 cup honey Combine peaches, sugar and honey in a dutch oven, stir well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. In food processor chop oranges and habaneros until finally chopped, scraping down sides a couple of times. Place orange, habaneros and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium high and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil, cook, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 221F, stirring often. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Quickly pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, wipe jar rims. Cover with lids and Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yield: 6 half pints Happy Canning. Annie
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I *still* don't get how I made the pectin *3 times*, 3.5C of water and 2 limes to a pan (did the first 2 pans simultaneously, thinking I was going to do 2 separate batches), and each time I got roughly 1.5C instead of 2C (before putting through jelly bag!) that the recipe says it should make? As Carol said there are all sorts of possible reasons. Too much heat (simmering is the very lowest possible amount of heat), or limes that were too small or too dry or insufficiently squeezed, not enough simmering time or more likely way too much simmering time, not near enough time draining in the jelly bag, etc. etc. That, not nearly enough time in the jelly bag, is the most likely cause IMO. 12-24 hours or even longer is common and even squeezing out the jelly bag is needed. Yours couldn't have drained very long at all if made in one day. Recipes aren't perfect. There is no way they can anticipate all the variables that the cook throws into the mix that will affect them. And it is all those human variables that is yet another reason for making 1 batch at a time and taking plenty of time to do it. And as a general guideline, it also works best when it is the recipe that controls the project. Rather than a food that "needs to be used", food that is less than desirable in quality (like scorched limes), or a cook in a hurry. Having all the best quality ingredients needed BEFORE starting the recipe and having the time to make it is necessary for best results. Otherwise, a poor end product is often the result. We learn best from our mistakes - especially if we keep good notes. ;) Dave
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Hah, I googled 'nchfp rose hips', because it is that time again, and found this old thread I had forgotten about! Too late to learn from my own mistakes documented here, though :-). But hopefully next time I will remember to look this up. This year, I'm doing a different made up method, simmering the rose hips until soft and then mashing with a potato masher. Maybe I'll try some lemon or lime juice, like the recipes in this thread. I'm not aiming for jelly, just syrup. That's what the previous batch ended up being, and it was so very tasty. if I had looked up this thread in time, I think I would have tried the freezer jam version, putting the raw rose hips in the juicer. I had them in the freezer already, so they would be mushy enough to get pretty good juice with just the juicer, I imagine. But instead I am doing the cooking method.
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Blueberries don't have much natural pectin anyway. If the blueberries were very ripe also and some of the skins were removed, the commercial pectin alone might not have been sufficient for a firmer set. The older recipes for freezer jams called for gently (gently being the operative word) heating the mixture to 100 or 105 degrees. The newer freezer jam instructions don't call for that, but I still like to do it because it dissolves the sugar so the jam is less "gritty." (Just my preference.) I was thinking you could stir additional pectin into the existing mixture then gently heat to incorporate it more fully. During the cooling you should see a firmer set. However, if you've noticed your jam is setting now, I wouldn't bother. Heating has no effect on spoilage or food safety and you still have that fresh-fruity flavor of freezer jams. Basically with this method you're just warming. It's not even simmering. I would get that blueberry jam into the fridge or freezer. There's so much sugar in it that the risk of spoilage is fairly minimal but depending upon the weather, it could mold or it could start separating sitting out too long at room temperature. You might start seeing liquid (syneresis). ClearJel is a special cornstarch thickener, not a pectin. There are two types. One has to be cooked. The other is instant. The cooked type is used in sauces and canned pie fillings. It doesn't break down under heat. The instant kind is mixed with sugar or other dry ingredients and then is stirred into the liquid. I prefer it for pie fillings. You could mix a bit of ClearJel (It has LOTS of thickening power.) with a bit of sugar and then stir into your freezer jam. There are also jam recipes that call for ClearJel. Here's a link to some ClearJel information and ClearJel jam recipes. Some people prefer these because you have the option of canning or freezing with the same recipes. Using ClearJel I hope this helps. Happy preserving, Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Strawberry Freezer Jam Heated Method
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readinglady
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jams and Jellies generally do not present safety issues, so in most cases any problems will have to do with freshness, set, shelf life (low-sugar preserves do not have the same mouth feel or longevity) but not health.

There are exceptions, however. Low-acid fruits like bananas, figs, mangoes and melons, for example, require specific amounts of citrus juice for safety. Pepper or other savory jellies also require additional acid.

It would be more accurate to think of home food preservation as a science rather than an art, though there are opportunities for creativity within limits. It's knowing those limits that's the trick.

Both the Harvest Forum and the NCHFP recommended in previous posts are wonderful resources. There are numerous discussions of sweet preserves and all the "issues" in the Harvest Forum archives.

Carol
annie1992
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Carol is right, jams and jellies very seldom present safety issues, and so problems have to do with whether they set and how long they last or how long they still look and taste appetizing.

You should not reuse lids, although if I did, I'd do it with jam/jelly, about the safest thing you can make. Your jars might become unsealed later, be sure to check them periodically, you know the companies are not going add enough sealing compound to seal well more than once!

Yes, you certainly can try to melt and recook jams or jellies, although I'm seldom successful. I end up with taffy or with syrup, usually.

As has been mentioned, just because a recipe is on the internet, doesn't make it safe. Canning low acid vegetables without a pressure canner, canning with eggs/cheese/butter/milk/oil, canning in the oven, I've seen them all and none of them are anything I'd try.

Happy canning.

Annie
Laurie72
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sorry for not posting in the right place, I didn't know there was another location for canning. I'll make sure I go there next time. I would move this one over, but I don't know how.

I think I used enough citrus in the recipes. I used almost 1/2 cup lime juice with the Mango and 1/3 cup lemon juice with the Lavender (both yielding approximately 2 quarts). I also used zest in both, but I don't know if that affects the PH at all.

Is there a reason why the sweetness would decrease as it sets? (I did a search but I don't think that I used the proper search terms to find similar questions.) I wonder if this is something that happens with all recipes or just those that have citrus in them? I was only using 1 to 1 3/4 cups of sugar. Would it possibly be better to cook everything (except the pectin) then put it in the fridge overnight and re-cook the next day to adjust the seasoning once everything melds?

I appreciate you letting me pick your brains! I have some great resources to research now.

Laurie
readinglady
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Flavors do change with resting time, not just in sweet preserves but generally in canned goods. Some flavors become much stronger and more pronounced (fresh basil comes to mind) while others weaken.

Citrus can become quite pronounced, particularly larger shreds of peel. I'd guess it isn't that the preserve became "less sweet" as that the citrus notes were stronger once cooled and rested.

Yes, you can cook everything, cool and rest, then re-heat and add the pectin. However, that lengthens the cooking time, so some freshness of flavor will likely be lost.

You probably do have enough lime juice for the mango but if you want to be sure compare your amounts with a Mango-Rum jam recipe:

6 cups firm-ripe mango to 6 tablespoons strained lime juice.

pH increases with ripeness. The less ripe the mango the less the risk. Also, the riper the fruit the lower the pectin level. This particularly becomes an issue with some fruits in the traditional no-commercial-pectin preserves.

Carol
annie1992
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I agree, taste changes in some products with storage. I taste my salsa and make sure it's mild because it does get hotter as it sets. Sometimes marmalades take up to a couple of weeks to set up too, so even texture changes sometimes.

I don't think there is a mechanism to move a post to another forum, so you'll have to post a new thread over on harvest. Don't worry, though, we're glad to answer questions here if we can, but there's a lot more canning, dehydrating and preserving going on over there!

Annie
Laurie72
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
The mango I used was very ripe. I had 3 cups mango to 7 Tbs lime, so that shouldn't be a problem. It set up just perfect. Mango-Rum also sounds delish!

The flavor change makes more sense to me now. I'm more confident for my next attempt. I have my eye on a recipe for Pear Vanilla Bean Jam!

Thank you all SO much for your help!!!

Laurie
lpinkmountain
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Hi Laurie, Welcome to the Cooking Forum. Your first name is the same as mine, same spelling too! I agree with Annie, jams and jellies are good to start with. Learn the low acid fruits and use acid adjusted/approved recipes for those. High acid fruits are more forgiving, the worst thing you'll get there is mold, which is what happens with lower sugar jams too. I hate the pectin jams, the sugar content ruins the flavor for me, so I've done quite a bit of experimenting with lower sugar jams. A good book I recommend (out of print but available thru used bookstores online) is "Summer in a Jar" by Andrea Chessman. She has a lot of great low sugar recipes in there she developed. Also, the Ball COMPLETE Book of Home Canning has a whole chapter on lower sugar jams. The reason for the sugar is it is needed to get a set with commercial pectin. Alternatives are a longer cooking jam which is thickened in the process, and also adding a chopped apple to some low pectin fruit jams, for the pectin since apples are high in pectin. Also making "old fashioned" preserves, in which you make a syrup from sugar and the juice from the fruit which macerates overnight. You then strain out the fruit, cook the syrup down and thicken that and add the fruit back in at the end. Kind of a pain to do, but tasty!

Don't get discouraged, it takes a lot of experimenting until you find the ideal recipes you like. I made pear vanilla bean jam, and frankly, to me it was "meh." As was pear cardamom jam. But I liked vanilla bean marmelade, go figure. However, all of these recipes were easy peasy so you should get something enjoyable no matter what.

Somewhere on Harvest, there's a "Best Of" recipe thread, but I'm not sure how to access it anymore. I printed it out a while back. Be forwarned, the Harvest Forum is not for the shrinking violets! But don't get discouraged by the pedantry. Folks there would much rather err on the side of safety when giving advice, and that is admirable at its heart. It just makes it a little confusing at times! Your best bet is to do what the folks here suggest, take the home course from the National Home Food Preservation Web site or just read up tons in books like the Ball Complete Book of Home Canning, or another one I like, (also out of print but available) called "Keeping the Harvest" by Nancy Chioffi and Gretchen Mead.

Here's one of my favorite low sugar recipes that is perfect for this time of year. It's not a firm set jam, it's one you have to cook down to thicken. Also, can in small jars, as these low sugar jams mold faster than you might expect after opening, even in the fridge. This one has delicate flavor, so only make enough for this year, it doesn't keep well for two years like some high sugar jams.
This is a recipe I found online. It was very, very good. I might add that I also added 1 TBLSP frangelico to the jam. It is not a firm set jam.
Raspberry Peach Jam Recipe - Confettura di Lamponi e Pesche

By Kyle Phillips, About.com
When peaches are at their best and the raspberries are ripening up in the mountains, they're a perfect pair to set aside for the winter! What better way to do so than make raspberry peach jam?
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds (1 k) peaches (ideally, white)
3/4 pound (300 g) raspberries
1 4/5 cup (800 g) sugar
The juice of a lemon
Preparation:
Blanch the peaches for a second or two in boiling water, then chill them in cool water, peel them, quarter them, and discard the pits. Rinse the raspberries, discarding any that are blemished, and gently pat them dry.

Interlayer the fruit and sugar in a bowl and let it all sit for 12 hours.

Transfer everything to a heavy-bottomed pot, and bring it to a boil over a moderate flame, stirring it occasionally. Skim the froth off the surface and cook with a slotted spoon over a lively flame, skimming and stirring, for about 15 minutes, or until it begins to thicken. A drop placed on a cool slanted plate will flow some, but not much, when it's ready.

The yield will be about 1 1/2 pints (1.5 l). Transfer the jam to jars, cover them, and boil them for 20 minutes to sterilize them.

Yield: several jars raspberry peach jam.

This assumes you know how to prepare jars for canning.
Can add 1 TBLSP of Amaretto or Frangelico at the end. That's elegant and yum.
Laurie72
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you SO MUCH, Laurie! (That IS a pretty great name, isn't it?) You have given me some great info and resources; I'll be checking them all out. I am excited about this recipe, too. It sounds amazing! I am so happy I found this website. This seems like a pretty great community. Thank you!!!
lpinkmountain
14 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
There are also some great jammin' blogs out there. Try TigressJamPickle for starters, she has links to others.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tigress in a Jam

First time at canning jellies and jams

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