Ampro Shine 'n Jam Gel Extra Hold

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Start small!We are big fans of small batch preserving, making 2-4 jars at a time. It faster, gives you a chance to experiment, and the more batches you make the better your set will be. Don’t use more than 6 cups of crushed fruit in your recipe. Amounts larger than this just can’t reach the right temperature that is needed for the recipe to set properly. Don’t worry! If you’ve filled your jam jars but find that it’s still runny even after cooling down leave it for a week – often time is what is needed to get it to set.

To test your jam to see if it’s done, dip a cold metal spoon into the boiling jam. Over a plate, turn the spoon on its side so the liquid runs off the side. The jam is done when it forms two drops that flow together and sheet or hang off the edge of thespoon. The first European sugar preserves made use of that seemingly magical substance, honey. The earliest fruit preserves would be made by mixing fruit pulp with honey and allowing it to dry in the sun, creating a texture more like that of a jellied sweet. You could also simply store the jars in your pantry and refrigerate 1 jar at a time before use. 2. Recooking These three things – pectin, sugar and acid – have to be in balance to make a jam that will set. The Perfect Set – Hard Set vs Soft SetWhen I talk about jam in this post we are also referring to all sweet preserves – so all jams, jellies, and conserves; all of which are based on cooking fruit with sugar. I use a combination of the temperature and flake tests. I watch the temperature, and then as the jam or jelly starts to reach 105°C, I start to use the flake test. My jam isn’t set, what can I do? If you choose this method then it’s very important to use no-sugar pectin. This type of pectin is made to form a gel with little to no sugar. Pectin was first isolated by French chemist Henri Braconnot in 1825 and was named from the Greek pektikos, which means congealed or curdled. It is a polysaccharide so, like cellulose and starch, it is made up of long chains of sugar molecules. In fruit, pectin is concentrated in the skins and cores where it acts as structural "cement" in the plant cell walls. In jam, pectin forms a mesh that traps the sugary liquid and cradles suspended pieces of fruit. You could easily double the recipe but would have to feel your way with the boiling time (I’d still start with 2 minutes). I did use a digital thermometer and the theory is that a set is reached at about 105°C but my jam went up to 107°C and is quite soft set.

Then test the jelly to see if it’s setting. If it’s not continue to boil for another minute and then test again. Note: ALWAYS follow the specific directions on the recipe for the right balance between ingredients. For example, if you wish to use less sugar, find a recipe that lets you reduce the sugar amount or use an artificial sweetener without compromising the gelling of the product. If your recipe uses pectin, follow the directions and boil for the exact amount of time specified in therecipe. Prize-Winning StrawberryJam When the jelly is setting, remove the pot from the heat and skim off the foam. Then ladle into your jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.Acids are also important in helping the pectin to set. The COOH groups in the pectin are usually ionised, and the negative charges on the molecules this ionisation causes can cause repulsion, and prevent the pectin chains from being able to form the gel network. To avoid this, we need the pH of the mixture to be roughly in the range of 2.8-3.3. At these more acidic pHs, the COOH groups aren’t ionised, lowering the magnitude of the repulsive forces. For best results always start with unsweetened fruit juice. How To Fix Jam And Jelly That Didn’t Set 1. Refrigeration Likewise, if you purée the fruit instead of mashing it you will have more fruit then the recipe intended on. This can also happen if you remove the seeds from the pulp before making jelly. The Pectin Is Bad Second, the traditional test using a chilled plate. Place a side plate in the freezer. Once the jam is boiling, start testing by placing some jam on the plate and let it to cool. When you push your finger through, it’s reached setting point when you see a wrinkle up ahead of your finger. This technique takes a bit of practice. Water bathing isn’t something we do to jams in the UK (and elsewhere) but if you live in the USA and feel more comfortable doing that then you’d need to adapt this recipe by looking at another as a guide.