Secret to jam making?!
Answers: does anybody have a secret to it? i made some but it set a bit too much, i wonder if i left it in the pan boiling to long?
Probably. Start with equal parts (by volume, number of cups) of sugar and crushed or chopped fruit. As you cook, keep stirring and every so often drop a spoonful on a cold plate (keep it in the fridge) so you can see how the thickness is when it's cold.
When it gets CLOSE, stop cooking.... it will still thicken just a mite after you shut off the heat.
Possibly. my sister does the whole make jam in the summer type of thing, and one year she let it set in the hot water too long and it had like a candied affect. Sorry i'm not much help but if it had a candied affect you left it too long. best of luck and make it turn out yummy!
Most problems are the fruit not setting at all! Congrats! LOL You definitely could have boiled it too long, boiling out a good bit of the water, which made a really thick product, which would gel very stiffly.
I find the best jelly is not made w/ outside pectin, but w/ a fresh fruits that contain a combo of ripe and non-ripe fruits. Non-ripe fruits contain more pectin than ripe (pectin converts to fruit sugar as the fruit ripens) and this ensures good gelling w/o going overboard. Maybe about 15-20% unripe to the rest ripe is a good ratio.
the main prob i've had is boiling too long + occasionally scorching . it'll thicken up more after it's off the stove.
I've always kept my jams at a rolling boil for about 6 -8 minutes as I stir constantly. Then after I put them in the jars and put them back in the water to process as I boil for an additional 10 minutes. I guess I've always been lucky and bought the sure-gel powdered pectin when I make my jams.