History of jams and jelly early years?!
History of jams and jelly early years?
what was used before sure-jel
Answers:
The Greek technique of preserving quinces by boiling them in honey was included in the Roman cookery book De re coquinaria. The use of cane sugar to preserve fruit can be traced back to the 16th century when the Spanish came to the West Indies.
In general jam is produced by taking mashed or chopped fruit or vegetable pulp and boiling it with sugar and water. The proportion of sugar and fruit varies according to the type of fruit and its ripeness, but a rough starting point is equal weights of each. When the mixture reaches a temperature of 104 °C (219 °F), the acid and the pectin in the fruit react with the sugar, and the jam will set on cooling. However, most cooks work by trial and error, bringing the mixture to a "fast rolling boil", watching to see if the seething mass changes texture, and dropping small samples on a plate to see if they run or set.
How easily a jam sets depends on the pectin content of the fruit. Some fruits, such as gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, citrus fruits, apples and raspberries, set very well.
The usual U.S. distinction between jelly and jam is that the latter contains visible seeds or pieces of fruit, whereas the former does not. Jam is also often thicker and more spreadable. The traditional procedure for making jelly calls for the cooked ingredients to be put into a cloth bag. The liquid that drains through the bag without squeezing can be made into a transparent jelly. Jam by contrast is made from the whole fruit and liquid after cooking.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jam#history...
Sure-Jel is just pectin. Before Sure-Jel powder was available, you could buy liquid pectin - but before about 1830 or so, even that wasn't possible. You had to choose fruits or blends of fruits that had enough pectin naturally.
Some fruit - such as June Transparent apples - have a lot of pectin already. I've successfully made jellies from 50/50 mixes of June Transparent juice and wild grape juice, without adding any extra pectin.