John Myers
Jam is made with gelling sugar, and here there are different mixing ratios of sugar and gelling agent, for example, 1:3 or 1:2. As a rule of thumb, the more water the fruit contains, the higher the proportion of gelling agent needs to be. It is also important, for example, to weigh the fruit only after cleaning it, so that the ratio of fruit and jam sugar is really correct.
If your jam remains too liquid, the amount of preserving sugar is probably wrong or it was not cooked long enough. To avoid this, you can do a jelly test while cooking: after about 4 minutes of cooking time, put a teaspoon of the hot jam on a small plate and let it cool down. If it becomes jelly-like or solid during this time, it will also have a good consistency later in the glass.
What does My Jam mean?
It’s my jam. This is my jam.
How do you fix homemade jam that didn’t set?
- First, you wait. Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set).
- If it still hasn’t set, it’s time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don’t want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.
- For every 4 cups of jam that needs to be remade, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon powdered pectin.
- Pour the jam into a low, wide pan and add the sugar and pectin combo. Stir until the sugar and pectin have dissolved. At this point, prepare your canning pot. Clean the jars and prep new lids.
- Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring the jam to a boil.
- Cook vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Look for signs of thickening.
- The test set using a plate or sheeting test (both described here).
- When the jam has reached the desired thickness, remove pot from heat.
- Pour jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply brand new lids, and screw on the same old bands.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for the amount of time requested in the recipe.
- When processing time is up, remove jars from bath. Let jars cool and then test seals.
Can you Reboil jam if it doesn’t set?
What is this? If it has you know your jelly or jam is ready. If it still hasn’t set then add another 1/4 to 1/2 a package of no-sugar pectin and bring it to a boil for 1 minute again.
What to do if jam isnt thickening?
Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the jam mixture. Bring it to a boil, and the jam should thicken almost immediately.
Why has my jam not set?
The other main reason for jam not setting is that it wasn’t boiled for long enough once the sugar has dissolved, so did not reach setting point. Setting point is when the boiling mixture reaches 105c/220F and a sugar/jam/candy thermometer is useful as you can put it in the pan of bubbling jam and check the temperature.
