# Too Thick Jam!



## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

I made two batches of raspberry jam yesterday. The little bit of leftover I had went into the fridge. DH had some and said it was too thick. I tried it and it was thick to spread but was fine on a hot muffin.

I checked the pectin box and it "expired" last October. I've used older pectin than that before with no problem. Could that have caused the thickness or is it something else?


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

My understanding is that expired pectin is less likely to set up. I've noticed that un-processed jam is thicker than what went through the canner.
Tell your DH to quit complaining or you'll put him to work in the hot kitchen...~lol~...


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

My raspberry was too thick last yr, too. I'm wondering if it's easy to make too thick. I used some as syrup, added a little apple juice and warmed it. My hubby just eats it like it is.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Something else.  

The natural pectin they contain plus not enough liquid. Did you macerate them with some sugar for several hours or even better, overnight, first? If so, was there much juice? If not you can always add just a bit of apple or white grape juice to them before cooking. Many don't use any added pectin at all but if you prefer to use it and don't want to add juice, you can reduce the amount of pectin by 1/2 in the future.


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## Forest Breath (Oct 23, 2009)

The first time I ever made home made blackberry jam, I was so proud of myself and presented a jar to my mother. Several months later I opened a jar for some fresh hot biscuits. The stuff was so think I could not get it out of the jar. I called my mother and asked if hers was as bad. She had already eaten hers. 

She informed me it too was WAY thick, but she ran hot water over the jar, plopped the jam out on a saucer and sliced it with a butcher knife. She said it was the perfect size for her hot biscuits. She never complained she said, because I was the only one of four daughters to even try to can at the time and she was afraid it would discourage me. 

Ah the canning stories we all could tell! If it tastes good eat it, tell others they don't have to, leaves more for you!


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

My raspberry jam usually is thick, but I sure have problems having my sour cherry jam to set up. Sometimes it is sauce, sometime jam.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I think the problem may have been that I didn't crush them enough so there may not have been enough liquid. Sure does taste good though!!


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Found out why the jam was too thick - I used the wrong recipe! I used a recipe from a canning book and thought it was the one I used last year. Yesterday I found the old recipe in my recipe file and it didn't use any pectin!!


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