# If at first you don't succeed...



## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

...throw in the towel?? I have tried for 3 yrs to make jam and have failed everytime. I'm not even sure how you can mess it up because it's pretty darned easy when you look at the directions. I tried making strawberry jam again. I didn't double the recipe, I let it boil 1 minute and then put in jars and processed. I made some very delicious syrup! So, today I tried processing the jars following directions I found online with a bit more sugar, water, lemon juice and pectin. I brought that to a boil, added my syrupy jam and heated it to a boil. Timed it for 1 minute and then processed in jars again. I know it's early, but it looks like I have syrup again. We'll see tomorrow but I wish I could put my finger on what I'm doing wrong so I didn't have to keep trying to re-process, waste lids, time, etc. On a more positive note, I did make some blackberry catsup which is really a grilling sauce. I'm anxious to see how that is. It has the sweet/sour thing going with a punch of cayenne. AND I don't have a bit of trouble canning anything else, just jams. grrrr Any suggestions would be appreciated. My husband's was "Try Smuckers" ha ha Mr. Smarty Pants! lol


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Have you checked the date on your pectin?
Are you counting your minute from the time it comes to a full boil and not soft boil?
Are you getting the amount of product that the recipe tells you to expect? You may be measuring your fruit wrong. 

Sorry for your problems, if you lived closer I would invite you over to help and learn.


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

I wish you were closer too! I could use some mentoring! I count the minute when it gets to a full rolling boil. Maybe I'm measuring the fruit wrong. I crush the berries and then measure. Am I supposed to use the measurement before crushing them? So, 7 cups whole berries and not 7 cups of crushed? Hmmm, Smuckers might be the answer, after all!


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Sometimes it can take up to 2 weeks for it to set so it might yet but I can't help but notice that you seem to be taking the 1 min. very literally.  It can easily cook - even at a hard active boil as long as you are stirring - much longer than that with no harm and with much better results.

Some instructions call for 2 mins., some for 3 mins. and some for as much as 10 mins. so perhaps all you need to do is not worry so much about the 1 min. part. And I agree with kmac - it has to be a full rolling boil that cannot be stopped with stirring - think erupting volcano. :stirpot:


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## Kringees Mom (Apr 24, 2010)

I'm a new jam and jelly maker... I'm still trying to get the hang of the jelly... Best tips I've learned are.... use a little extra pectin (about 1/3 of a package), and to keep a tablespoon in a glass of ice water after your second boil, test your jell using the cold spoon and scooping up some jelly, let it cool to room temp to see if its right....


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Candace said:


> I wish you were closer too! I could use some mentoring! I count the minute when it gets to a full rolling boil. Maybe I'm measuring the fruit wrong. I crush the berries and then measure. Am I supposed to use the measurement before crushing them? So, 7 cups whole berries and not 7 cups of crushed? Hmmm, Smuckers might be the answer, after all!


Never say quit LOL you will get this :heh: If your recipe calls for 7 cups of crushed fruit then you measure after crushing. 


What fruit are you trying to do? Do you have access to blueberries? They don't even need pectin, just add sugar and boil for about 20 minutes and you're good.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

I'm sure others will scoff at the notion, but I learned first hand to never use beet sugar when I can. Pure cane sugar sets up as it should, and, for me, beet sugar is very unpredictable. At least it's something for you to consider.


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## Michele of MI (Jul 8, 2009)

I have better luck with Pomona's pectin than the other type. For some reason, it sets up better, the other kinds were always sort of watery (although they were tasty anyway). You might try a couple different types of pectin and see if one of them works better for you.


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## MN Gardener (Jan 23, 2008)

Did you use to recipe from the box of pectin? I would boil it longer too


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Did you get the pectin boiling before you added the sugar? 
That one got me once...


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

Hmm, I don't have any problems with my jams and jellies not setting. But I will offer this observation: A full rolling boil is not quite the same as a boil you cannot stir down. It's a little intimidating looking at that volcano of super hot stuff going in the pot, isn't it? 

I wait until I have the "Can't stir down" action, then add my pectin. And yes, check the date on your pectin.


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

Well, last year and the year before, I didn't worry so much about the boiling time and since that didn't work I did take the minute boiling very literally since I had also read that overcooking could keep it from setting up. I followed the directions on Pioneer Woman since she includes photos. Still no good result although, it looks like I need to give things a few days to be really conclusive. However, I can see that there are several different techniques. Gone-a-Milking says to get the pectin boiling before adding the sugar. Pouncer adds the pectin after things get boiling (doesn't it clump?) From the looks of it, despite trying to reprocess, I have 10 pints of really yummy ice cream topping. Now, if I just liked ice cream, I'd be set! Thanks for all the suggestions though. I still have raspberries, blackberries and maybe elderberries.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

> I followed the directions on Pioneer Woman


Honestly that may be your primary problem as I have read other reports of problems with those particular instructions. IMO there are no better instructions than the ones that come on the pectin box insert. Nothing personal but they are literally fool-proof and my jam closet is proof.


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Sorry for your disappointment, Candace.

I make jam without using pectin.

Last year (and others) I made plum, and plum/nectarine jams.

I wash, pit and dice the fruit. Put it in a heavy-bottomed pot and add sugar to taste. That sounds kind of vague, maybe, but some people like it sweeter, some less so. But for two pounds of fruit you'll need at least 2-3 cups of sugar.

I stay by the pot almost the whole time. Bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Then lower heat until fruit-sugar mixture bubbles at medium rate.

At this point I just let it cook down, stirring frequently, until the mixture gets to 'sheeting' stage. The jam will sheet a spoon dipped. 

From here on I process in hot water bath, as usual.

It turns out sooooooo good.


stef


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

Thanks, the first year I made jam I had to reprocess (my standard procedure!ha) and that's what I did. I used a thermometer and did the same test til I got a "sheet" of syrup from my spoon. It did end up making the fruit so much darker but it did work. I think the frustrating thing for me is that it's easy so why can't I make it work?! I appreciate everyone's advice - all of it very helpful!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Candace, are you using a commercial pectin?


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

Yes, I used the liquid pectin the first time and then when I reprocessed, I tried the powdered. I'm a multi-media failure. lol


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Candace said:


> However, I can see that there are several different techniques. Gone-a-Milking says to get the pectin boiling before adding the sugar. Pouncer adds the pectin after things get boiling (doesn't it clump?)


Hmm, I had to go back and read Pouncer's instructions because the first time through I read that as sugar, not pectin and I still wonder if that's what she meant. I'm no expert but I've never seen any recipe that calls for boiling prior to adding the pectin? :shrug:

I crush the fruit, measure, add the pectin and stir well -- are you making sure your pectin is mixed thoroughly into the fruit? 

I bring that to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scald, and then dump the sugar in all at once -- are you adding the sugar all at once, not cup by cup? 

Stirring constantly -- do you stir constantly at this point? -- I bring that back to a hard boil that cannot be stirred down and maintain for a minute (ish). 

And the remove it from the heat and pack the jars. 

Another thought, I've never used it but maybe cooking to temperature rather than some of the other more subjective tests would work better for you. You need to know the boiling point of water at your altitude, and then you cook the jam until it reaches 8 degrees F higher than that.


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

Candace said:


> Yes, I used the liquid pectin the first time and then when I reprocessed, I tried the powdered. I'm a multi-media failure. lol


And you are following the directions on the package, not what someone else has told you to do instead?


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## Candace (Jan 14, 2008)

I am giving it a shot again tonight and using the directions in the pectin package PLUS following Olivehill's technique and we'll see how it goes. If nothing else, we'll be having a lot of fruit syrup on pancakes this year. Thanks everyone!


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

Dropping back in to clarify for you all......I follow the pectin package insert completely. Or get it direct off the pectin makers' website if my particular fruit (or combination) is not on the sheet. 

My point about the difference between "full rolling boil" and a "boil that can't be stirred down" was pretty simple-a person can stir down a full rolling boil. The other stage continues to stay very foamy in the pot. On my stove, it takes about 20 seconds between the one stage and the next and I just had a hunch that our OP might possibly have not brought the contents up to highest action before beginning timing. 

Also, keep in mind that for some fruits and pectin combinations, the pectin is added at different stages. One is added after everything comes to a boil and the other before. For liquid pectin, as I recall, you bring everything up to a hard boil, add your pounch(es), stir that in, and begin timing when you have the "can't be stirred down" stage. I stir the whole thing pretty much constantly from beginning to end too. 

I set the pot off the heat, fish my jars out of their boiling pot, and begin filling as quickly as I can. I seldom have a failure and in fact, I made two large batches of blackberry jam that actually set really hard. Makes super good ice cream topping if zapped in the microwave though, lol!


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

A rolling boil shouldn't be able to be stirred down.

Sometimes if it doesn't jell right you can add a little lemon juice. Also I've noticed on rainy days for some reason it is way harder to get it to jell.


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