J

elly, jam, preserves, conserves,

marmalades and fruit butters are
similar products. All are made
from fruit, preserved by sugar and
thickened or gelled to some extent.
Ingredients
To gel properly, sweet spreads must
contain the right combination of fruit,
pectin, acid and sugar. The fruit gives
each spread its unique avor and
color. Fruit also supplies the water
needed to dissolve the other ingredi-
ents and some or all of the pectin and
acid. Good quality, avorful fruits make
the best sweet spreads.
If combined with the right amount of
acid and sugar, pectins cause a gel to
form. All fruits contain some pectin.
Apples, crabapples, gooseberries and
some plums and grapes contain
enough natural pectin to form a gel.
Other fruits, like strawberries, cherries
and blueberries, contain little natural
pectin. They must be mixed with other
fruits high in pectin or with commercial
pectin products for a gel to form. Fully
ripened fruit contains less pectin, so
combine it with one-fourth underripe
fruit when making sweet spreads
without added pectin.
Caution: Commercially frozen
and canned juices are low in natural
pectins and make soft-textured
sweet spreads. Use only in recipes
calling for added pectin.
The right amount of acid is critical
to gel formation. With too little acid, the
gel will never set. Too much acid will
cause the gel to lose liquid (weep). If
fruits are low in acid, add lemon juice
or other acid ingredients as directed.
Commercial pectin products contain
enough acid to ensure gelling.
Sugar helps preserve sweet
spreads, contributes avor and aids in
gelling. Granulated white sugar is most
often used to make jelly or jam. You
can replace part of the sugar with corn
syrup or honey, but too much masks
the fruit avor and changes the gel
structure. Use tested recipes for
replacing sugar with honey and corn
syrup. Don't reduce the amount of
sugar in traditional recipes, because a
gel won't form, and yeasts and molds
may grow in the sweet spreads.
Artical sweeteners cannot be sub-
stituted for sugar in regular recipes
because the sugar is needed for gel
formation. Look for tested recipes on
making jellied products without added
sugar.
Don't seal it with a kiss
use the right lids and proce-
dures to prevent spoilage
Even though sugar helps preserve
sweet spreads, molds can still grow on
FOOD PRESERVATION
Tempt your tastebuds with natural sweets
Jam and Jelly
Basics
Nutritional Sciences
University of Missouri Extension
Published by University of Missouri Extension GH1461

Information from
Human
Environmental
Sciences
Extension


Quality for Keeps
Jelly is a mixture of fruit juice and
sugar that is clear and rm
enough to hold its shape.
Other sweet spreads, like
jam, are made from crushed or
chopped fruit. Jam holds its
shape, but is less rm than jelly.
When jams are made from a mix-
ture of fruits they are usually
called conserves, especially
when they contain citrus fruits,
nuts, raisins or coconut.
Preserves are made of small,
whole fruits or pieces of fruits in
a clear, thick, slightly gelled
syrup.
Marmalades are soft, transparent
fruit jellies that contain small
pieces of fruit or citrus peel.
Fruit butters are made from fruit
pulp cooked with sugar until
thickened.
2 Human Environmental Sciences Extension
the surface of these products unless
they are heat-processed. It is not a
safe practice to scrape the mold off
the surface of sweet spreads and use
what's left in the jar. Poisons called
mycotoxins known to cause cancer
in animals have been found in some
jars of jelly with surface mold growth.
The effects of mycotoxins on humans
are still being researched, so you
should discard any sweet spread con-
taining mold.
Paraffin or wax seals don't
prevent mold growth and are no
longer recommended for sealing any
sweet spread, including jelly.
To prevent mold growth and to keep
good avor and color, pour hot sweet
spreads into sterilized jars; leave
-inch headspace. Seal with two-piece
lids, and process as directed in Table
1 (Page 5). Be sure to use the pro-
cessing time recommended for your
altitude.
Sweet spreads are best if eaten
within one year.
Methods for making
jams and jellies
You can make jams and jellies with
or without added pectin. Only use the
standard method of making sweet
spreads without added pectin
with fruits naturally high in pectin. It is
much faster to make sweet spreads
with added powdered or liquid pectin.
For the best results, follow specic
directions on packages of commercial
pectins.
Making jelly without added
pectin
Use only rm fruits naturally high in
pectin. Mix about three-fourths ripe
and one-fourth underripe fruit. One
pound of fruit will make at least 1 cup
of clear juice. Adding peels and cores
while the fruit is cooking will add pectin
to the juice and make your jelly rmer.
Do not use commercially canned or
frozen fruit juices, because their pectin
content is too low.
Wash all fruits thoroughly before
cooking. Cut rm, larger fruits into
small pieces. Crush soft fruits or
berries. Add water to fruits as directed
in Table 2 (Page 5). Put fruit and water
in a large saucepan and bring to a
boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for
the amount of time listed or until the
fruit is soft.
Press soft fruit lightly through a col-
ander. Then, let juice drip through a
double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly
bag. Pressing or squeezing the cooked
fruit will cause cloudy jelly.
Use no more than six cups to eight
cups of fruit juice at a time and
combine the right amounts of juice,
sugar and lemon juice, as directed in
Table 2 (Page 5). Heat to boiling. Stir
until the sugar is dissolved. Boil over
high heat, stirring frequently, until the
gelling point is reached. Test for the
gelling point with one of the following
methods:
Temperature test
Use a jelly or candy thermometer,
and boil until mixture reaches the fol-
lowing temperature at your altitude.
If your altitude
is:
Boil until mix-
ture reaches:
Sea level 220 degrees F
1,000 feet 218 degrees F
2,000 feet 216 degrees F
Sheet or spoon test
Dip a cool metal spoon into the
boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon
out of the steam, about 12 inches
above the pan. Turn the spoon so the
liquid runs off the side. The jelly is
done when the syrup forms two drops
that ow together and sheet or hang
off the edge of the spoon. See Figure 1
(Page 6).
When the gelling point is reached,
remove jelly from the heat and quickly
skim off foam. Use a wide-mouth
funnel, and pour the jelly into sterilized
Jam and jelly gems
Overcooking jam and jelly can break down pectin and prevent proper
gelling.
Always make only one batch at a time. Making more than one batch at a
time (doubling or tripling the recipe) often results in soft gels.
Stir constantly while cooking to prevent burning.
Remember that recipes are developed for specifc jar sizes. Using larger
jars may cause excessively soft sweet spreads.
3
jars. Leave -inch headspace. Adjust
lids and process as directed in Table 1
(Page 5).
Making jam without added
pectin
For best avor, use fully ripe fruit.
Wash and rinse all fruit thoroughly
before cooking. Don't soak. Remove
stems, skins and pits from fruit; cut fruit
into pieces and crush. Remove stems
and blossoms and crush berries. Put
seedy berries (such as raspberries
and blackberries) through a sieve or
food mill. Do not puree fruit this will
change the acid level and cause a
weak gel.
Use the ingredient amounts given in
Table 3 (Page 6) and measure crushed
fruit and sugar into a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil while stirring rapidly and
constantly. Continue to boil until the
jam thickens. When testing for thick-
ness, remember that jam continues to
thicken as it cools. Test for thickness
using one of the following methods:
Temperature test
Use a jelly or candy thermometer
and boil until jam reaches the right
temperature for your altitude. (See
directions for jelly.)
Refrigerator test
Remove all the jam from the heat
and pour a small amount of boiling jam
on a cold plate. Put the plate in the
freezing compartment of a refrigerator
for a few minutes. If the jam gels, it is
thick enough.
When jam is done, remove it from
the heat and quickly skim off foam.
Use a wide-mouth funnel to pour the
jam into sterilized jars. Leave -inch
headspace. Adjust lids and process as
directed in Table 1 (Page 5).
Making jelly and jam with
added pectin
You may use fresh fruits and juices
or commercially canned or frozen
juices ( or a combination) with com-
mercially prepared powdered or liquid
pectins. Complete directions for a
variety of fruits are provided with pack-
aged pectin. Always follow package
directions for combining ingredients.
Jelly or jam made with added pectin
requires less cooking, usually gives a
larger yield and has more natural fruit
avor. Also, using added pectin elimi-
nates the need to test for doneness.
You may add teaspoon of butter
or margarine to the juice and pectin to
reduce foaming; however, this may
cause off-avors during long-term
storage.
The following recipes are usually
available with packaged pectins:
Jellies
Apple, crabapple, blackberry,
boysenberry, dewberry, currant,
elderberry, grape, mayhaw, mint,
peach, plum, black or red raspberry,
loganberry, rhubarb and strawberry.
Jams
Apricot, blackberry, boysenberry,
dewberry, loganberry, red raspberry,
youngberry, blueberry, cherry, currant,
g, gooseberry, grape, orange marma-
lade, peach, pear, plum, rhubarb,
strawberry and spiced tomato.
Old pectin may not gel. Purchase it
as needed every year.
Grape-plum jelly with
pectin
3 pounds ripe plums
3 pounds ripe Concord grapes
1 cup water
teaspoon butter or margarine
(optional ingredient to reduce
foaming)
8 cups sugar
1 box (1 ounces) powdered
pectin
Yield
About 10 half-pints
Procedure
Wash and pit plums; do not peel.
Thoroughly crush plums and grapes,
one layer at a time, in a large sauce-
pan. Add water. Bring to a boil. Cover
and simmer 10 minutes.
Strain juice through a jelly bag or
double layer of cheesecloth. Measure
sugar and set aside. Combine 6
cups of juice with pectin in a large
saucepan. Add butter if desired. Bring
to a hard boil over high heat, stirring
constantly. Add the sugar and return to
a full, rolling boil. Boil hard for 1
minute, stirring constantly. Remove
from heat, skim off foam and quickly
pour into sterilized half-pint jars. Leave
-inch headspace. Adjust lids, and
process the jars as directed in Table 1
(Page 5).
Blueberry-spice jam with
pectin
2 pints ripe blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
teaspoon ground nutmeg or
cinnamon
5 cups sugar
cup water
1 box (1 ounces) powdered
pectin
Yield
About 5 half-pints
Procedure
Wash and thoroughly crush
blueberries, one layer at a time, in a
large saucepan. Add lemon juice,
spice and water. Stir in pectin, and
bring to a full, rolling boil over high
heat. Stir frequently. Add the sugar and
return to a full, rolling boil. Boil hard for
1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove
from heat, quickly skim off foam and
4 Human Environmental Sciences Extension
pour into sterilized half-pint jars. Leave
-inch headspace. Adjust lids and
process the jars as directed in Table 1
(Page 5).
Pear-apple jam with pectin
2 cups fully ripe pears, peeled,
cored and nely chopped (about
2 pounds)
1 cup apples, peeled, cored and
nely chopped (about 1 large)
6 cups sugar
teaspoon ground cinnamon
/3 cup bottled lemon juice
6 ounces liquid pectin
Yield
About 7 half-pints to 8 half-pints
Procedure
Crush pears and apples in a large
saucepan and stir in cinnamon.
Thoroughly mix sugar and lemon juice
into fruits, and bring to a boil over high
heat, stirring constantly. Immediately
stir in pectin. Bring to a full, rolling boil
and boil 1 minute. Stir constantly.
Remove from heat; quickly skim off
foam and pour into sterilized, half-pint
jars. Leave -inch headspace. Adjust
lids and process the jars as directed in
Table 1 (Page 5).
Strawberry-rhubarb jelly
with pectin
1 pounds red stalks of rhubarb
1 quarts ripe strawberries
teaspoon butter or margarine
(optional ingredient to reduce
foaming)
6 cups sugar
6 ounces liquid pectin
Yield
About 7 half-pints.
Procedure
Wash and cut rhubarb into 1-inch
pieces and blend or grind. Wash and
stem strawberries, then crush berries
one layer at a time. Put both fruits in a
jelly bag or double layer of cheese-
cloth and gently squeeze out juice.
Measure 3 cups of juice into a large
saucepan. Thoroughly mix sugar into
juice and add butter if desired. Bring
to a boil over high heat, stirring con-
stantly. Immediately stir in pectin. Bring
to a full, rolling boil and boil hard 1
minute. Stir constantly. Remove from
heat, quickly skim off foam and pour
into sterilized, half-pint jars. Leave
-inch headspace. Adjust lids and
process the jars as directed in Table 1
(Page 5).
Berry syrup
Juices from fresh or frozen blueber-
ries, cherries, grapes, raspberries
(black or red) and strawberries are
easily made into toppings for use on ice
cream and pastries.
Yield
About 9 half-pints
Procedure
Select 6 cups of fresh or frozen
fruit of your choice. Wash, cap and
stem fresh fruit and crush in a sauce-
pan. Heat to boiling and simmer until
soft (5 to 10 minutes). Strain hot berries
through a colander and let drain until
cool enough to handle. Strain the col-
lected juice through a double layer of
cheesecloth or jelly bag. Discard the
dry pulp. The yield of the pressed juice
should be about 4 cups to 5 cups.
Combine the juice with 6 cups of
sugar in a large saucepan, bring to boil
and simmer 1 minute. To make a syrup
with whole fruit pieces, save 1 or 2
cups of the whole fresh or frozen fruit,
combine with the sugar and crushed
fruit and simmer as in making regular
syrup. Remove from heat, skim off foam
and pour into clean, half-pint or pint
jars. Leave -inch headspace. Adjust
lids and process as directed in Table 1.
Apple butter
Use Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman,
Golden Delicious, MacIntosh, or other
tasty apple varieties for good results.
8 pounds apples
2 cups cider
2 cups vinegar
2 cups white sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
Yield
About 9 half-pints to 10 half-pints
Procedure
Wash, remove stems, quarter and
core fruit. Cook slowly in cider and
vinegar until soft. Press fruit through a
colander, food mill or strainer. Cook fruit
pulp with sugar and spices, stirring fre-
quently. To test for doneness, remove a
spoonful and hold it away from steam
for two minutes. Apple butter is done if
it remains mounded on the spoon. Or,
test for doneness by spooning a small
amount onto a plate. When a rim of
liquid does not separate around the
edge of the apple butter, it is ready for
processing. Fill hot, sterilized, half-pint
or pint jars. Leave -inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process as directed in
Table 1 (Page 5).
Remaking soft
jellies
Measure jelly to be recooked. Work
with no more than 4 to 6 cups at a
time.
To remake with powdered
pectin
For each quart of jelly, mix cup
sugar, cup water, 2 tablespoons
bottled lemon juice and 4 teaspoons
powdered pectin. Bring to a boil while
stirring.
Add jelly and bring to a rolling boil
over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil
hard minute.
University of Missouri Extension 5
Remove from heat, quickly skim off
foam and pour into sterilized jars.
Leave -inch headspace. Adjust new
lids and process the jars as directed in
Table 1 (below).
To remake with liquid pectin
For each quart of jelly, measure
cup sugar, 2 tablespoons bottled
lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons liquid
pectin. Bring jelly only to boil over high
heat, while stirring. Remove from heat
and quickly add the sugar, lemon
juice, and pectin. Bring to full rolling
boil, stirring constantly.
Boil hard for 1 minute, then remove
from heat. Quickly skim off foam and
ll sterilized jars. Leave -inch head-
space. Adjust new lids and process
the jars as directed in Table 1 (below).
To remake without added
pectin
For each quart of jelly, add 2 table-
spoons bottled lemon juice. Heat to
boiling and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Use
one of the tests described above to
determine if jelly is done.
Remove from heat, quickly skim off
foam and ll sterilized jars. Leave
-inch headspace. Adjust new lids
and process the jars as directed in
Table 1 (below).
Table 1. Recommended processing times for sweet spreads in a boiling-water canner
Product Style of pack Jar size
Process times at different altitudes
(in minutes)
01,000 feet 1,0016,000 feet
All jellies and jams with or without
added pectin
Hot Half-pints or
pints
5 10
Berry syrup Hot Half-pints or
pints
10 15
Apple butter Hot Half-pints or
pints
5 10
When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes.
Remove jars from canner; use a jar lifter and keep jars upright. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack, leaving at
least 1 inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft. Cool jars upright for 1224
hours while vacuum seal is drawn and jam or jelly sets up.
Table 2. Making jelly without added pectin
To make juice To make jelly
Fruit
Cups of water
to be added per
pound of fruit
Minutes to simmer
before separating
out juice
Cups of sugar to
add to each cup
of strained juice
Lemon juice
(optional)
How many half-
pints of jelly you
will get from 4 cups
of juice
Apples, tart 1 2025 1 teaspoons 45
Berries 0 510 1 none 78
Crabapples 1 2025 1 none 45
Grapes, Eastern
Concord
0 510 1 none 89
Plums, not Italian 1520 none 89
Issued in furtherance of the Cooperative Extension Work Acts of May 8 and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture.
Director, Cooperative Extension, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
an equal opportunity/ADA institution 573-882-7216 extension.missouri.edu
$.75 GH1461 Revised 3/10/5M
Table 3. Making jam without added pectin
Fruit Cups of crushed fruit
Cups of sugar to add
to crushed fruit
Tablespoons
of lemon juice
How many half-pints
you will get
Apricots 44 4 2 56
Berries* 4 4 0 34
Peaches 56 45 2 67
*Includes: blackberries, boysenberries, dewberries, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Figure 1. The spoon or sheet test
When mixture frst boils, drops are
light and syrupy.
As mixture continues to boil, drops
become heavier and drop off spoon
two at a time.
When two drops form together and
"sheet" off the spoon, the gelling
point has been reached.
For more information, visit MU Extension:
http://extension.missouri.edu