During the last 25 years, recipes for uncooked freezer jams and jellies have been developed with commercial fruit pectin.
Uncooked jams are thick, sweet spreads made by mixing crushed or chopped fruits with pectin and sugar. Although jams hold their shape, they are generally less firm than jellies.
Uncooked jellies are usually made by mixing fruit juice with sugar and pectin. A good product is clear and firm enough to hold its shape when taken out of the container.
Uncooked preserves are spreads containing small, whole fruit or uniform-size pieces of fruit in a clear, slightly gelled syrup, which is created by mixing the fruit sugar and pectin. The fruit should be tender and plump.
Uncooked conserves are jam-like products made from a mixture of fruits. Conserves may also contain nuts, raisins, or coconut.
Uncooked marmalades are soft fruit jellies containing small pieces of fruit or peel. Marmalades often contain citrus fruit.
Fruit butters are sweet spreads made by cooking fruit pulp with sugar to a thick consistency. Spices are often added. Because butters are not gelled, there is no uncooked equivalent of this product.
People are attracted to freezer jams and jellies for the following reasons:
For successful jellied products, a proper ratio of fruit, pectin, acid, and sugar is needed.
For best color, flavor, and consistency, choose ripe fruit (shape is irrelevant). You can also use unsweetened, canned or frozen fruit, or fruit juice to make jellied products. If you preserve your own fruit or fruit juice, use some slightly underripe fruit (usually 1/4 slightly underripe and 3/4 fully ripe is recommended). Fruit to be used later for jam is best canned in its own juice. If adding sugar, note on each jar how much sugar it contains. This will be needed to adjust recipes later.
Pectin is the natural substance in fruit that causes the fruit juice to gel. Some kinds of fruit have enough natural pectin to make a firm gel; others require added pectin. The best type of pectin is found in just-ripe fruit. Pectin from underripe or overripe fruit will not form a gel. Fruits containing enough natural pectin to form a gel include crab apples, tart apples, sour blackberries, sour boysenberries, most plums, cranberries, lemons, and wild grapes (Eastern Concord variety). Fruits low in pectin include sweet cherries, quince, ripe blackberries, sour cherries, grapefruit, grape juice, grapes, melons, and oranges. With these latter fruits, you will usually need to add pectin. Fruits always requiring added pectin are peaches, pears, figs, apricots, elderberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes (Western Concord variety), guava, and pomegranates.
Commercial pectins are made from apples or citrus fruit and are available in both powdered and liquid forms. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions when using commercial pectin. The powdered and liquid forms are not interchangeable in recipes.
Commercial pectins may be used with any fruit. Unlike cooked jams and jellies, freezer jams and jellies can only be made using commercial pectin.
Acid aids in gel formation and enhances flavor. The acid content varies among fruits and is higher in underripe fruits. When fruits are low in acid, add lemon juice or citric acid. Added acid is always required with some types of commercial pectins. Sometimes the acid is already combined with the commercial pectin. Check the ingredients list.
Sugar must be present in the proper proportions with pectin and acid to make a good gel. Sugar also prevents the growth of microorganisms in the product and contributes to the taste. Never change the amount of sugar in a recipe.
Granulated white sugar (pure cane or beet) is usually used in homemade jellied fruit products. Sweeteners such as brown sugar, sorghum, and molasses are not recommended because their flavors overpower the fruit and their sweetnesses vary.
You can replace part but not all of the sugar with light corn syrup or light, mild honey. For best results, use tested recipes that specify honey or corn syrup.
Artificial sweeteners cannot be substituted for sugar in regular recipes because gel formation specifically requires sugar. Jellied fruit products without added sugar must be made using special recipes or special gelling products.
Basic equipment for making freezer jams and jellies include a bowl large enough to hold the fruit and sugar combination (2-3 quarts), a small pan to heat powdered pectin and water, measuring cups, and small and large mixing spoons.
If you will be extracting juice for jelly, you will also need a jelly bag or suitable cloth. Firm unbleached muslin or cotton flannel with the napped side turned in or four thicknesses of closely woven cheesecloth may be used. Jelly bags or cloths should be damp. Make sure the cheesecloth is not treated and is suitable for contact with food.
Store your freezer jams and jellies in glass or food-grade plastic containers. All containers should be moisture and vapor resistant.
For best results, follow the directions that come with the commercial pectin. Do not alter the recipe measurements.
Wash your moisture- and vapor-resistant containers in warm water and detergent, then air dry them. Sterilizing containers is not necessary. To maximize the strength of the gel, do not use jars larger than pint size.
Store freezer jams and jellies on the counter for the first 24 hours to maximize gel formation (a gel may not form if the jam is stored in the freezer immediately). If the room temperature is very hot (85 degrees or warmer), store the jams and jellies in the refrigerator for the first 24 hours to prevent fermentation.
Uncooked jams and jellies can be kept for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer. The product will remain safe in the freezer longer than a year, but a loss in quality may become noticeable. Freezer storage is best for maintaining the natural color and flavor. If kept at room temperature, jam and jellies will mold or ferment in a very short time.
Jellied products without sugar or with reduced sugar cannot be made by leaving the sugar out of the regular freezer jam or jelly recipe. However, they can be made by the following methods:
Follow the directions on the modified pectin box or in a no-sugar recipe exactly. Alterations in the recipe could result in product failure. Because these products do not have enough sugar to act as a preservative, they must be stored in the refrigerator during gel formation instead of on the counter. Freeze after 12-24 hours.
First, remake a trial batch using 1 cup of jam or jelly. Do not remake more than 8 cups at once. In a bowl, combine measured jam or jelly and 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice for each cup of jam or jelly. Stir well until sugar is dissolved (about 3 minutes). Add 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid pectin per cup of jam or jelly and stir until well blended (about 3 minutes). Pour into clean containers. Cover with tight lids. Let stand in refrigerator until set, then store in refrigerator or freezer.
Fermentation is caused by yeasts growing and multiplying in a warm, moist, food-rich environment. Live yeasts and molds live on the surface of unheated fruits. When sugar is added and the fruit sits at a very warm room temperature, all the requirements for yeast growth are fulfilled. Store the uncooked jam in the refrigerator so the yeasts are not at an optimal growing temperature.
Soft or fuzzy white spots indicate mold growth. If this is the case, throw the jam out. Mold growth can occur if the jam is kept out of the freezer for an extended period or if the freezer is not kept at 0 degrees F.
Hard white spots indicate crystallization of the sugar pectin or, possibly, a chemical reaction among the compounds in the fruit, minerals in any added water, and materials in the mixing container. Small sugar crystals are hard to avoid in an uncooked jam. In any case, the crystals, though not aesthetically pleasing, are not harmful.
Causes of sugar crystals include too much sugar added to the fruit, sugar not thoroughly stirred into the fruit (until it was all dissolved), undissolved sugar sticking to sides of mixing bowl, fruit colder than room temperature so sugar doesn't dissolve completely.
To prevent sugar crystals, measure sugar carefully and stir it into fruit at or slightly warmer than room temperature. Stir for the recommended amount of time and carefully scrape sides of bowl to catch all stray sugar granules. Warming jam with sugar crystals may help redissolve the sugar. If you have a microwave, use it to heat the mixture. This will help maintain the bright color and fresh taste of a freezer jam.
The cause of pectin crystals may be the use of too much underripe fruit. Underripe fruit has more pectin than ripe fruit. The combination of commercial pectin with that in the underripe fruit is more than is needed. Warm the mixture to redissolve the crystals or strain them out.
To prevent pectin crystals, make sure the fruit is ripe but not overripe.
To prevent crystals resulting from chemical interactions, warm the jam to redissolve the crystals or strain them out. The crystals are harmless, but may be unsightly.
Crystals in grape juice could be tartrate crystals. Let freshly pressed grape juice stand for 24 hours in the refrigerator for tartrate crystals to form and settle out. Decant the juice and leave the sediment. Make jelly from the decanted juice.
If freezer jam is too firm, stir to soften. Causes of overly firm jam include storing the jam at overly cold temperatures, underripe fruit, and too much pectin.
If a freezer jam separates, stir to blend. Causes of separating jam include overripe fruit or too many larger pieces of fruit and putting jam in the freezer before a good gel has formed.
If jam is too soft, bring it to a boil on top of the stove or in the microwave. It will thicken on cooling. Causes of overly soft jam include overripe fruit, too much sugar, not enough acid, and putting jam in the freezer before a good gel has formed.
1 quart cleaned strawberries
3-4 teaspoons liquid artificial sweetener
1 package powdered pectin
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Red food coloring as desired
Yields 2 2/3 cups
Crush strawberries in 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Stir in artificial sweetener, food coloring, powdered pectin, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Continue to stir for 2 minutes. Pour into freezer containers, cover, and freeze. Thaw before serving. Store in refrigerator up to 4 weeks after opening. 1 Tablespoon = 5 calories.
Source: Michigan State University web site (http://lep.cl.msu.edu/msueimp/htdoc/mod01/01600299.html).
1 quart cleaned raspberries
3 to 4 teaspoons liquid artificial sweetener
1 package powdered pectin
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Yields 2 2/3 cups
Crush raspberries in saucepan. Stir in artificial sweetener, powdered fruit pectin, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Continue to stir for 2 minutes. Pour into freezer containers, cover, and freeze. Thaw before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. 1 Tablespoon = 5 calories.
Source: Michigan State University web site (http://lep.cl.msu.edu/msueimp/htdoc/mod01/01600309.html).
2 cups crushed strawberries or blackberries (about 1 quart whole)
4 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin
1 cup water
Yield 5 or 6 half-pint jars
Sort and wash fully ripe berries. Drain. Remove caps and stems. Crush berries. Place prepared berries in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Dissolve pectin in water and boil for 1 minute. Add pectin solution to berry-and-sugar mixture and stir for 2 minutes.
Pour jam into freezer containers or canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover containers and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until jam sets. Label and freeze. Store up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator after opening.
1 3/4 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 quart whole)
4 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 pouch liquid pectin
Measure 1 3/4 cups crushed strawberries. Place in large bowl. Add sugar; mix well and let stand 10 minutes.
Measure lemon juice into small bowl. Add liquid pectin and stir well. Stir into fruit and sugar and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
Pour jam into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover container. Let stand at room temperature until set (up to 24 hours). Freeze or refrigerate.
Source: So Easy to Preserve (Third Ed.) (1993). Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture, Athens.
2 cups lukewarm water
1 box powdered pectin
1 6-ounce can frozen grape juice concentrate
3 1/2 cups sugar
Mix the pectin slowly into the lukewarm water in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Stir constantly until pectin is completely dissolved. Let stand 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, but do not beat.
Thaw juice by placing can in cold water. When juice is thawed, pour into a 1-quart mixing bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar. Mix thoroughly. All the sugar will not be dissolved. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the dissolved pectin mixture. Stir constantly until all sugar is dissolved. Mix the juice with the pectin mixture. Stir constantly until all sugar is dissolved.
Pour into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover with a tight lid. Let stand at room temperature until set (up to 24 hours). Freeze or refrigerate.
Source: So Easy to Preserve (Third Ed.). Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture, Athens.
3 cups crushed blackberries or raspberries (about 1 1/2 quarts)
5 1/4 cups sugar
1 box powdered pectin
3/4 cup water
If berries are extremely seedy, put part or all of them through a sieve or food mill. Measure 3 cups of prepared berries and place in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Dissolve the powdered pectin in the water, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Add pectin to berries and sugar and stir for 3 minutes.
Pour the jam into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover container. Let stand at room temperature until set (up to 24 hours). Freeze or refrigerate.
Source: So Easy to Preserve (Third Ed.) (1993). Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture, Athens.
Complete Guide to Home Canning. United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539.
So Easy to Preserve (Third Ed.) (1993).Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture, Athens.
Preserving Food Safely (Version 3.0). Home Economics Library Program, Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State University.
Sharron Coplin, Extension Associate, Food and Nutrition
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