Formation of Excess sugar Test fruit juice with jelmeter for
crystals proper proportions of sugar
Undissolved sugar Wipe side of pan free of crystals
sticking to sides with damp cloth before filling
of kettle jars
Tartrate crystals Make grape jelly stock, and let
in grape juice tartrate crystals settle out
before making jelly. Then strain
through two thicknesses of
cheesecloth to remove crystals
Mixture cooked too Cook at a rapid boil. Remove from
slowly or too long heat immediately when jellying
point is reached
Syneresis or Excess acid in Maintain proper acidity of juice
"weeping" juice makes
pectin unstable
Storage place too Store in a cool, dark and dry place
warm or storage
temperature
fluctuated
Paraffin seal too Seal jelly with a single thin layer
thick of paraffin 1/8 inch thick. Prick
air bubbles in paraffin
Too soft Overcooking fruit Avoid overcooking as this lowers
to extract juice the jellying capacity of pectin
Incorrect Follow recommended instructions
proportions of
sugar and juice
Undercooking Cook rapidly to jellying point
causing
insufficient
concentration
Insufficient acid Avoid using fruit that is overripe.
Lemon juice is sometimes added if
fruit is acid deficient
Making too large a Use only 4 to 6 cups of juice in
batch at one time each batch of jelly
Too stiff or Overcooking Cook jelly mixture to a temperature
tough 8° F higher than the boiling
point of water or until it
"sheets" from a spoon
Too much pectin in Use ripe fruit
fruit
Cloudy Green fruit (starch) Use firm, ripe fruits or slightly
underripe
Imperfect straining Do not squeeze juice but let it
drip through jelly bag
Jelly allowed to Pour into jars immediately upon
stand before it reaching jellying point. Work
was poured into quickly
jars or poured
too slowly
Bubbles Kettle was not held Hold kettle close to top of jar and
close to top of pour jelly quickly into jar
jar as jelly was
poured, or jelly
was poured slowly
and air became
trapped in hot
jelly
May denote spoilage. Follow recommended methods to get
airtight seal
If bubbles are
moving, do not use
Mold Imperfect seal Use recommended methods to get
(denotes airtight seal
spoilage;
do not use)
Lack of proper Sterilize jelly glasses and all
sanitation equipment used
To remake with powdered pectin, measure ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup water, and 4
teaspoons powdered pectin for each quart of jelly. Mix the pectin and
water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the jelly and the
sugar, stir thoroughly, and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat,
stirring constantly. Boil the mixture hard for 30 seconds, remove from
the heat, pour into hot containers and seal.
To remake with liquid pectin, measure ¾ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon
juice, and 2 tablespoons liquid pectin for each quart of jelly. Bring
the jelly to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar, lemon juice and
liquid pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil the
mixture hard for 1 minute. Remove the jelly from the heat, skim, pour
into hot, sterilized containers and seal.
High quality jellied products depend on many factors so there may be
several possible solutions to problems in making these products. Some
common problems and their prevention are given in the table.
For Further Reading:
_How To Make Jellies, Jams and Preserve at Home_, H&G Bul No. 56, on
sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. 55¢.