Grow It Eat It Preserve It! Jellied Products Jelly, Jam, Preserves, Conserves and Marmalades

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 2 Overview Jellied products Ingredients in jellied products Equipment and supplies Basic steps

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 3 Jellied Products Jelly, jam, preserves, conserves, marmalades Most preserved by sugar Characteristics vary with fruit Clarity, color, consistency and flavor

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 4 Jelly Cook fruit juice with sugar (also uncooked recipes) With or without pectin Clear or translucent (depending on juice) No sediment, pulp or crystals Holds shape when turned out of container Photograph from National Center for Home Food Preservation

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 5 Jams Thick, sweet spreads Chopped or crushed fruit cooked with sugar (or use uncooked recipes) Holds shape, but less firm than jellies Photograph from National Center for Home Food Preservation

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 6 Preserves Small, uniform pieces of fruit Clear, slightly gelled syrup

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 7 Conserves Similar to preserves Combination of fruits cooked with sugar Add coconut, nuts, raisins

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 8 Marmalades Soft fruit jellies Contain small pieces of fruit or peel evenly suspended in the transparent jelly Often contain citrus fruit

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 9 Other Products Butters o Sweet spreads o Cook fruit pulp with sugar, add spices Honeys Syrups

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 10 How are jellied products preserved? High sugar content Loss of water during cooking Acidity of products Cooking 10

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! Prevent molds and yeast Grow in an acid environment--like jellies Molds can produce mycotoxins that may be harmful Some people are sensitive to mold due to allergies and respiratory problems Easily destroyed at 140 o to 190 o F 11

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 12 Using paraffin to seal Not recommended Mold can grow under the paraffin and grow down into product 12

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 13 Ingredients Fruit Pectin Acid Sugar 13

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 14 Fruit Contributes color and flavor Contribute some or all of pectin and acid Use fresh, canned or frozen fruit or fruit juice (no added sugar) 14

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 15 Pectin Causes fruit to gel Sources of pectin o Naturally in fruit o Commercial pectin - Apple pectin - Citrus pectin 15

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 16 Pectin Amount varies with fruit and degree of ripeness o Just ripe fruit has best quality pectin o Under-ripe and over-ripe fruit will not gel well Jellies often need added pectin to hold their shape 16

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 17 Pectin Commercial pectin o Liquid o Dry Advantages o Cooking time is set and is shorter o Greater yield from same amount of fruit 17

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 18 Pectin Store in a cool, dry place Observe “use-by” dates Buy a 1-year supply Modified pectin for reduced sugar products o No added sugar o Less added sugar than regular recipes 18

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 19 Acid Needed for gel formation Provides flavor Higher in under-ripe fruits Add lemon juice or citric acid to increase acidity 19

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 20 Pectin and Acid in Fruits These fruits do not require extra pectin or acid: Apples, sour Blackberries, sour Crabapples Cranberries Currants Gooseberries Grapes (Eastern Concord) Lemons Loganberries Plums (not Italian) Quinces

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 21 Pectin and Acid in Fruits These fruits may need pectin or acid: Apples, ripe Blackberries, ripe Cherries, sour Chokeberries Elderberries Grapefruit Grape Juice, bottled (Eastern Concord) Grapes (California) Loquats Oranges

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 22 Pectin and Acid in Fruits These fruits always need added pectin, acid, or both: Apricots Blueberries Figs Grapes (Western Concord) Guavas Peaches Pears Plums (Italian) Raspberries Strawberries

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 23 Sugar Use granulated white sugar Works with pectin and acid to make gel Acts as a preservative Contributes to taste 1-23

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 24 To reduce sugar Modified pectin o Some need no sugar o Others need some sugar o May use an artificial sweetener o Processed like regular jellied products Regular pectin with special recipes o Formulated using regular pectin, without added sugar o Regular pectin has some sugar o Stored for short time in the refrigerator (or frozen) 24

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 25 To reduce sugar Recipes using gelatin o Unflavored gelatin thickens product o Can use artificial sweeteners o Stored in refrigerator Long-boil recipes o Boil fruit pulp for long periods o Can use artificial sweeteners o Processed like regular jellied products 25 Photograph from National Center for Home Food Preservation

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 26 Splenda ® Does not provide preservative properties like sugar Use as the optional sweetener in a jam or jelly made with a no-sugar needed pectin for flavor Do not use in long-boil or no-pectin-added jams and jellies intended for room temperature storage 26

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 27 Required Proper Ratio Fruit Pectin Acid Sugar DO NOT alter ingredients or proportions… o poor gel or no gel o mold formation 27

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 28 Equipment and Supplies Large saucepot Jelly bag or cloth Jelly, candy or deep fat thermometer Boiling water-bath canner ½ pint or pint Mason-type jars with two-piece lids 28

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 29 Basic Steps Fill water-bath canner and heat to 140 to 180 o F Wash and sterilize canning jars and rings (keep jars warm) Treat canning lids according to manufacturer’s directions 29

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 30 Basic Steps Prepare recipe (boil rapidly) Skim foam if necessary Pour hot product into jars leaving ¼- inch of headspace Wipe jar rim and add treated lid and screw band Process according to length of time in recipe directions 30

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 31 Basic Steps Remove from water-bath canner and do not move jars for 12 hours After 12 hours check for desired consistency and proper seal If not satisfied, you can remake 31

Grow It Eat It Preserve It! 32 Jelly Principles Do not alter recipe Follow procedures for low-sugar or no-sugar products (don’t just reduce sugar) Use good quality fruit, most should be just-ripe Process in a water-bath canner Use within a year for best quality 32