Grow It Eat It Preserve It!Jellied Products
Jelly, Jam, Preserves, Conserves and Marmalades
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Overview
• Jellied products• Ingredients in jellied products• Equipment and supplies• Basic steps
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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!
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!
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!
Preserves
• Small, uniform pieces of fruit
• Clear, slightly gelled syrup
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Conserves
• Similar to preserves• Combination of fruits cooked
with sugar• Add coconut, nuts, raisins
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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!
Other Products• Butters
o Sweet spreadso Cook fruit pulp with sugar, add spices
• Honeys• Syrups
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
How are jellied products preserved?
• High sugar content• Loss of water during cooking• Acidity of products• Cooking
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 140o to 190o F
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Using paraffin to seal
•Not recommended • Mold can grow under the paraffin and grow down into product
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Ingredients
• Fruit• Pectin• Acid• Sugar
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Fruit
• Contributes color and flavor
• Contributes some or all of pectin and acid
• Use fresh, canned or frozen fruit or fruit juice (no added sugar)
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Pectin
• Causes fruit to gel• Sources of pectin
o Naturally in fruito Commercial pectin
- Apple pectin- Citrus pectin
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Pectin• Amount varies with fruit and
degree of ripenesso Just ripe fruit has best
quality pectino Under-ripe and over-ripe
fruit will not gel well• Jellies often need added
pectin to hold their shape
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Pectin
• Commercial pectino Liquido Dry
• Advantageso Cooking time is set and is shortero Greater yield from same amount
of fruit
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Pectin• Store in a cool, dry place• Observe “use-by” dates• Buy a 1-year supply• Modified pectin for reduced
sugar productso No added sugaro Less added sugar than
regular recipes
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Acid
• Needed for gel formation• Provides flavor• Higher in under-ripe fruits• Add lemon juice or citric acid to increase acidity
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Pectin and Acid in FruitsThese 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!
Pectin and Acid in FruitsThese 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!
Pectin and Acid in FruitsThese 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!
Sugar
Use granulated white sugar • Works with pectin and acid to make gel• Acts as a preservative• Contributes to taste
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
To reduce sugar• Modified pectin
o Some need no sugaro Others need some sugaro May use an artificial sweetenero Processed like regular jellied products
• Regular pectin with special recipeso Formulated using regular pectin, without
added sugaro Regular pectin has some sugaro Stored for short time in the refrigerator
(or frozen)
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
To reduce sugar• Recipes using gelatin
o Unflavored gelatin thickens producto Can use artificial sweetenerso Stored in refrigerator
• Long-boil recipeso Boil fruit pulp for long periodso Can use artificial sweetenerso Processed like regular jellied
productsPhotograph from National Center for Home Food Preservation
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Required Proper Ratio• Fruit• Pectin• Acid• Sugar• DO NOT alter ingredients or
proportions…o poor gel or no gelo mold formation
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
Basic Steps
• Fill water-bath canner and heat to 140 to 180o F
• Wash and sterilize canning jars and rings (keep jars warm)
• Treat canning lids according to manufacturer’s directions
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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
Grow It Eat It Preserve It!
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
Top Related