Michigan
State University Extension
Preserving
Food Safely - 01600891
10/13/97
Fresh fruits and juices as well as commercially canned
or frozen fruit juice can be used with commercially prepared
powdered or liquid pectins. The order of combining
ingredients depends on the type of pectin used. Complete
directions for a variety of fruits are provided with
packaged pectin. Jelly or jam made with added pectin
requires less cooking and generally gives a larger yield.
These products have more natural fruit flavors, too. In
addition, using added pectin eliminates the need to test hot
jellies and jams for proper gelling. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of
butter or margarine with the juice and pectin will reduce
foaming. However, these may cause off-flavor in long-term
storage of jellies and jams.
Recipes available using packaged pectin include:
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, fig, gooseberry, grape, orange marmalade, peach,
pear, plum, rhubarb, strawberry, and spiced tomato.
Be sure to use hot, sterilized Mason canning jars,
(see directions below for sterilizing jars), self-sealing
two- piece lids, and a 5-minute process (corrected for
altitude, as necessary) in boiling water.
Purchase fresh pectin each year. Old pectin may result
in poor gels. Follow the instructions with each package and
process as below:
Sterilization of Empty Jars
To sterilize empty jars, place them right side up on
the rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and
jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops
of the jars. Boil 10 minutes at altitudes of less than
1,000 feet. At higher elevations, boil 1 additional minute
for each additional 1,000 feet elevation. Remove and drain
hot sterilized jars one at a time as filled.
RECOMMENDED PROCESS TIMES FOR JELLIES AND JAM
WITH ADDED PECTIN IN A BOILING-WATER CANNER
Process Times at Altitudes of
Style
of Jar 0- 1001- 6001-
Pack Size 1000 ft. 6000 ft. 8000 ft.
Hot Half-pints 5 min. 10 min. 15 min.
or pints