Making Jams, Jellies, and Preserves

Dieter Zakas said:

Hi, group!

I recently got the idea to probably try my hand at making some kind of fruit
spread. However, never having done that before - I'm a bachelor living by
myself - I need to learn how.

Now, I'm somewhat familiar with the differences between:

--Preserves: the whole fruit, or pieces thereof, in pectin and sugar.

--Jam: usually pieces of fruit, again preserved in a pectin-sugar
concoction.

--Jelly: usually the juice of a fruit, mixed with pectin and sugar. (Don't
get me started on some off-brand jellies that are little more than a fruit
juice mixed with pectin.)

(Note: If I'm wrong, please correct me. I'd appreciate it.)

In general, how would one go about making each of the above three? If you
can share advice, I'd welcome it. If you can point me to a specific
resource, I'd appreciate that, too.

On a related note, does anyone know, or has tried, making some kind of jam,
jelly or preserve out of fresh figs?

Before I go...I was chatting with an acquaintence of mine who's a dietitian,
and I suggested not only a fig spread - he loves figs - but I got to joking
around with making a "coffee jelly," which he suggested I might be onto
something. ("Tea jelly," anyone?) Heck, a coffee jelly would be great;
spread it on your toast, and you can skip drinking a cup of joe!

TIA

Dieter Zakas

Post this in rec.food.preserving and you should get lots of help -- it's
what we talk about over there. George makes really good fig preserves,
and I'll bet you could talk him into posting the recipe again.

I recommend you start with jam rather than jelly. Jam is easier, and
IMHO it tastes better (it just doesn't look as pretty).

Best regards,
Bob

Dieter Zakas said:

I recently got the idea to probably try my hand at making some kind of fruit
spread. However, never having done that before - I'm a bachelor living by
myself - I need to learn how.

It's a good thing to learn how to do. You can make good jams and jellies at home
at a fraction of the cost of buying them, and you have a much better product.

Quoted message said:

Now, I'm somewhat familiar with the differences between:

--Preserves: the whole fruit, or pieces thereof, in pectin and sugar.

--Jam: usually pieces of fruit, again preserved in a pectin-sugar
concoction.

--Jelly: usually the juice of a fruit, mixed with pectin and sugar. (Don't
get me started on some off-brand jellies that are little more than a fruit
juice mixed with pectin.)

(Note: If I'm wrong, please correct me. I'd appreciate it.)

That's basically it, except that you don't always need pectin. Some fruits have
enough pectin that you do not need to add any, and it is possible to simply cook
down fruit until it's natural supply does the job.

Quoted message said:

In general, how would one go about making each of the above three? If you
can share advice, I'd welcome it. If you can point me to a specific
resource, I'd appreciate that, too.

You start off with fresh ingredients, so that means it is a seasonal thing. When
the local produce is ripe and at the market you take it home and get started.
You can use frozen fruit.

You will need a supply of jam jars (and tops) which you can pick up at grocery
or hardware stores, lots of sugar and some reasonably fresh pectin. I use Certo.
Each package of Certo has an insert with recipes for jams and jellies. They are
tried and true recipes, so they are a good place to start.

The first step is to clean and sterilize the jars, tops and utensils. Prepare
the fruit as per the instructions. Put the fruit and sugar into a heavy pot and
bring it to a rolling boil and keep it boiling for a few minutes, again as per
the recipe. Take the pot off the heat and add the prescribed amount of Certo.
Some jams need to sit a minute or two to allow the bits of fruit to settle
evenly. Using sterilized utensils, pour the jam into the jars to about 1/4 "
from the top. Put the tops on and twist them tight. Sometimes you need to turn
them invert them a few times while they set to prevent the fruit from settling
to the top (or bottom). As the jars and their contents cool off you should hear
the tops popping. That's a good sign that they are properly sealed and there is
a vacuum.

FWIW, the next thing likely to be in season is Seville Oranges. They make the
best marmalade (IMO), and require no added pectin

Quoted message said:

Before I go...I was chatting with an acquaintence of mine who's a dietitian,
and I suggested not only a fig spread - he loves figs - but I got to joking
around with making a "coffee jelly," which he suggested I might be onto
something. ("Tea jelly," anyone?) Heck, a coffee jelly would be great;
spread it on your toast, and you can skip drinking a cup of joe!

Sorry, but I just can't imagine coffee jelly being very good. :-)

Dieter Zakas said:

Hi, group!

I recently got the idea to probably try my hand at making some kind of fruit
spread.

Try making apple butter: My mother lightly steamed good quality apples
(not mealy things like delicious), put them through the apple sauce
maker (metal blade with twirly handle that pushes apples through a
seive), and then put these over low heat in a heavy heavy pan, a stick
of cinn. one clove a few pinches sugar, and long slow cooking and
stirring a lot towards the end, until it is a dark, rich paste.

My other thought is freezer preserves. I've never ever flubbed them.
blacksalt

Dave Smith <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dieter Zakas wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Before I go...I was chatting with an acquaintence of mine who's a
dietitian, and I suggested not only a fig spread - he loves figs -
but I got to joking around with making a "coffee jelly," which he
suggested I might be onto something. ("Tea jelly," anyone?) Heck, a
coffee jelly would be great; spread it on your toast, and you can
skip drinking a cup of joe!

Sorry, but I just can't imagine coffee jelly being very good. :-)

Or tea jelly, for that matter. But fig jam is realllly good. In the
original post, the OP asked whether anyone had tried making a jam, melly
or preserve from fresh figs. I've not made it myself, but it is
commercially available here so I dare say there are plenty of recipes
around. And it tastes reallllly good (did I say that already??).

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

in article [email hidden], Rhonda Anderson
at [email hidden] wrote on 1/11/05 7:06:

Quoted message said:

Dave Smith <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dieter Zakas wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Before I go...I was chatting with an acquaintence of mine who's a
dietitian, and I suggested not only a fig spread - he loves figs -
but I got to joking around with making a "coffee jelly," which he
suggested I might be onto something. ("Tea jelly," anyone?) Heck, a
coffee jelly would be great; spread it on your toast, and you can
skip drinking a cup of joe!

Sorry, but I just can't imagine coffee jelly being very good. :-)

Or tea jelly, for that matter. But fig jam is realllly good. In the
original post, the OP asked whether anyone had tried making a jam, melly
or preserve from fresh figs. I've not made it myself, but it is
commercially available here so I dare say there are plenty of recipes
around. And it tastes reallllly good (did I say that already??).

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Thanks for all the help, guys! You're great!

Special note to Bob: thanks for pointing me to the rec.food.preserving NG!

As Peter Falk's Columbo used to say, "One more 'one more thing':" I've
accumulated a number of jars whose original contents were jams and jellies
of various kinds. Could I use these once I've sterilized them?

Dieter Zakas

Dieter Zakas said:

As Peter Falk's Columbo used to say, "One more 'one more thing':" I've
accumulated a number of jars whose original contents were jams and jellies
of various kinds. Could I use these once I've sterilized them?

The jam/preserving jars have some advantages. They have a nice wide top which
makes filling easy. The tops are interchangeable, so you don't have to scramble
around matching tops to jars. The tops are replaceable. Most stores that sell
the jars also sell the cap rings and sealer lids, together or separately.

You can definitely use old jars that have been washed and sterilized. My
mother used to use them all the time. A lot of her jam went into baby food
jars, small jars for samplers and the large size for regular use. She also used
old jars from commercial jams, peanut butter, honey, pickles etc. .

When using those jars it is difficult to get a good seal. Some of those jars
may have had some sort of paper or plastic sealer stuck on top of the jar or
inserted into the lid, so they simply cannot be relied upon. That is where
paraffin wax comes into the picture. While you are cooking up your jam you
melt some paraffin. It should be melted in a container immersed in boiling
water. Put the cooked jam into the jars and then pour some of the liquid wax
over the surface. Give the wax a few minutes to harden and then screw the top
on.

BTW... you should get a wide mouthed funnel to use when putting the hot jam
into the jars. You want to be careful not to slop the jam on the sides os the
jars because it will interfere with a good sanitary seal. There will be that
little gap where bacteria can get in and nibble on the jam, possibly getting
into the jar.

Dieter Zakas said:

in article [email hidden], Rhonda Anderson
at [email hidden] wrote on 1/11/05 7:06:

Quoted message said:

Dave Smith <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Dieter Zakas wrote:

Quoted message said:

>Before I go...I was chatting with an acquaintence of mine who's a
>dietitian, and I suggested not only a fig spread - he loves figs -
>but I got to joking around with making a "coffee jelly," which he
>suggested I might be onto something. ("Tea jelly," anyone?) Heck, a
>coffee jelly would be great; spread it on your toast, and you can
>skip drinking a cup of joe!

Sorry, but I just can't imagine coffee jelly being very good. :-)

Or tea jelly, for that matter. But fig jam is realllly good. In the
original post, the OP asked whether anyone had tried making a jam, melly
or preserve from fresh figs. I've not made it myself, but it is
commercially available here so I dare say there are plenty of recipes
around. And it tastes reallllly good (did I say that already??).

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Thanks for all the help, guys! You're great!

Special note to Bob: thanks for pointing me to the rec.food.preserving NG!

As Peter Falk's Columbo used to say, "One more 'one more thing':" I've
accumulated a number of jars whose original contents were jams and jellies
of various kinds. Could I use these once I've sterilized them?

You can probably reuse them, but reusing the jars might be a false
economy unless standard canning jar lids fit them.

The lid matters more than the jar unless you are going to seal them the
old fashioned way with paraffin. (In this case, "old fashioned" is not
good; paraffin is expensive and would often lose the seal and your jam
would mold.)

Canning jars are not very expensive and are designed to be used over and
over again -- you just use a new lid each time. New jelly jars with
lids and rings are about $5 per dozen at Bit Lot's. New lids without
rings are about $1 per box of a dozen.

Best regards,
Bob