If your jam or jelly isn’t set, don’t despair! Here are some ideas on how to rescue it.
Even for the experienced, there is a certain amount of trepidation about opening the first pot of a new batch of jam? Has it set? Is it too set? Or is is just perfect – jellified enough to spread, but not too much.
If it hasn’t set, and is just a thick, fruity liquid, don’t panic! There are lots of possible solutions.
See Also:
- Jam vs jelly – what’s the difference?
- Which leads on to our best jam and jelly recipes.
- Small batch preserving : our favourite technique for great flavoured jams and jellies.
Why hasn’t my jam set?
I go into much more detail about jam setting points in my post about that subject. In order for a jam to set, you need enough pectin and acid. If either are missing, the jam or jelly won’t set. You can test for both pectin and acid levels.
Then, if there is enough pectin, the jam needs to be boiled for long enough to allow the pectin molecules to bind together.
If your jam hasn’t set, here are some thoughts on what to do.
First – leave it for a while
Pectin can take a day or two to properly set, so leave the jam for 48 house to see if it sets. I find it also helps to put it in the fridge to help the process along.
Is It over or under cooked?
If the jam still isn’t set, the question is: assuming enough acid and pectin, is the jam over or under cooked? If you weren’t sure whether you had reached the setting point, then it’s quite possible the jam was undercooked.
The remedy for undercooked jam is to reboil it. Put all the jam into a saucepan and heat it up again to the setting point. Keep checking the temperature and the flake test
If, on the other hand, the temperature went well over the setting point, then it’s possible that the jam is overcooked, and the pectin has broken down.
In that case, the jam can’t easily be re-set, so if it doesn’t taste burnt, it’s best to re-purpose it as a topping for ice cream or similar use.
Did I need to add pectin?
Some fruits need added pectin in order to set. There are full details of how to test for pectin levels to in my post about everything you need to know about pectin.
If the fruit you are using has low pectin levels, then you can add some more pectin and reboil the jam.
Pectin is available in both powdered and liquid forms. Read the instructions on the packet to give quantities, add all the jam to a saucepan and stir in the pectin. Clean and re-prepare the jam jars.
Reheat, and reboil the jam, checking that you have reached the setting point. Refill the jars and put the lids on as normal.
Not enough sugar?
Did you try and cut down on the sugar levels? This can lead to jam not setting – sugar is necessary to absorb water, which helps the pectin to jellify. Also, high sugar levels are necessary to preserve the jam.
It’s best to stick to the recipe when measuring out the sugar. There’s no easy way of getting around it; jam has sugar in it.
If you are concerned about the levels of sugar you’re eating, it’s probably best to treat home made jam as an occasional treat.
Not enough acid?
Likewise, acid is necessary for the pectin to jellyify the jam. If the fruit is insufficiently acid, lemon juice needs to be added.
Check the lists of fruit acid and pectin levels to see if your fruit is low acid. If so, add lemon juice – the recipe will probably require it anyway.
You can measure acid levels with either an electronic pH metre – easily available online, or with pH paper, for those who remember their chemistry from school.
In order to be safe, jam needs a pH of lower than 4.6, and in order for the jam to set it needs to be even lower, between 3.1 and 3.6.
The low oven technique
Some people recommend spreading out jam on a clean dish and cooking in a low oven for an hour or two. While this will thicken the jam, it won’t make a runny jam jellify. You’ll just have a thicker liquid.
Adding gelatine or chia seeds
I have seen some recommendations of using either gelatine or chia seeds to jellify the jam. I wouldn’t do this, as I would prefer not to have either the texture of a gelatine – too solid, or the added taste of chia seeds. I would rather re-purpose the jam.
Just re-purpose the jam.
One option is not to do anything, but just repurpose the jam. Use it as a topping for ice cream, or incorporate it into a bake.
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