Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600891
10/13/97

MAKING JAMS AND JELLIES WITH ADDED PECTIN


     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                                           


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