Pectin question

[PAULW]

I am having trouble getting my raspberry jelly to set, I know raspberries are low in pectin and have tried adding powdered pectin but it just seems to ball up when I put it in the pan when would be the best time to add it when I am first cooking the fruit or is there some way of making a paste that would mix better .

[shirlthegirl43]

I have never tried powdered pectin, I use Certo liquid pectin which you add after boiling the fruit and sugar for around 10 mins.

Do the instructions not say how best to add it? If not, maybe mix to a paste with a little water, add a bit more water to make it pour easily, then stir in.

[Alison]

I just put lemon juice in before I boil up so that the pectin that is in the fruit is activated. Works well for me and is nice and easy.

[SarzWix]

I'd definitely try mixing it up with some cold water before pouring it in, and have the mixture already moving before you start pouring. I usually use Jam sugar with pectin already added, so I've never tried the powdered stuff.

[rogesse]

Hadn't heard of 'certo' until looking for a rosehip jelly reciepe - but for what it's worth - my mum was a great jam maker and she used to swear by putting in the pips for the pectin (later fished out)

helps it set apparently!

[PAULW]

Thanks for the replies its silver spoon dry pectin and the only instructions comes with a recipe for microwave jam where it says add sugar and pectin into boiling mixture, will def try lemon juice and will look out for liquid pectin

[Flummery]

Lemon juice usually does the trick with any fruit and the new jam sugars are great. If I don't feel I have time to boil and test for 45 minutes or so, I use jam sugar. It really works - pectin added

[Alison]

I'm too tight to buy jam sugar, work on the principle that my nan made lovely jam and she never used stuff like that!

[PAULW]

Looks like the lemon has worked, I think part the problem could be is that I have started using a jelly net so I may not be cooking the fruit for long enough to release the little bit of pectin it has although I am adding apples to the cooking for their pectin, any way I went mad and bought myself a preserving pan which I will be able to cook the fruit for longer without worrying about the pan boiling over.
Can anyone tell me the differance between jam sugar and preserving sugar?

[WrexTheDragon]

I have never added extra pectin to my jams and never had a problem.

Skins, pips and stones all go in for the boil and can be sieved out later (good sources of pectin). Lemon is always added.

[WrexTheDragon]

Can anyone tell me the differance between jam sugar and preserving sugar?

They are the same thing.

I would never boil fruit in a bag, if this is what you did?? You will find that the jam pan does made a big difference.

[BarleySugar]

Looks like the lemon has worked, I think part the problem could be is that I have started using a jelly net so I may not be cooking the fruit for long enough to release the little bit of pectin it has although I am adding apples to the cooking for their pectin, any way I went mad and bought myself a preserving pan which I will be able to cook the fruit for longer without worrying about the pan boiling over.
Can anyone tell me the differance between jam sugar and preserving sugar?

I remember learning the theory behind jam making from my o-level days (I think, if anyone knows differently, I plead senility)
If fruit is low in acid, then it is harder to extract any pectin already present, which is why lemon juice is added to the fruit when you simmer it. Pips, stones and skins all contain more pectin than the actual fruit and the pectin needs to be extracted before the sugar is added. Stones and pips can be removed from the fruit and put in a bag to boil, so you don't need to pick them out later (e.g for plum jam and marmalade), or you can sieve the fruit pulp to remove them. Jelly is just strained through the bag to get the juice, so the pulp is left behind (I then sieve this and sweeten it to use in other recipies to save wasting it)
Once the sugar is added, the jam is boiled until the correct ratio of sugar to water is obtained, which is why you should not add more water than needed to pulp the fruit. The temperature is 104C if you have a thermometer.
As far as jam sugar and preserving sugar, one has pectin added, the other is just a quick dissolveing one without pectin. I think the jam sugar is the one with pectin, and you only boil the jam for 4 minutes, although I find the set is a bit stiff. I always use it for raspberry jam and bramble jelly, rather than adding apples and diluting the flavour.

[rustylady]

Looks like the lemon has worked, I think part the problem could be is that I have started using a jelly net so I may not be cooking the fruit for long enough to release the little bit of pectin it has although I am adding apples to the cooking for their pectin, any way I went mad and bought myself a preserving pan which I will be able to cook the fruit for longer without worrying about the pan boiling over.
Can anyone tell me the differance between jam sugar and preserving sugar?

When you're making jelly you need to cook the fruit long and slow over a low heat to release all the juices and pectin. No way should it be boiling.

[PAULW]

Once again thanks for all your replies, you are all adding peices to the jigsaw and the picture is starting to appear, this is really my first year of jam making apart from three jars of raspberry curd I made last year which turned out all right must have been beginers luck.

[Alison]

As I remember, jam sugar is simply sugar made from larger granules which makes it easier to disolve without it burning. To me it always seems a waste of money as it's not difficult to slowly warm the fruit and get the sugar to disolve fully before you boil up to setting point. You can also get sugar with added pectin (this may be preserving sugar but I may have got that wrong) which a lot of people like but I've never found necessary.