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If you cook the fruit before adding sugar, it activates whatever pectin there may be.
If fruit is over-ripe, it will have reduced pectin levels.
Acid activates pectin (eg lemon juice).
The biggest advantage of the proper jam pan (apart from size) is that being wider at the top, it reduce the risk of boiling over.
If you add water when you start the cooking, you will just have to boil it off again to get a set, that is all the 'boil to set' bit does, it reduces the water content until the proportion of sugar-plus-pectin is enough to get a good set.
Make sure the sugar is TOTALLY dissolved before turning the heat up to full. The commonest cause of burning is undissolved sugar on a very hot pan-base (the shape of the maslin pan can help here as well).
If fruit is over-ripe, it will have reduced pectin levels.
Acid activates pectin (eg lemon juice).
The biggest advantage of the proper jam pan (apart from size) is that being wider at the top, it reduce the risk of boiling over.
If you add water when you start the cooking, you will just have to boil it off again to get a set, that is all the 'boil to set' bit does, it reduces the water content until the proportion of sugar-plus-pectin is enough to get a good set.
Make sure the sugar is TOTALLY dissolved before turning the heat up to full. The commonest cause of burning is undissolved sugar on a very hot pan-base (the shape of the maslin pan can help here as well).
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