Novice Jelly maker please help!!

[selfraising]

Hi
I started making some blackberry and elderberry jelly yesterday with added apples. I added 1 pint of water as per the recipe. I strained the fruit overnight and the liquid comes to just under two pints but is very syrupy. I can only think that I cooked the fruit too long yesterday and most of the water has boiled away. Should I add more water at this stage to thin it down a bit and if so how much? Or is it too late?

[scarey55]

I'm no expert but everything sounds to be OK to me. I think you can add more water but I'm not sure you need to. If it drained through the muslin bag then I don't think it can be too bad. Hang on for other grapes before you do anything drastic.

[zazen999]

Sounds ok to me too.

[selfraising]

Okay but I'm further confused now (and it don't take much). I measured the liquid in a measuring jug and that came to only 1 1/4 pints but the Maslin pan reads 1 1/2???? Which one should I go with for adding sugar?
Sorry for all the questions just thought that from a total of 5 lbs of fruit there should have been more liquid

[rustylady]

Go by your measuring jug. I'm with you in being surprised you only got that much liquid. How long did you cook the fruit?

[zazen999]

Aah, you didn't say it was 5lbs fruit! Yes, that does sound odd.

[scarey55]

Aah, you didn't say it was 5lbs fruit! Yes, that does sound odd.

Does to me too.

[selfraising]

Go by your measuring jug. I'm with you in being surprised you only got that much liquid. How long did you cook the fruit?

Cooked it for about half an hour although the recipe said 45 minutes.

[selfraising]

Ooops sorry, not 5 lbs of fruit but 4!

[zazen999]

How squishy is the bag of solids that remains?

Did the apples go all mushy?

[selfraising]

How squishy is the bag of solids that remains?

Did the apples go all mushy?

very squishy Zaz and yes the apples did go mushy.

[SarzWix]

Squeeze the bag I know it always says not to, but that's assuming you want Women's Institute regulation crystal clear jelly...

[zazen999]

Yeah, if it's still squishy give it a good old squeeze or leave it dripping until tomorrow.

[selfraising]

Have squeezed the bag but only a few extra drops have come out I think I may have overcooked it all, stopped cooking because the fruit was starting to stick to the bottom of the pan

[SarzWix]

Pour half a pint or so of boiling water through the fruit that's still in the jelly bag then. Should bring a bit more juice with it.

For measuring, I'd go with the fluid ounce markings on your jug - I have one which seems to be American measurings, and they have a different amount of fluid ounces to the pint. The only way to be sure which you.ve got is to work it from the fluid ounce or ml measurement