jelly advice needed asap please!

[Nicos]

I started making 2 types of jelly yesterday - mint jelly and rosemary jelly using chopped up whole apples.
When I left them to strain overnight they both only produced about 1/4 of a cup of juice each

One batch had 8lbs apples and the other 3lb apples so it's clearly not working!

I now imagine I'll have to reheat it and then squeeze the pulp manually through the muslin?
I understand by doing this the juice will become cloudy?

What did I do wrong? was it just the type of apple? When cooked they fluffed up and had no liquid and they turned to a puree.

hmmmph- the apple and plum one I did ( 50/50 worked perfectly with the same type of apples .

Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I'll need to do them either this evening or tomorrow afternoon before the fruit pulp starts to go off.
This is only the second time I've ever made a jelly and I just can't work out why the pulp is just a solid mass- did I over cook the apples maybe?

thanks x

[veggiechicken]

Did you add water to the fruit, Nicos?

[mrswadders]

that was my thinking. Ialways add just enough water to the level of the apples. The type of apple could have an effect but I wouldn't have thought that much. Try re-boiling with some added water then strain as usual - don't squeeze the bag, you'll end up with cloudy jelly if you do. Hope this helps.

Mrs W

[Nicos]

Yes I put in what the recipe stated.

By adding water would that affect the pectin level and therefore it's ability to set?

I don't mind a runny jam but don't want 15 pots of runny savoury jelly!

(I don't have any alternative pectin to add)

Have to say that the water was no where near covering the fruit before I started to heat them

[mrswadders]

hmmm, that i'm not sure, you might just need to boil it a bit longer to get a set, i would think it'll still set

[Scarlet]

Nicos, I often do a second boiling with apple pulp using half the amount of water that I used the first time. Apples set really well so I don't think you will have a problem.

[Nicos]

OK- thanks...phew- will do it tomorrow afternoon by adding more water first.

Many thanks - I suddenly lost confidence in making jellies, having no idea what I did wrong- nor how to rescue things. It'd have been such a waste.

Don't ya just love this place???

[mothhawk]

I generally use a pint of water to every 2 pounds of apples. Once the apples are chopped up, cores and all, that amount of water covers them with between half an inch and an inch extra over the top, if that makes sense.

I would weigh the pulp you've got and put it back in the pan with half its weight of water and simmer gently for 10 mins, then strain through muslin again for at least two hours.

If you have any methylated spirit you can test for pectin. Put 3 teaspoons of meths in a small bottle or jar and add 1 teaspoon of your cold juice. It must be cold. Swirl it around gently then leave to stand for a minute.. If there is enough pectin the juice will clot into one or several jelly blobs. The bigger and fewer the blobs, the better the pectin.

I believe rubbing alcohol works too, but I've not tried it.


Homemade Pectin | Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

[Nicos]

I would weigh the pulp you've got and put it back in the pan with half its weight of water and simmer gently for 10 mins, then strain through muslin again for at least two hours.

Thanks- I'll do exactly that!

and yup-one of my recipies said 4lb apples and 2 pts water- same as you suggest!
- and the other3lb apples and 1 pt water- which is much less!

I phoned a friend earlier to see what she would do and her recipe said 6lb fruit and 5 pts of water and vinegar together.

Looks like there is a lot of difference between recipes

[Alison]

If I do them in a pan I too put water to cover the fruit. However these days I tend to use the juice extractor I bought to go over my pasturiser. Now that really is easy!

[OverWyreGrower]

Plenty of water to cook everything down with :-) I usually cover the fruit with water (at least)....tend to add any vinegars etc in the last 30mins of cooking

Don't squeeze your jelly bag, as it'll all go cloudy!

[binley100]

Wot she ^^^^^ said.......for jellies I always make sure the fruit is covered and have chucked the pulp back in with more liquid before.

[mothhawk]

I think a lot depends on the apple variety, whether or not they're cookers, and how ripe they are. The more unripe, the more water you can add.

[mothhawk]

If I do them in a pan I too put water to cover the fruit. However these days I tend to use the juice extractor I bought to go over my pasturiser. Now that really is easy!

Now that's a good idea. Do you still simmer the juice for a while before adding sugar, or just put the sugar straight into the extracted juice and boil it up?

[Alison]

Just measure the juice, add sugar and cook as normal. It's a doddle