I'm so sorry this happened to you! One of the biggest contributors to crystal formation is super-saturation, ie. I pick my own @ an orchard that is just so wonderful. Why does jam not set? You can always heat it the marmalade with a bit of water to soften it back down. My jelly is solid Help! Stir well and break up the hard jam with a spatula into smaller and smaller parts until it looks separated. Cut into quarters, and place in a food processor. Shell cook the fruit a bit, strain it out. The teaspoon of ginger we added is lovely with the peaches and plums, and, perhaps because of the long cooking time, it has a deep, almost caramelized flavor. This is a great post; I love that youve thought about what may go wrong before we do. Id be happy to do another one of these troubleshooting posts if youre having issues I didnt hit on here. I am going to try reheating it to a higher tempurature and add the rest of the pack of pectin. I thought all was lost. So thanks! Do I boil it again and put more sugar or should I add water? Hi Mariana, That's a good question! Hi, That's a good point about altitude! Remember the role of sugar is to trap water along with the pectin from the peel of the citrus fruit. Add the 1.5 pints of missing water to the pan. What kind of pot did you cook the marmaladein? I am in the process of the annual marmalade production. How can I fix this? You need to keep a close eye on it. Good luck. Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life and Sharing Stories, Tips, Ideas & More! Or maybe SureJell would work if I did the sugar first and the pectin last. Maybe pectin is overrated but temperature is underestimated as setting factors. Besides the usual timing adjustments that we make for altitude, do you know of any adjustments to the recipe/ratios that will need to be made? Good luck so did it work and did you water bath seal or just use heat of jam to seal. I know its only one little jar but I was so excited to make it. Lets Get Crafty-Homemade Gifts & Craft Ideas, Are We Ever Really Ready? Great to have someone who really knows about the chemistry. Can I just add more water at the start? There are different types of pectin that can be used in jam and jelly making. Reading about your problem, you do not mention putting all the pips in with the pith when you boil up before adding the sugar, this would make a big difference. Or should I use some pectin and if so, how much? The jars that I waterbathed are liquid . The only thing you could do is open the jars and recook the marmalade. Thanks for your comment! The longer you cook, the more product is evaporating away. During cooking, you also need to be checking for signs of set. I laboriously cut all the peel by hand into 2mm slices because I find that makes for a nice bright golden result. In doing this, I think I reduced it a little further than Ineed and now find 10 minutes is a long boil. Let the water run so it gets nice and warm, place your jar of honey in the bowl and add water until it's about three-quarters up the side of the jar. I love your experiment! Non alcoholic beverages Simple syrup crystallizes when enough of the sugar molecules stick to one another that they become insoluble in the water. I have the same problem! This concentrated sugary spread is likely to crystallize over time, especially if it dries out. Ive just made chilli jam, I used Home made pectin and a little too much, I think, as its gone solid! I was supposed to get 4 to 5 jars. ;p)Such an interesting post, Janice! Cover it? I don't think there's too much risk of missing the set point though because I find it does take a fair amount of time for the mixture to move up a degree when it's above 215F. Finally, what do you do with jam that cant be saved stuff that burnt in the pan for example? I found that my peel always burns at this stage even when only left for 5mins. I have a special burner which goes.up quickly & maintains a boil. If you are making marmalade above sea level (like in the Rockies), the boiling point of water will be lower, which means the setting temperature will be lower too! Did your batch yield a whole lot less than you thought it should? Cooked to 220F, marmalade will be very thick and will set properly once cooled. I will use it up anyway but was looking for a more clear ish jelly. Published on: January 18, 2019 by Janice; Updated on: January 28, 2022 55 Comments. What recipe did you follow for the marmalade? Im a little late on making the marmalade, but am doing so today. I used the 1:1:1 ratio and had all seeds, membranes and pith in a cheesecloth bag. If you look at the whole fruit method I outlined here, youll notice that all I do is separate out the seeds and discard them. If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you! I think I boiled it too long, and it came out really thick and only filled 2 8-ounce jelly jars, and about half of a third. It yielded only 6 quarter pint jars. I put no added pectin or lemon juice in it either. I made some plum jam last year, but it didnt set, it is still sealed in the jars is there any way I can redo it so I dont have to throw it away, there is a lot??? Please enter your email address below to create account. They are very watery. And if you don't eat the marmalade in the year, it darkens and becomes even better vintage marmalade next year. Boil with the 1 kilo of sugar, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 20 minutes. I'm going to have to ponder your comment because I'm stumped and not sure where to go because it sounds like you've tried everything. & added some hot water then as soon as it was boiling I put it back into clean jars. on 19 Aug 2010 Not many people even know of its existence. this is the first back during the last 4 years to have gone absolutely solid with me. I usually start my marmalade with simple syrup by juicing fruit and measuring. MazI think l like between 219 & 220, what l found intresting was that you say that you stir your marmalade when it has reached rolling boil stage before it reaches setting point, where everthing l have read said not to stir at this stage. It's honestly a matter of personal preference, but now I hope that you can better understand your options and pick your favourite marmalade set. This is where I share random stuff I know to help make your life easier. Looking to better understand why your marmalade turned out the way it did? Thank you. I'm glad you did the experiment for us.all. My strawberry jam is too runny. (all the confectionery recipes say sugar has to be 105 or it won't thicken). year estimate/parts i should replace for safety would also help. I just want to get a similar set to that achieved in commercial products. Then transfer it back to the jar and store in the fridge. Are you just prepping the fruit in there (like boiling them whole) or are you making the marmalade in the pressure cooker? You didn't extract enough pectin from the muslin bag. Say what? Recommended varieties for preservation include Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, and Comice. Why is my lime marmalade brown and now the rind is chewy again. The heat was too low so you didn't fast boil the marmalade. Next step is to dissolve the sugar, add the peel and boil. Other salts may discolor the product or affect its safety. I'd think that might be the culprit in this case because it sounds like you are doing everything right. You do this by using the frozen plate test, watching how the marmaladesheets off the spatula, paying attention to how much it has reduced, and taking the temperature as it cooks. Christine Ferber does this with some of her recipes. When I make other jams/preserves I just watch the thickness during cooking but Ive never made marmalade before. Depending on how over thick your jam is experiment with smal Amour y and add frozen berries directly to pan after heating and liquefying the too see jai. The flavours are so delicate Im concerned about over cooking and loosing the flavour! Thanks for stopping by! I have just had success using this exact temperature method. Is there anything I can do? If you stir regularly and watch the temp, you should still be able to get to the set point, even without the seeds etc. You took a bunch of the sugar out of the situation (honey still contains sugar) and so it had to cook much longer to reach the concentration necessary to achieve the temperature elevation necessary to achieve set. It's one of my favorite songs, and it just sucks that I can't find it anywhere on Spotify. How can I reuse or recycle bonfire ashes? I relied on the thermometer, skipped the frozen plate test, wont again! As far as I know, there aren't any clip attachments for the Thermapen. Perhaps there was too much pulp in the liquid? I emptied out the jars and added lemon juice, a little water and more pomelo pulp. For the jars that have crystallised, it is possible to re-warm the jam and dissolve the crystals before using. The store-bought marmalade with pectin definitely doesn't have my favourite texture. I thought 105 C was the setting point. Stop thinking about it for a little while. Let's be honest. (just saying)(just my inner designer leaving a comment don't pay attention! Hi! Yet it doesn't set when it's put into the jars. Mine came to exactly 1.5 kg = 3.3 lbs. Thanks. It thickens somewhat when cool, but it moves when the jar is tilted. Sincerely, **Change the quantities according to your needs:** We hope this information has been useful to you, and that you will have a successful product next time. You can definitely take the marmalade out of the jars and reboil it. i didnt cook the peel for long enough before making the marmalade and it is inedibly tough. I cannot stand recipes that suggest that I cook my jam to the "desired consistency" or until it "passes the wrinkle plate test". Please. My jalapeo jelly has sugar crystals in it. Is there anything I can do to get it to set now? I hate guessing games and, as you know, I love to measure everything. What can I reuse or recycle to make garden cloches (row covers)? I was curious about it but it was much too set for my liking, and you are right, the citrus should be adding all the pectin needed. Of course, in the case of citrus marmalade, the fruits provide enough acidity for this, but with other fruits, the pH can be an issue. My quava jelly has the same problem. 4. Thank you. Decided 4lb of sugar was too much so reduced sugar by half, added rinds plus juices of both fruits. So sorry! What a pain! I followed your advice and now have 9 jars of successful, yummy marmalade. Carefully pour off the juice without disturbing the crystals. Hello. My jalapeno jelly was a lump of sugar. Cooked a little to long. If necessary, wipe the side of the pan with a damp cloth before filling the jars. Can I put the whole lot back in a pan , re-heat add colour and then bottle them again? Yes just make up to the amount you should have left. This is very helpful. Well, I assume the second one did. The following day it was all lumpy and boiling did not seem to get rid of the lumps. Hmmm. It is also recommended, but not required, that you use a device with sound. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring often whilst you dry the jars and get them ready for refilling. Jellies cooked at too high a temperature can destroy the pectins' ability to gel while if it's not boiled long enough it won't set either. What you don't want is to find the crystals after the jelly is made. Right? For all my jams and marmalades, I just wash the jars and then put them in the oven at about 110C while I make the preserve. Do not stir the jam as it cools before you put it into the jars. Still a bit sticky so added another 100ml and stirred thoroughly. I use a method that is just so wonderful. For other types of jellies or jams that turn out too thin and runny, I reheat and rescue with a box of jello or you can add pectin purchased from canning supplies section of your grocery store. Apart for the last bit that didnt make a full jar (didnt bother to waterbath this as I will use it straight away and keep in the fridge). It has been 24 hours. What should I do? I used a lot of raspberries to get 4 C of juice. Ill let you know if it works for me too. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you were using a thermometer to monitor the cooking temperature and you never managed to get to 220F, but it bounces like a rubber ball, the thermometer might be to blame. However the marmalade should still be above 85C to kill any mould spores. Overcooked marmalade has a few characteristics:chewy, tough citrus peel, possibly rubbery and a thick texture verging on dry.