Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and preparing > Jams and jellies > Tips for making successful homemade jams and jellies
Tips for making successful homemade jams and jellies
Making jellied products is not difficult, but it is important to follow reliable, tested recipes as well as the following guidelines.
Choose ripe fruit that is free of bruises or mold
- Using fresh fruit at room temperature helps dissolve the sugar
- Wash berries thoroughly – do not allow them to soak which reduces nutritional value and contributes to a soft product
Do not reduce the amount of sugar
- the proper proportion of sugar, fruit and pectin is important to get a good jellied product
- sugar contributes flavor, but is also a preservative which helps prevent the growth of microorganisms
- granulated white sugar is usually used – other sweetener flavors can overpower the fruit's natural flavor and sweetness
USDA and the University of Minnesota Extension recommend boiling water canning process for all cooked jam and jelly products to prevent mold growth*
- process 11 minutes in washed, but un-sterilized jars
- process 6 minutes in pre-sterilized jars
- sterilize by standing clean empty jars upright on a rack in a boiling water canner
- fill the jars and canner with clean water to one inch above the tops of the jars
- boil for 11 minutes
- keep jars in the water until ready to fill
Store uncooked freezer jams in clean (washed in hot, soapy water and rinsed) jars or plastic freezer containers with tight-fitting lids to prevent loss of quality
- leave one half-inch of space at the top for expansion during freezing
- Frozen jellied products should last up to one year, in the refrigerator they should last up to one month
Freezing fruit to make jam or jelly later:
- If freezing large pieces or whole fruit:
- measure the amount of fruit carefully before freezing and record
- if using powdered pectin when making the jam, do not add sugar before freezing
- if using liquid pectin, combine the measured amount of sugar and fruit together before freezing
- Freezing juice for making jelly
- boil the fruit to extract the juice
- pour cooled, strained juice into freezer containers
- When making the jam or jelly
- thaw the fruit in the refrigerator until only a few ice crystals remain
- follow the remaining cooking and processing steps
Frozen jellied products should last up to one year, in the refrigerator they should last up to one month.
Homemade jams and jellies should keep their quality and flavor for up to one year if stored in a cool, dark, dry place. If the jar seal remains unbroken and the product shows no visible signs of spoilage from molds or yeast, the jellied product should be safe to eat
*Some sealing methods recommend turning the closed jars of hot jam or jelly upside down (inverting the jars) for 30 seconds to one hour. The vacuum seal of jars filled using his method tends to be weaker than those produced by the boiling water canning process. A weak seal is likely to fail during storage and allow for mold growth.
References:
"Processing Jams & Jellies", Cooperative Extension, The University of Georgia
"Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA (Revised 2009)
Revised February 2011 by Lou Ann Jopp
