Spring and summer are great times to make jam because of the wide variety of berries and fruits available. Jam turns out well if you use enough jam sugar. For many fruits, you’ll need a 1:1 ratio of sugar to fruit. The high sugar content ensures the jam will keep well. Boil the fruit with the sugar for four minutes.
For a lower sugar content, use jam sugar with a higher pectin content. Jam sugar, which you use in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio—two or three parts fruit to one part sugar—contains preservatives. These substances preserve the jam in place of the sugar.
Tips for Preserving: Pectin for Setting
The more pectin the fruit contains, the better the jam will set. Just before they ripen, fruits have a high pectin content. In that case, you won’t need as much gelling agent for the jam. Cherries, mangoes, bananas, strawberries, rhubarb, and elderberries contain little pectin. Fruits with a high pectin content include
- Apples,
- Quinces,
- Gooseberries,
- Citrus fruits and
- Currants.
Between these two extremes are nectarines, apricots, plums, peaches, blackberries, raspberries, and mirabelle plums.
In principle, it is possible to make jam using regular table sugar. That’s how your grandmother used to make jam. You cook the fruit until the jam sets naturally thanks to the pectin in the fruit. This isn’t a problem with fruits that are high in pectin. For all other fruits, add lemon juice to help the jam set. Adjust the amount of acid based on the acidity and pectin content of the fruit you’re preserving.
Tips for Preserving: Keep Things Clean
The care and cleanliness with which you work play a crucial role in the success of your jam. To make good jam, use only high-quality fruit. Also, thoroughly clean the jars and lids before filling them to prevent the jam from molding. During jam-making season, the jars from flaschenbauer.de work well. Beekeepers, winemakers, and dairy farmers can also find the bottles, jars, and canning supplies they need here.
Boil used jars for a few minutes. When making jam, follow the recipe strictly and weigh all ingredients precisely. You’ll need a large pot for this, since the boiling fruit-and-sugar mixture tends to boil over quickly. After cooking, pour the jam into jars, seal them, and turn them upside down for ten minutes.
