How can you tell if Jam has gel stage?
The Freezer Test When you’re ready to test, place a teaspoonful of your soft spread on the plate, and place it back in the freezer for a minute or so. Take the plate out and push the edge of the spread with your finger. If the surface has formed a skin and it wrinkles when you push it, you’ve reached the gel stage.
How do you check for doneness in a jam?
Making Jams and Jellies Temperature Test – Take the temperature of the jelly with a candy or jelly thermometer. When done, the temperature of the jelly should be 220°F, 8°F above the boiling point of water, if you are at sea level. NOTE: For each 1000 feet of altitude above sea level, subtract 2 degrees F.
How long does it take for homemade jam to thicken?
Jam can take up to a week to achieve its finished set. Don’t declare it a failure ten minutes out of the canner.
Why is my jam not thickening?
Generally speaking, if your jam doesn’t firm up, you were short in pectin, sugar or acidity or didn’t get a hard boil. No matter how much you stir, you won’t get effective heat penetration in larger batches, so some pectin gets overcooked, while other pectin is not activated.
What is the final required sugar content of jam?
about 60%
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in a jam recipe?
The answer is that you can always safely reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe, because sugar doesn’t make things safe. The only thing that makes a jam, jelly or other sweet preserve safe for canning in a boiling water bath canner is the acid content, because that’s what prevents any potential botulism growth.
What happens if not enough sugar in jam?
If put in too little sugar, you wont start with a suitable syrup. The jam sets depending upon the amount of free water available to inhibit the pectin. As the water to sugar ratio wont be high enough, you will have to boil off more water from the fruit.
Should you stir jam?
Do no stir jam once boiling, but use a wooden spoon to check it is not sticking on the base of the pan. Stirring lowers the temperature and delays setting point being reached. It is wasteful to remove scum too often.