Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Allow the jars to cool in a draft-free place for at least 12
hours before removing the bands, labeling, and storing in a
cool dry place for up to two years.
• Enjoy!
Jellies
Jellies are made from fruit juice and sugar, and use heat and
sugar for their preservation. The distinctive consistency of
jelly comes from an interaction between the acids in the fruit,
the pectin it contains, the sugar, and heat. Many fruits contain
enough natural acid and pectin to make jelly without having
to add anything but sugar. These include sour apples, crab
apples, sour cane fruits, cranberries, gooseberries, grapes, and
currants. Some fruits are slightly deficient in acid, pectin, or
both and will require a small amount of added lemon juice,
pectin, or both. These include ripe apples, ripe blackberries,
wine grapes, cherries, and elderberries. Finally, some fruits
simply won't make jelly without adding a significant quantity
of lemon juice and/or pectin. These include strawberries,
apricots, plums, pears, blueberries, and raspberries.
Because sugar plays an important role in the preservation of
jellies, the amount called for in a recipe shouldn't be reduced.
It also plays an important role in making the product gel, so
using too little sugar can result in a syrup instead of a jelly.
The juice used to make jelly can be extracted in a number of
ways. If you use a juice machine, use it only for fruits that
would require added pectin anyway, such as berries, plums,
and pears. This is because a juice machine won't properly
extract the pectin from high-pectin fruits. The traditional way
