Jam, jelly or preserves?

[ChrisL]

ChrisL .....to make it even easier & less expensive....try making the freezer jelly or jam (or both). You'll only have to buy the Sure-Jell pectin, some sort of freezer safe containers (just a couple of bucks at Walmart), cheesecloth for jelly, your berries & sugar....maybe some lemon juice. That is, IF you have room in your freezer.


To make both? Mash the berries then put in cheesecloth & let drip/drain all the juice off......measure this out for jelly recipe. If for some reason you don't have enough, you can pour enough water over the berries & let drain to make enough for the jelly recipe. Process according to the instructions for freezer jelly.


Then measure those crushed berries for jam/conserves/preserves.....again adding just enough water to fill the measurement IF needed. Process according to the instructions for freezer jam.

This way you get twice the end product and the choice of both jam & jelly from the same berries.


(yes, I'm a nag when trying to convince someone to can or preserve their own )

Sure, when I have the time to go out and buy supplies and do it, which I will probably forget all about until the next time I want jam.

 

[Boss]

I don't think I've had orange marmalade, unless I did when I was a kid and just don't remember.

My great aunt in Florida used to make it every year. My grandfather worked for an orange grower down there and got cases of oranges. It's really good if you like oranges and you like jam. It's not as sweet as most jams and jellies, the peel adds a little more zest to the flavor. For some reason we used to always eat it on English muffins.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Sorry, guess I was thinking pancake syrups.....nevermind

I think syrups are almost identical to how you make jelly but without the pectin.

I think you're probably right. I know I've had what they call set failures a time or two, when the jam didn't gel up as much.....it did but not as much as usual...and was a pourable consistency. Still very tasty & made for great ice cream topping.


I also like jam or peanut butter on my pancakes anyway, but the rest of the family does like fruit syrups.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

ChrisL .....to make it even easier & less expensive....try making the freezer jelly or jam (or both). You'll only have to buy the Sure-Jell pectin, some sort of freezer safe containers (just a couple of bucks at Walmart), cheesecloth for jelly, your berries & sugar....maybe some lemon juice. That is, IF you have room in your freezer.


To make both? Mash the berries then put in cheesecloth & let drip/drain all the juice off......measure this out for jelly recipe. If for some reason you don't have enough, you can pour enough water over the berries & let drain to make enough for the jelly recipe. Process according to the instructions for freezer jelly.


Then measure those crushed berries for jam/conserves/preserves.....again adding just enough water to fill the measurement IF needed. Process according to the instructions for freezer jam.

This way you get twice the end product and the choice of both jam & jelly from the same berries.


(yes, I'm a nag when trying to convince someone to can or preserve their own )

Sure, when I have the time to go out and buy supplies and do it, which I will probably forget all about until the next time I want jam.

I don't know about where you live.......but here berry season is June/July....so remember that. You still have a couple of months to get the other supplies.

 

[Boss]

I think you're probably right. I know I've had what they call set failures a time or two, when the jam didn't gel up as much....

LOL... That's exactly what made me say that! My parents had the same kind of failure and made a great batch of blackberry syrup one year.

 

[koshergrl]

Not to be a total dick but "preserves" actually include jams and jellies as well as chutney, marmalade, fruit butter, etc. It's really a "regional" thing as to how people use the term but basically, what you're thinking of as preserves are probably jams.

My parents and grandmother used to make pear preserves every year. I could just sit and eat a jar plain by themselves, they were SO good!

Preserves are the kind with big pieces of fruit, while jam is a more smooth fruit spread.

That's what I always thought as well until someone corrected me on it. Technically, the kind with big fruit pieces is called "conserves." The difference between marmalade and jam is that marmalade includes fruit peels.

It's an interesting thing. We brought this over from England and I think we kind of adapted our own understandings in the process. I had never heard of "conserves" before. But that's what we call "preserves" when "preserves" are actually all types and styles of preserved fruit (or vegetable) spreads.

Conserves can have nuts in them, and they're made with dried fruit.
Jam has the fruit mashed up.
Jelly is just jellified juice
Preserves the fruit isn't mashed.

 

[koshergrl]

What's The Difference Between Jam, Jelly, Conserves, Marmalade, & Fruit Spreads?

 

[koshergrl]

I made some wonderful marmalade some years back, we were eating that stuff by the ladle full. It was easy to make, too.

 

[Boss]

Conserves can have nuts in them, and they're made with dried fruit.
Jam has the fruit mashed up.
Jelly is just jellified juice
Preserves the fruit isn't mashed.

https://www.quora.com/Processed-Foo...between-a-Jam-Conserve-Compote-and-a-Preserve

Conserves might have other things like nuts and coconut in them but not necessarily. From my understanding, conserves are what we commonly call preserves. And preserves encompass all preserved fruits. But again, this all dates back to old times in England and much has changed in translation.

 

[koshergrl]

Conserves can have nuts in them, and they're made with dried fruit.
Jam has the fruit mashed up.
Jelly is just jellified juice
Preserves the fruit isn't mashed.

https://www.quora.com/Processed-Foo...between-a-Jam-Conserve-Compote-and-a-Preserve

Conserves might have other things like nuts and coconut in them but not necessarily. From my understanding, conserves are what we commonly call preserves. And preserves encompass all preserved fruits. But again, this all dates back to old times in England and much has changed in translation.

Conserves have MULTIPLE fruits/nuts etc. in them. Preserves are generally only one or two.

NCHFP says multiple ingredients in conserves (vs. preserves) including nuts and other ingredients (nuts, raisins, coconut. And raisins are dried fruit, so that makes sense).

 

[koshergrl]

conserves and preserves are different, boss.

 

[koshergrl]

".. "preserves" contain large or whole pieces of fruit within a thickened sugar syrup of medium to thick consistency. Fruit pieces retain their size and shape. If you are looking for a jam-like spread, please refer to the sections on jams, marmalades and conserves.

"The sugar is necessary for the preservation in these methods. These products cannot be made without the sugar, or with sugar substitutes. The sugar should not be reduced, either. If you want reduced sugar preserves, try jams made with purchased pectins sold specifically for reduced- or no-sugar-added jams and jellies."

I can't tell you how many time I've listened to women wail about the mess they've made of jam and preserves because they "reduced the sugar" or otherwise changed the ingredients.

Hello. The sugar is one of the preservatives. If you adjust the ingredients, you have to adjust the cook time, and the boiling time, and everything else.

People just don't get it.

National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Jam and Jelly

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[ChrisL]

Conserves can have nuts in them, and they're made with dried fruit.
Jam has the fruit mashed up.
Jelly is just jellified juice
Preserves the fruit isn't mashed.

https://www.quora.com/Processed-Foo...between-a-Jam-Conserve-Compote-and-a-Preserve

Conserves might have other things like nuts and coconut in them but not necessarily. From my understanding, conserves are what we commonly call preserves. And preserves encompass all preserved fruits. But again, this all dates back to old times in England and much has changed in translation.

Conserves have MULTIPLE fruits/nuts etc. in them. Preserves are generally only one or two.

NCHFP says multiple ingredients in conserves (vs. preserves) including nuts and other ingredients (nuts, raisins, coconut. And raisins are dried fruit, so that makes sense).

That doesn't sound very good to me.

 

[ChrisL]

Thanks for all the tips about making jam/jelly. I don't know if I'll try it or not, but it probably is well worth the effort.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Thanks for all the tips about making jam/jelly. I don't know if I'll try it or not, but it probably is well worth the effort.

You can dooooo it, I know you can........I looked around for the instructions and found this and sounds about right.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/30-minutes-homemade-surejell-raspberry-freezer-jam-52707.aspx

 

[koshergrl]

Use the directions in the box of pectin or from the national center for canning and food preservation.

That is a wonderful site btw, has all tested recipes and information.
you have to get the temps, times, and ingredients right or you will end up with syrup.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Use the directions in the box of pectin or from the national center for canning and food preservation.

That is a wonderful site btw, has all tested recipes and information.
you have to get the temps, times, and ingredients right or you will end up with syrup.

OR a solid mass ......I've done that too

 

[koshergrl]

Pp

Use the directions in the box of pectin or from the national center for canning and food preservation.

That is a wonderful site btw, has all tested recipes and information.
you have to get the temps, times, and ingredients right or you will end up with syrup.

OR a solid mass ......I've done that too

ha I have never gotten huckleberry jam right. I end up with syrup, with tiny little chewy rocks all through it. Yum yum!

 

[danielpalos]

I like, jelly, jam, and preserve, girls. I try to be, open minded.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Pp

Use the directions in the box of pectin or from the national center for canning and food preservation.

That is a wonderful site btw, has all tested recipes and information.
you have to get the temps, times, and ingredients right or you will end up with syrup.

OR a solid mass ......I've done that too

ha I have never gotten huckleberry jam right. I end up with syrup, with tiny little chewy rocks all through it. Yum yum!

I've not tried huckleberry before, so IDK. But with strawberry or raspberry I usually get a good set and is spreadable, although there are times it's either plopable or runny.......still very delicious, but...well......you know...not so workable.