A question about setting jam

I have had problems too, sloeginny. The jam would not reach the temperature on the thermometer, then the raspberry set too hard.

I made plum and it burnt on the bottom whilst trying to reach the temperature, so I took it off the heat after the recommended 10 minutes, used the wrinkle method and potted it. Lost some, of course, but the rest seems OK, a bit sloppy but but I prefer that to solid.
I put three plates in the freezer to use for the wrinkle method.

My mother never had a thermometer and her jam was always lovely; however she did have a jam pan which I do not.
I am attempting strawberry jam this morning but I have bought some pectin!

Start with less water to be boiled away? Include some fruits known to be high in pectin - apples or gooseberries - and use a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice?

Good advice from elegran. I have bought pectin because strawberry jam is notoriously bad for setting.
I have used preserving sugar in the past which contains pectin but lemon juice also does the trick.

I suppose I had better get on with it instead of chatting!

Thank you for your comments, I'm glad I'm not alone Rose.

Many of my fruits are low pectin, so I always add chopped apples and lemon juice. Yesterday's bramble jelly had the addition of about a dozen crab apples and 2 tbsp. lemon juice. It's delicious and perfectly set, but took 30 minutes to get to setting point.

The water content is a good one to consider Elegran, I'll try not adding any (usually put in a small amount to stew the fruit) in my next batch.

I read somewhere away in the past that the consistency of set jam is 60% sugar. As the proportions when you start off are generally 50/50, there is water to boil off even if you add no water at all, so any you do add will be extra. Perhaps the fruit could be cooked in the microwave without water before adding the sugar to jam it.

Lemon juice helps the pectin to help the set, but if the fruit is very low in pectin, lemon juice itself will not help.

If I'm using low pectin fruit I use jam sugar. And there is a sort of translucent look that jam gets when it reaches setting point. I just go by that.

When I was a kid my mother used to deliberately make the jam on the sloppy side to make it last longer - we 4 kids could not put as much on our bread !
When my own were kids they liked strawberry jam but I had to buy the strawberries. Gooseberries grew in the garden but ''we don't like gooseberry jam''. Little did they know that their 'strawberry' jam had more gooseberries than strawberries in it and of course the set was perfect. I just had to remember to make it when they were at school !!

I agree that too much water could be the problem. Try not adding any and letting the fruit stew in it's own juice very gently and only add water if absolutely necessary. Only bring to a good boil when the juices are running well'

I use a jam pan which because it is wider than a normal pan has a greater surface area and therefore any liquid evaporates quicker and a set is reached quicker.

Ignore the time given - completely. Simmer slowly and leave for an hour or more if necessary. I've been making jams for 40 years now, starting out helping my grandmother, and I found that not all jam thermometers are quite correct, mine has to boil to a degree higher to reach setting point.

I have a huge jam saucepan, and I have a long-handled perforated underthingy that disperses the heat evenly under the base, I can't think what it's called, but it stops the jam from ever burning as long as I use it, combined with a long slow simmer rather than a boil, particularly towards the end.

I like to make thick, dense jams because then they keep for years and years, the thinner ones go off more quickly. Yes, all of our jams do get used, but I like to have a good variety and ring the changes and not to have to make too many each year. This year was gooseberry and redcurrant, and apple and ginger.

Jam-making time is the only time of year I allow myself to make scones. I think I could live on them for a few weeks if I let myself!

I never add any water to my jam - if you can get the fruit into the pot with at least half the sugar the night before there will be plenty of juice when you come to make the jam. Even if I don't do that I just start the heating up off very slowly until the juice runs.

I followed the instructions on the pectin packet for the strawberry jam, except that I only boiled it for 8 minutes (they recommended 15-30 minutes).

It seems fairly solid (more than I would normally like). DH said it tastes lovely but should he buy a new chisel?

I found most of these helpful tips after I had finished!

Can I hijack the thread and ask a question about chutney?

I made plum chutney last week, followed Delia's instructions, simmered for 3 hours then put it in jars thinking it would get more solid as it cooled. However, it still looks too sloppy - will it get more solid in the 3 months before we start to eat it or should I tip it all back into the pan and do it for longer? Or we could just spread it like sloppy jam I suppose. It is so long since I made plum chutney I can't remember if it thickens as it keeps maturing.

Rose You can make lovely freezer jam with strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and pectin. No cooking at all. It has to be kept in the freezer (or fridge for a short time once it is opened)

I'll remember that next time, elegran!

I'd reboil it, rosequartz. I've used that recipe too, and it took at least another hour. Unless you can get the spoon to go through it and leave a trail that doesn't refill at all, it won't be ready.

I'm so glad it isn't just me! I thought all my troubles would be over when I bought a sugar thermometer, but no! I couldn't get the temperature up at all and I ended up with dark brown apricot jam that has to be chipped out of the jars. I binned the thermometer, bought some more apricots and used the wrinkle test. Perfect set in a fraction of the time!

Oh no, * janer* it is all in its nice kilner jars in the cupboard ... (goes off weeping)

Forgot to say I never add water either.

I feel your pain, rosequartz. I foolishly believed a new recipe for redcurrant jelly, and had to make it all over again only last year. It was more of a sauce. I was just worried that it would go mouldy in a year.

janer I opened one of the jars and had a look and taste. DH and I decided that, although it is quite soft, it is not sloppy and should be OK in 3 months when it has matured!

My gooseberry jelly from two years ago is still sloppy but has kept well.
I made so much we are fed up with it and am rather embarrassed to give it away.
I could use it to make a sponge pudding instead of syrup, but we are trying not to eat sponge puddings ...

I use a dsstsp in gravy sometimes, you could try that, but not sure about strawberry.... Actually, gooseberry jelly is a really good substitute for redcurrant.

We did eat quite a lot to start with, then went off it. I will dig it out from the back of the cupboard.

A good idea to use it in gravy.

After having owned a breadmaker for ten years I recently discovered that you can make jam and chutney in it. Only quite small amounts but very easy!

It's the 'small quantities' part that doesn't do it for me. I prefer to stand and stir in front of my vast cauldron, inherited from my grandmother. It's very soothing, jam-making. Meanwhile the breadmaker provides the dough for hot rolls for the marmalade or whatever. The two smells combined are just wonderful on a chilly autumnal day.

I can virtually smell it!