unjelled jelly

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Hope someone can help. Yesterday I put up 8 jars of grape jelly and for some reason it didn't jell. It's like a thick syrup. I uses Ball pectin and the date on the box was to expire at the end of this year. Is there any way I can save this jelly, maybe put more pectin or cook longer? PPPPllleeeaassee help!!!!!!!! P.S. The e-mail address is under my mom's name my whole family uses the same address

-- Sandy Fisher (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), August 06, 2000

Answers

Response to unjelled lelly

You can try boiling it again. IF that doesn't work use it as syrup or just spread it thin on your toast, I bet it still tastes good.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 06, 2000.

Response to unjelled lelly

Thanks Cindy yes it does taste very good, the best tasting jelly I've made so far!! So if the boiling doen't help looks like we will be eating grape syrup!!! You never make a mistake just a new product!!!!! What's so weird the day before I made strawberry jam with the same kind of pectin that was brought at the same place and had the same date, and it turned out wonderful(it was the best strawberry jam).I used frozen strawberry's that I put up in the spring for I had no time to make jam then.

-- Sandy Fisher (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), August 06, 2000.

Response to unjelled lelly

Before attempting to remake jelly with powdered pectin, wait two weeks to see if it will jell. Not all fruit products will jell in 24 hours and from what I have experienced grape jelly takes the longest. To remake it, for each quart of unset jelly, measure 1/4 Cup sugar, 4 teaspoons powder pectin, and 1/4 Cup water. Combine pectin and water in medium saucepan and brint to a boil over medium high heat. Keep stirring to prevent scorching. Add 1 Quart unset jelly and sugar. Stir thoroughly. Bring up to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, skim if necessary. Ladleinto hot jars and process in water bath canner for the time indicated on the original recipe.

I am assuming that you used powder pectin in your recipe. If you used liquid pectin go to www.homecanning.com and look up the directions for using liquid.

Good luck! Judy

-- Judy (judy@az.freei.net), August 06, 2000.


Response to unjelled lelly

I agree with Judy about waiting. Some fruit takes a lot longer. My mother made guava jelly years ago that didnt jell so she put it in syrup bottles and sealed them. Some time after we tried to pour the guava syrup and found that it had set up. The only way to get it out was to dig with a knife. We teased her about that for years. Peggy

-- Peggy (wclpc@cookeville.com), August 06, 2000.

Response to unjelled lelly

I bet it is still good on pancakes and such. I have also used that type of disaster mixed into plain yoghurt, as a flavoring for home- made ice cream, and poured over fresh snow for snowcones. BTW, does anybody know how to convert it into sherbert, I had some grape sherbert once and it was WONDERFUL.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), August 06, 2000.


Response to unjelled lelly

I've found that any attempt to increase the amounts called for in the jelly recipe, or failing to get a rolling boil long enough (or if it is just barely boiling - we had this problem on our old stove, it would cut out the power and never get really hot - our new canning eye fixes that problem) will result in more of a syrup than a jelly. We don't label ours until they should be set and just write "syrup" on the ones that didn't do well - great on pancakes and ice cream, just don't tell anyone that wasn't what you wanted to make!

-- Karen Oland (koland@staffingtech.com), August 10, 2000.

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