Jelly canning

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Today was my first attempt to make jelly and can it using a hot water bath. What a mess! It was elderberries I had picked and cleaned this morning and I made it with pectin per the package directions. It seemed the least little jostling around to get the lid on caused sloshing of the liquid up onto the rim. Unfortunately I had the wide mouth 1/2 pints so the lid rings were a little more difficult to get seated and turned at the first try. I have no idea if I have good seals or not as the jars are still cooling and it says to wait until they're cool to check. Any hints or tips? Does it really need 1/4 inch headspace or can I leave a little more room which may help with the sloshing? Thanks in advance.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), August 18, 2001

Answers

It could be that the jelly isn't cooked enough, if it's still runny enough to be sloshy. What kind of pectin did you use? I have found the powdered kind works better than the liquid. Before pectin, housewives used to add a few tart apples to each batch. Apples have the highest pectin content, I'm told, and work well in place of commercial pectin. Just cook the cut-up apples in with the other fruit and proceed as you would for extracting juice for jelly. If you don't want apple pieces in your jam, try making applesauce to use instead.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), August 18, 2001.

Susan, I think you could leave a bit more head room without it going bad. After it cooled did you get a seal?? Elderberry as your first attempt. Brave girl........hope it turned out for you. If it is still running it makes wonderful ice cream or pancake syrup (I should know it sure has happened to me!!!)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 18, 2001.

that would be runny......:>)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 18, 2001.

Thanks, and hey they sealed! I was suprised. I may have ice cream topping if they don't set up but that's fine too. I used powdered Ball brand pectin, but there's a couple apple trees around here I could raid for pectin too, thanks for the hint. Tomorrow is peach jam day. The canning bug bit me this year after many years of no garden no canning, I'm glad to be living back out in the country again and tending a garden and putting up food.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), August 18, 2001.

If jelly doesn't seal, can you just put it in a bath and have it seal that way (after you tried the other way?)

I've been making my jam without pectin--just boiling it down and it has set VERY well--much better and I think it has a more natural (better) taste.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 20, 2001.



I took a preserving class last year through Extension and was instructed that when making jelly, don't touch the jars for 12 or more hours after sealing jars or you might "break the jell" resulting in a runny jelly.

-- Deb Jacobs in WI (debjacobs8@cs.com), August 20, 2001.

I make at least 100 jars of jelly and jam each year. I always leave the 1/4" of headspace. It is needed to make the vacuum for the seal as it cools. As soon as I fill the jars and place the ring on, I turn the jar upside down for a few minutes. I never hot bath them since I have been doing this for several years. Never have a jar that doesn't seal or spoil. I prefer the liquid pectin, no reason but "that is the way I've always done it". Be sure to time the boiling correctly, or it can cause problems about the set.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), August 21, 2001.

Last year made 72 8oz jars of Mango Jelly, very yummy.

That was my first time canning. Did it in three batches. I had tried using pectin in the fisrt batch, it really didn't make much of a difference, just tarter. Cooked each batch for about 4 hours.

You can leave 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch head space, anymore and you won't get a good pull down. You need to be sure the lip is very clean! Take a dish towel and wet it with hot water and wipe it very clean, repeat if you even think there is a spec of jam. The lip must be clean and nick free for a good seal. If it ain't clean you will need to do it again, just clean and re process for the full lenght of time specified. This time we had only one failure to seal. :)
Bought on sale a 21qt water bath canner this winter, what a difference that made. It really simplified the task. Made 56 jars this time around, some in 8oz and some in pint jars. The pint jars are much quicker to finish up the task.
Cooking the batch for several hours really does make a difference.

Fuzzy's Mango Jam

Open jar and use one tablespoon, close jar. Otherwise you'll finish the jar before you know it.

    How to prep the mango:
  1. stand mango on stem
  2. slice into quarters from top to bottom [tip to stem]
  3. peel each quater place to side, don't worry about any meat on skin.
  4. using a large serving spoon remove meat from stone [pit], do not bother to cut up - the long cook time will solve the big chunks
  5. use large spoon to scrape meat from skin.

Water Bath Canning the jars.
That is a best described in the ball canning book.
Have the tools you need ready: APRON [and old clothes -it's messy] tongs, jar tongs, jar funnel [which must be cleaned often], lid extractor from water bath [a lid rack or a magnet on a stick], old towels several.

Before you put the lid on besure to clean the rim of jelly.
Tighten the ring enough so water will not get in, but enough for air to escape. A friend will then tighten the ring immediately after removing them from the bath, this worked well for us as well. Within 15-30 minutes you will know if you goofed, as the lid will go 'PONK'. The little button will be sucked down, it is a VERY REWARDING SOUND. If a jar did not pull down, just replace the lid and wipe the lip and process it again. Check the lips for nicks! even brand new ones.
Place the in a safe place to cool.

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), August 21, 2001.


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