gracewriter
Assistant Cook
The first time I made jam it came out perfect. I think it came out perfect because I didn't know what I was doing.
Once I started trying to know what I was doing, it got really complicated.
The recipe I use calls for one part sugar and one part fruit.
You boil the crushed berries for 1 minute, then you add sugar and boil for about five or until it jells. So everything I've made so far jells without anything else added, and it's quick, and tasty.
But I get really freaked when I start thinking about things.
So yesterday, I wanted to remove the seeds and did it after the first boil with my food mill.
But what got me crazy, I started thinking the seeds is where the pectin is...and probably shouldn't be removed until the end.
Problem is, I was putting them straight into the canner and needed the jam to be hot, had I de-seeded it at the end the jam would have cooled. I was afraid to heat it back up again because I wanted it to stop jelling.
So I ended up boiling instead of one minute the first time, 2.5 minutes.
Things looked like they were going well, but when I did the second boil it thickened twice as fast as it had in the past. Which of course freaked me out.
Who would think ruining $3.00 worth of berries would cause someone so much grief! Like if I ruin this batch, I'll be living under a bridge eating dog food out of a can.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Once I started trying to know what I was doing, it got really complicated.
The recipe I use calls for one part sugar and one part fruit.
You boil the crushed berries for 1 minute, then you add sugar and boil for about five or until it jells. So everything I've made so far jells without anything else added, and it's quick, and tasty.
But I get really freaked when I start thinking about things.
So yesterday, I wanted to remove the seeds and did it after the first boil with my food mill.
But what got me crazy, I started thinking the seeds is where the pectin is...and probably shouldn't be removed until the end.
Problem is, I was putting them straight into the canner and needed the jam to be hot, had I de-seeded it at the end the jam would have cooled. I was afraid to heat it back up again because I wanted it to stop jelling.
So I ended up boiling instead of one minute the first time, 2.5 minutes.
Things looked like they were going well, but when I did the second boil it thickened twice as fast as it had in the past. Which of course freaked me out.
Who would think ruining $3.00 worth of berries would cause someone so much grief! Like if I ruin this batch, I'll be living under a bridge eating dog food out of a can.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!