Did I do wrong?

[Nan_PA_6b]

For the first time ever, I, with help from DH & Mom, made elderberry jelly today.

DH bought me a jar of powdered pectin. I had about 3 1/2 cups of elderberry juice. At the last minute I realized I had no measurement for how much pectin to use. I googled "How much pectin" and the first thing that came up was this:

"1 tbsp of pectin powder gels 4 cups of fruit. Use 2 tbsp. per 8 cups of fruit. The standard jam recipe is 8 cups of fruit, 6 to 8 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice."

https://joybileefarm.com › how-to-use-bulk-pectin-to-make-jam-peach-jam

If you read the article, she says these measurements are for other fruits as well.

I believed the first thing I read on the Internet.

So I used a little over 1 tablespoon of pectin for 3 1/2 cups of juice. Also added the requisite lemon juice & nearly 6 cups of sugar.

Cooking and pressure canning happened. The cute little jars are sitting in the kitchen now. The stuff inside hasn't jelled. I went back to the internet to search other sites and it seems the amount others recommend is closer to 6 tablespoons of pectin.

Is my jelly ruined? If it's supposed to be 6+ tablespoons of pectin, should I add the other 5 tablespoons when I take the jars apart & re-cook it? I'm agonizing over this.

Nan

[Rajun Gardener]

Dump it in the pot and cook it again with more pectin, no biggie!!!

[Rajun Gardener]

Also, always test the set by putting a spoonful on a plate, let it cool then run your finger through it. It should leave a semi clean streak.

[Rajun Gardener]

Also #2, you don't have to do it tonight, tomorrow will be fine and it gives you time to clean the jars again.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Thank you, Rajun! Does six tablespoons sound more like the right amount than 1 tablespoon?

[clkeiper]

did you use pamonas pectin or bulk surejel?

Pamonas requires a calcium water? to be added to the process.


1 tablespoon doesn't sound even close to correct. the 6 tablespoons though? not sure about that much either. use the whole box of pectin for a batch. if you have bulk pectin there should have been a recipe trifold available along with the pectin.
I also use a candy thermometer while making jelly. it helps to know when you get to the "jelly" stage. the jelly shoud sheet off a spoon or make a distinct round drop onto a plate. it should not weep away from the original droplet. if it spreads or weeps its not jelled yet.
the 6 cups of sugar seems a bit more than I have ever used for jelly. 4 1/2 cups is normal..so, yours might be a bit sweeter than you expect

I usually use certo for elderberry jelly as I have found it works better. that said... its very expensive and when I find it at the expired food outlet i buy all of it that I can.

[bower]

Nan, it's on my list to make jelly very soon. I have pectin by the box here so I will measure how much is in it. Six tablespoons sounds like a lot to me, but I could be wrong. I would guess it's about a quarter cup, so we'll see how far off I am.


Couple things I have learned about making jelly:
- Different recipes for different kinds of fruit. Some have a lot of natural pectin, others don't.
- Expiry date on pectin powder does matter! I have had failures due to using stale dated powder, so check the date in case this is the cause.


Actually I just found an expired box and poured out and measured it. More than 1/4 cup but less than 1/2 - probably 1/3 cup would be right, and maybe 6 tbs is about that (I can't stand measuring spoons they are all different!).

[bower]

Just wanted to add - I looked at the leaflet in the box which gives sample recipes. The amount of juice is different depending on the fruit, and varies from 3 1/2 C (strawberry) to 7 cups (apple or crabapple). Amount of sugar varies too. So I think your recipe is okay, it is just for a fruit with little or no pectin.
For strawberry they say 3 1/2 cups juice, 5 cups sugar to a box of pectin.


I've experimented with herb jelly too (zero pectin in that!) and the recipe called for 3 cups prepared juice to 4 cups of sugar. (The mint jelly from this recipe was kind of horribly sweet to my taste).


There's another leaflet in my recipe book, from a different pectin brand, gives a recipe for Elderberry: 3 cups prepared juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 4 1/2 cups sugar, 1 box pectin.


Anyway the higher amount of sugar in your recipe will help it to gel, if anything.


BTW, front of the Certo leaflet "Tips for Jam Making Success" it says "Always check the 'best before' date before you begin. Sadly, I had to learn this the hard way. (or should I say, the soft and runny way lol Luckily as Rajun said, no worries, just a load of extra work to boil it up again with more (or non expired!) pectin.

[brownrexx]

If you don't get it to work, elderberry sauce would be good on ice cream!

[Labradors2]

Elderberry sauce would also be an excellent remedy for colds in the winter. As brownrexx says, it's good over ice cream. Also good over plain cheesecake, or if you make apple crumble and it turns out a bit dry (as mine often does). A little sauce stirred into some honey in a mug with hot water makes a wonderful soothing drink, especially for a cold.

I suggest that you keep some of your cute jars as they are .

[SQWIBB]

From what I understood when using Powder Pectin, it needs to be added before the sugar and when using liquid pectin you add after the sugar.

[Nan_PA_6b]

Originally Posted by SQWIBB

From what I understood when using Powder Pectin, it needs to be added before the sugar and when using liquid pectin you add after the sugar.

Squibb, yes. There are methods for adding more powdered pectin, though. Mixing it first with boiling water makes it a "liquid" pectin of sorts.

[Nan_PA_6b]

The world is shiny again! All jelly re-worked with an additional 4-5 tablespoons of pectin. DH was such a gem helping me & manning the pressure canner.

Bower said: "I've experimented with herb jelly too (zero pectin in that!)"
I once sprung for an expensive little jar of violet petal jelly. What a delicate flavor!

[imp]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

The world is shiny again! All jelly re-worked with an additional 4-5 tablespoons of pectin. DH was such a gem helping me & manning the pressure canner.

Bower said: "I've experimented with herb jelly too (zero pectin in that!)"
I once sprung for an expensive little jar of violet petal jelly. What a delicate flavor!

Did you pressure can or water bath it in the pressure canner ?

[Rajun Gardener]

I'm glad you got it worked out!!!