Canning Season.

[coronabarb]

That new label is nothing but marketing. For best quality, at least for jam, the recommendation is to use it within a year. I've got cranberry raspberry jalapeno jelly I made at least 10 yrs ago and it is still good. The color is not as bright and the taste might not be as perky but as long as it isn't moldy, it isn't bad. Ball's product quality has gone down, not up in recent years.

"The stuff used to be good for only one year now it is 18 months and you can only use the jars 3 times and then you need to buy new ones."

Worth, where did you hear that you can only use jars 3 times. I've never heard/read that. Most people use them over and over and over with no problem. If you are rough with a metal knife or spoon inside, it can etch the glass over time and eventually cause it to break. That doesn't happen too often.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by coronabarb

That new label is nothing but marketing. For best quality, at least for jam, the recommendation is to use it within a year. I've got cranberry raspberry jalapeno jelly I made at least 10 yrs ago and it is still good. The color is not as bright and the taste might not be as perky but as long as it isn't moldy, it isn't bad. Ball's product quality has gone down, not up in recent years.

"The stuff used to be good for only one year now it is 18 months and you can only use the jars 3 times and then you need to buy new ones."

Worth, where did you hear that you can only use jars 3 times. I've never heard/read that. Most people use them over and over and over with no problem. If you are rough with a metal knife or spoon inside, it can etch the glass over time and eventually cause it to break. That doesn't happen too often.

It was a joke.
Someone told me years ago you could only hand load rifle brass one time.
Hog wash.
Worth

[imp]

Anyone ever used the product called "pickle pipes" for fermenting in a jar? Saw them on Amazon and am curious.

[coronabarb]

Several of the fermentation folks here use them. I think the Extension sold them for awhile too. They seem to like them.

[clkeiper]

Barb, I started laughing as soon as I read Worth's "knowledgeable advice" I knew he was pulling a smarty pants on us and it wasn't for real.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Cinnamon and ghost pepper would liven up the party.
Worth

I can do both, but now that it is finished and I have no more beauty berries... it will have to wait until... never.

[whistech]

Originally Posted by imp

Anyone ever used the product called "pickle pipes" for fermenting in a jar? Saw them on Amazon and am curious.

Imp, I use them and they work very well. I also use the glass weights they have to keep the food below the liquid. I use either the 1/2 gallon or quart wide mouth jars.

[imp]

Thank you both, I may try the pickle pipes later, never ate a fermented pickle.

[MissS]

Really imp, you want more pipes?

[clkeiper]

Okay, so I am making grape jelly today... weather is yucky so I am staying in for now... but my question is WHY does the recipe with certo call for 7 cups of sugar and the recipe in the ball blue book without certo calls for only 3. why does the recipe need so much sugar for the pectin formula. why even use the pectin to make the recipe?

[imp]

Originally Posted by MissS

Really imp, you want more pipes?

Ohh, you are bad.

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Okay, so I am making grape jelly today... weather is yucky so I am staying in for now... but my question is WHY does the recipe with certo call for 7 cups of sugar and the recipe in the ball blue book without certo calls for only 3. why does the recipe need so much sugar for the pectin formula. why even use the pectin to make the recipe?

That does seem weird, and a LOT of sugar. Maybe Barb will know?

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by imp

....

That does seem weird, and a LOT of sugar. Maybe Barb will know?

yah, because it is sooooo sweet it is worse than treacle with all that sugar in it. I want to taste the grapes.
both the certo recipe and the ball recipe for with pectin call for 7 cups of sugar... measure exact! because it won't work otherwise... uh huh! I just finished the last batch and I finally added a packet of pectin since I couldn't get it to gel and I don't want syrup so evidently you don't need all that sugar to make jelly either?

[coronabarb]

Playing catch up here. I work on Thurs, Fri, Sat. so by Sunday, there are 40+ emails of posts. You guys talk a lot. I scan over the posts quickly so didn't catch that Worth was making a funny.

imp, I have a friend here who makes fermented dill pickles. They are the best pickles I have ever tasted. I hope to make some when I get a bigger kitchen.

carolyn, each recipe can be different because of the amount of natural pectin and acid in the fruit, what the pectin is made of and how it works, and how much sugar it takes to get the product to gel with or w/o pectin, the proportions of the ingredients, etc. Since jellies need to be firm enough to hold their shape, they usually require the addition of pectin to set up. Even with pectin, I sometimes have trouble getting jellies to set up well.

From NCHFP;
"Sugar is an important ingredient in jellied fruit products. It must be present in the proper proportion with pectin and acid to make a good gel. Sugar is the preservative for the product, preventing the growth of microorganisms. It also contributes to the taste of the product. Never cut down on the amount of sugar a recipe calls for unless syrup is the desired end result."

There are recipes for making jams without pectin but they do require a lot of sugar to get it to gel. It requires a long boil to reach the gel point, possibly 30 mins. I prefer to just boil one minute with pectin as I think it tastes fresher, less cooked.

Ball has a low/no sugar pectin that you can use if you want to cut down on sugar in preserves. It makes a softer set jam which needs to be used within a month or so once opened, as it will mold more quickly. Don't think it can be used for jellies.

More info here;
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/jell...gredients.html

[imp]

Are fermented pickles dill pickles and are they crunchy?

Mostly, I only eat the Claussen's dill pickles as I dislike mushy pickles, LOL.

[AlittleSalt]

I'm not a fan of mushy pickles either - except Bread and Butter pickles. mmm