7 Helpful Hints

1. To stop foaming, add ½ teaspoon butter per 4 cup batch.

2. Taste test for sweetness after pectin is dissolved in mixture. Not sweet enough? Add more sweetener. Stir 1 minute at full boil.

3. The pectin can only dissolve properly in a low-sweetener mixture. For higher sweetener recipes, stir pectin into low sweetener (no more than ½ the amount of mashed fruit or juice for sugar and no more than ¼ the amount of mashed fruit or juice for honey or other liquid sweeteners); add remaining sweetener after pectin is dissolved.

4. If, after jars are sealed, you discover you need to add sweetener, lemon juice, calcium water, fruit, or juice, you can empty jars into a pan with new ingredients. Bring mixture to a full boil, stir well 1 minute and re-can.

5. Pectin jells when thoroughly cool. If your jam or jelly doesn’t jell well, you have to know why before you can fix it. Just adding more pectin may not solve the problem.

6. Color changes over time do not affect flavor or quality.

7. For a softer jell, use less pectin.

8. Cannot be safely sealed with paraffin.

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8 Responses

  1. Lori Weber
    | Reply

    I made grape jelly with Splenda following the directions from the pectin box. The jelly was to firm like canned cranberry sauce.. Then I tried again using a teaspoon less and it’s still to firm. I’m not real satisfied with this pectin. I’m not having good results and I’m wasting ingredients and lids. If someone can please give me some advise or tell me what I’m doing wrong I would appreciate it.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      If you would like to remake this batch and loosen it up, you will have some freedom as to how much water or juice/unsweetened liquid to add. If you would say that your jelly is about 25% too firm for your liking, you will want to add 25% of the called for amount of liquid/juice in your recipe (about 1 cup if you followed a 4 cup recipe). If it is 50% too firm, you’ll use 2 cups of juice; and so forth.

      You will empty your jam/jelly into a pot, and bring it up to just a boil. Add your additional liquid (unsweetened juice, or mashed fruit or water) and let it boil for 1-2 minutes. Recan your jam/jelly into hot, clean jars and reprocess in a water-bath canner (or freeze).

      We would also suggest basing your future recipe(s) off of this experience and reducing the pectin measurements according to your observation from this batch. If it is 50% more firm than you would like, add 50% less pectin than you did this time around.

      Please let us know if you have any further questions, we are happy to help.

      Happy jamming!

  2. Linda Melvin
    | Reply

    I want to use Fix B because I think I over hot-bathed my jelly. How do I know how much pectin to use?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      If you indeed overcooked your jam/jelly. You will need to use the full amount of pectin called for in the recipe.

  3. Virginia Prunyi
    | Reply

    Can tell me how to convert a recipe with Ball pectin to Pomona’s Pectin?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Virginia,
      Please take a look at the page Developing or Converting Recipes by clicking on the link or going to the Learn Page on our website and scrolling down to “Get Creative.”

      I tried to reply to your email address but it wouldn’t go through. I hope you get the information this way.

      Thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin — and happy jamming!

  4. josh
    | Reply

    Made strawberry/kiwi jam. First time using Pomona’s. I am hooked; you convinced me. It came out perfect. Cannot wait to try making another type. Thank you.

  5. Patsy Lake
    | Reply

    Thank you so very much for Pomona’s Pectin. This is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Thanks again. Patsy

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