Troubleshooting Questions

In most cases, yes, you can fix it. Since this is a longer answer, click here to match your issue with a solution.

Low-sweetener jam or jelly that is a bright color at first will begin to fade over time and with exposure to light. This is a process of color loss and does not mean the jam or jelly is going bad. The browning starts at the top of the jar and slowly works its way down….

If your jam or jelly is too thick, the first question to ask is: Is it spreadable? The Pomona’s jell could be stiffer or firmer than you are used to, but it should be spreadable. If it’s not spreadable, then something went wrong. The most usual cause for a too firm or rubbery texture with…

Yes. Pomona’s Pectin will start breaking down if it is subjected to extended cooking. After you have added the pectin to your boiling fruit mixture, you can continue to cook for up to 10 minutes without harming the pectin. After 10 minutes you risk breaking down the pectin. An extended boiling water-bath of the filled…

For an immediate fix, gently stir some additional sweetener into the jar. Another option is to empty the jar into a small saucepan. Add the sweetener you want to the mixture in the pan and bring to a boil, stirring well for 1 minute. Put the hot mixture into a clean, hot jar and put…

Usually that thin, white film is jelled foam. If your fruit was foamy in the sauce pan and you didn’t skim the foam off, or if your mixture had a lot of air in it and you didn’t do air releasing before putting the jam in the jars, the foam or tiny air bubbles rise…

Cloudy jelly is usually due to improper juicing of the fruit. Fruit should be cooked gently rather than boiled. Dripping should happen through a fine mesh jelly bag or layers of cheesecloth. Never squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth. High-sugar jelly tends to have a very crystal clear look from the fact that there is…

What you have is called “fruit float.” When the jars of jam are very hot and there is no jell yet, the pulp, which is lighter than the juice, is able to float to the top of the jar. Strawberries are prone to fruit float although it doesn’t always happen. Other fruits can have fruit…

There are several scenarios that can cause the pectin to clump together when it is added to the fruit mixture. The pectin was stirred directly into the fruit mixture. The pectin was stirred into an amount of sweetener below the low end of the sweetener range. The pectin was not well mixed throughout the sweetener….

If you stir the pectin powder into an amount of sweetener that is beyond the range shown in our recipes, or have too much sweetener already added to the fruit, the pectin powder will be inhibited from dissolving and may go grainy. Pomona’s Pectin can only properly dissolve in a low-sugar environment, so it is…

Usually there is nothing you can do or need to do because it doesn’t cause serious problems. The jam or jelly is still safe to eat. You might notice that your jam or jelly is weepy (liquid seeps out of the jell and forms a puddle) or that the jell is stiffer than normal. It’s…

Some fruits have calcium in them naturally. This natural calcium will activate the pectin. Wait until the next day to see if your mixture jells when thoroughly cool. If it has gelled, you don’t need to do anything. If it hasn’t gelled, open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan. (If you…

If your recipe called for lemon juice and you forgot to put it in, your mixture will not be acid enough for safe canning. You have to open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan. (If you made the jam or jelly recently and you carefully remove the lids without damaging them,…

There are several things that can prevent a jar from sealing: 1. Headspace too big or too small (headspace should be ¼ inch) 2. A chip on the jar rim 3. Using an old lid (new lids must be used) 4. Screwing the band on too tightly (band should be fingertip tight) 5. Jam on…