Topic: mixed fruit jam - proportions of sugar/fruit?

[Sparkly]

Just been down to the plot and picked a good amount of gooseberries, jostaberries, raspberries and strawberries.

I am planning on making this into a jam but would like a pointer on how much sugar I should use. Is it equal weights of sugar to fruit or something else? ???

Should I add some apples for pectin, or will it set on its own?

[prink13]

Hi, i think the standard for mass produced jam is equal sugar to fruit by weight, however I tend to do half the amount of sugar to fruit, and add some pectin (or apples) to help with the setting. As these fruits are so sweet anyway, I would start iwth half sugar, you could add more if needed

Kathi

[Sparkly]

thanks kathi, I had a guess with approx equal portions fruit:sugar. I also added 2 chopped apples to help setting. I heated to the jam setting on a thermometer and have put it into sterilised jars. Fingers crossed!

[teresa]

If this is your first time jam making you might want to buy the jam sugar which contains pectin, think its equal amounts of fruit to sugar.
It has instructions on packet.
not sure of the jostaberries, but thought the gooseberries would have enough pectin in them?
 I know when making strawberry jam putting redcurrents in help it set or some use lemon juice.
The jam sugar I could taste the apple but it may just be me. Nothing nicer than a pot of fresh jam on fresh bread and butter.

[antipodes]

I always use a 3/4 ratio, like for 2 kilos of fruit use 1.5 kilos of sugar. I add lemon juice for acidity and my jam never goes bad.
I confess that I used some jam sugar with added pectin to make some cherry jam this month as I had never made that before and was unsure if it would set well. It turned out just great.

[real food]

Certo say that for jam to set there should be at least 60% sugar to fruit.
Gooseberries and Jostaberries have a lot of pectin, rasps a little less, but strawberries and cherries are very low in pectin.
I have some jam recipes on my new site at www.growingyourown.info

[jennym]

Must disagree with you there realfood.
There is absolutely no need to add 60% sugar in order to make a jam set. The absolute maximum I ever add is 50%. Fruit in itself contains sugars. If you add 60% sugar this can in some cases bring total sugars content of the jam up to a whopping 80% and then there would truly be little taste in the jam.
The way to get a jam to set is to cook the fruit in the presence of acid to extract the maximum amount of pectin. Adding fruits high in pectin to those that are low in pectin helpd the set. This process must be done BEFORE adding the sugar.

[budgiebreeder]

I agree Jennym.I add gooseberrys to help the set and add the sugar , which i warm in the oven with the jam jars, when the fruit is  soft.Then boil fast until it reaches setting point.You can test for setting by putting a little on a cold saucer and see when it is setting.I also add a thingy of butter to collect any scum that forms so it can be easily taken off the top of the jam pan.Waxed discs must be put on top to seal the jam.I am finding it harder to obtain these .But came across some at the  Lakeland site.When making Jellys strain the seeds out over night and the  rule was always i pint of liquid to 1lb of sugar and never squeeze the straining bag else yr Jelly becomes cloudy.

[jennym]

Budgiebreeder, for jellies have found that 76 - 80% of sugar to liquid by weight works best. If you use new jars, or buy lids that fit old ones you don't need the waxed circles, can get some lids from here: http://www.ascott.biz/acatalog/Spare_Jar_Lids.html
Although suppose waxed circles look cheaper, but if you wanting to keep jam for a time or give as gifts, lids or new jars are better.
Don't use butter myself as it puts off the vegans  ;D but if it works for you...

[real food]

I take your point about fruit already having some sugar within it. I have re-checked the Certo instruction booklet for making jam and it says, "Perfect jam requires 60 % of its weight in sugar: in other words, every 10 pounds of jam should contain 6 lb of sugar." I see that their recipes do indeed have about 60 % of sugar.
Thinking more about this, there may be a simple explanation to this apparent conundrum. The Certo method involves adding the Certo pectin to the fruit, thereby avoiding the long boiling time required when using the traditional method, and that "boiled" taste. Indeed, it is merely a matter of bringing the fruit and sugar to the boil, and then boil for some Two to Three minutes, turn off the heat, then add the Certo. Thus, very little water is lost from the jam during the boiling process.
In the traditional methods, a lot of water evaporates off during the lengthy boiling process, and the percentage of sugar in the finished jam, may be much higher than you realise.

[lin]

I have been making jam with my fruits for the last few years and I have been adding less sugar (sometimes using sugar substitute too) and I find that if you use too little (which I have done sometimes), the jam is quite loose but then I just call it a "conserve" and use it in yoghurt or rice as a sweet ... or in porridge in the winter. Also very nice on warm toast... runny but just as gorgeous... and not so many calories (well a few less anyway!)
Lin

[Melbourne12]

I was introduced to microwave jam a few years ago.  You wash the fruit and use half its weight in sugar, no added water.
Then you let it boil in the microwave (once its boiling point I turn to a lower power and keep an eye on it) until it reaches setting point.  Then pot as usual.  It sets well, although I do use jam sugar, but has to be kept in the fridge as there is not enough sugar in it to keep it normally.  You only make small quantities at a time but it gives a lovely fresh tasting low sugar jam.