Has anyone ever used the powdered pectin available in the USA, ie. Sure-jell, or Fruit-jell?
Are they any good?
Are they available over here, as I cannot find them?
Anyone know if there are any laws against inporting them?
Sorry this is a series of questions, but really want to get to grips with preserving, and the USA seems ahead of UK in this area, so thought somebody might know the answers :)
Kathi
Hi Kathi. Suregel and Fruitgel are commercial crystal pectins they are the bo the the same and in turn are the same as Cert crystals which is more common.
Suregel also makes a reduced suagr one bit I find the jam does not set as well.
Certo comes in two tpes in the US the powdered one and a kiquid one that comes in pouches.
They are used in 2 different ways,
The powder one goes in with the sugar at the start of the cooking.
The liquid one goes in for just 1 minute at the end therefore you avoid that overcooked taste.
You must follow a reciope for one or the other, if it says crystal then don't use liquid and vica versa.
Certo liquid comes in pouches in the US, 2 pouches to a box..
US recipes will say use one or perhaps 2 pouches depending on the recipe.
You can buy Certo in the UK,it comes in bottles. Each bottle cotains the equivalent of 3 pouches from the US. I think a third of cup = 1 pouch. However it is easy to work out as I hvae a box here and can measure a pouch in mls for you.
I use the bottles here if I run out of the pouches that I have sent over.
There is agood US site for Certo and there is a site for Certo UK.
I have hundreds of Certo recipes by the way.
Go to the USDA site in preserving ,just tap in USDA canning and it will come up. This is the only one I reccomend as they are very up to date.
I use a US canner for preserving veggies, etc.
If you are importing from the US , check out caps and rings and jars, The 2 piece cap and ring they talk about , the standard size which fits a uS Mason jar also fits a large size Bertolli spaghettii jar here and the jar IS is US Mason jar. It costs little to have the lids sent over and the jars are ex\cellent and cheap here.Not so UK canning jars .
Let me know if I can help you firther.
Sorry about the typhos but my laptop id dying and the kays are sticking and making mistakes.
XX Jeannine
Thanks Jeannine, will look at the reccomended sites, and look more into Certo, my Dad lives in US, and is coming for a visitin Oct/Nov, so looks like he might be bringing me some crystal certo in his suitcase!!! ;D
Kathi
Oh now I am jealous. Tell him to take them out of the box and just carry the pouches. If he brings you the caps and rings too to fit the Bertolli jars, you want more caps then rings as you can recycle the rings but not the caps.
We have eaten loads of bertolli sauce to get the jars, it is the only one I have found in the UK and it is cheaper with the sauce than buying the UK canning jars.
I will put a picture on for you so it makes sense what I am saying. XX Jeannine
Thanks again Jeannine ;D ;D