Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit Spreads at Home

By: Teresa Wiley, Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agent,Cherokee County Center

If you close your eyes and envision fresh baked bread, most of us also see it topped with scrumptious jam or jelly. Making your own jams and jellies is not as complicated as many may think.

So Easy to Preserve makes the following distinctions between the various types of fruit spread:
Jelly- Clear and firm product that holds its shape
Jams – Thick sweet spreads mad by cooking crushed or chopped fruits with sugar
Preserves – Small whole fruit or uniform size pieces in a clear, slightly gelled syrup
Fruit butters - Sweet spreads made by cooking fruit pulp with sugar to a thick consistency. Spices are often added.
Conserves - Jam-like products that may be made with a combination of fruits. They may also contain nuts, raisins, or coconut.
Marmalades - Soft fruit jellies containing small pieces of fruit or peel evenly suspended in the transparent jelly.

Pectin is the substance that makes fruit spreads gell. Fruit contains pectin, but the amount varies depending on the kind of fruit and the degree of ripeness. Most people making jellies at home use commercial pectin because less cooking time is required and the desired gell formation is easier to achieve. There are specifically formulated pectins on the market, that provide recipes using less sugar, artificial sweeteners and/or no added sugar. Freezer jams and jellies are especially good if you have the freezer space and if you prefer a fresh, uncooked flavor. All commercial pectins contain recipes and thorough directions for both cooked and freezer jams and jellies. Commercial pectics can be found in most grocery, hardware and discount stores near the canning jars.

An 8 or 10 - quart saucepot with a broad flat bottom is recommended to prepare the fruit spread before pouring it into clean, sterile canning jars. A boiling water bath is necessary for processing all fruit spreads. This is recommended to sterilize the head space, prevent mold growth, and ensure a tight seal.

When preparing your jellies it is best to prepare small batches. Double batches must be boiled longer and can cause loss of flavor, darkening and toughening of the jelly. For best results, make only one batch at a time.

There should be an abundance of fresh fruits to preserve into jams, jellies, preserves and butters this summer. For more details on making fruit spreads at home, call or stop by your County Extension Center.

Pressure or Boiling Water Bath Canning

Now that many novices have planted gardens and will be preserving the fruits and vegetables for the first time, it is more important then ever to discuss how to safely preserve these foods at home.

A common question we receive at Cooperative Extension is: How long do I process my green beans in a boiling water bath? The answer is: Green beans and any other low acid food cannot safely be canned use the boiling water bath method of canning.

There are only two safe ways of canning, depending on the type of food being canned. The boiling water bath method is safe for high acids foods like fruits, tomatoes, pickles and jellies. Pressure canning is the only safe method of canning vegetables and meats, because they are low acid foods.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria are the main reason low-acid foods must be pressure canned to be safe. Clostridium botulinum is a common soil microorganism that produces a very lethal poison called botulism. Botulinum spores can survive boiling water temperatures (212 degrees F.) and live in the absence of air – (such as, in a sealed canning jar). When this occurs, deadly botulinum toxin can be produced.

The spores of Clostridium botulinum can be destroyed by canning the food at a temperature of 240 degrees F. or above for a specific period of time. This temperature can only be achieved by processing the foods under pressure in a pressure canner.

Acidic foods – most fruits, acidified tomatoes, jellies and jams, and properly pickled vegetables – contain enough acid that the Clostridium botulinum spores cannot grow and produce the deadly poison. So, these foods can be safely canned in a boiling water bath canner. Because tomatoes and figs have less acid than other fruits, acid in the form of lemon juice or citric acid must be added to insure they are acidic enough for boiling water bath canning.

We caution folks, to be sure to use the most up-to-date methods and recommended processing times when canning any foods at home. Why go to all the trouble and expense of preserving foods at home and not follow the proper procedures to make sure the food is safe and wholesome.

You can receive free information and directions on canning fruits and vegetables as well as all other food preservation methods at your County Extension Center. Call or come by today.