A friend of mine asked me the following question. Since I live in New Orleans and don't have an altitude problem, I thought I'd ask all of you:
I live in West Texas where the elevation is almost 3000' above sea level. My jellies seem to never gel quite enough. I finally figured out it is because I am dealing with mostly a liquid, and it doesn't get hot enough. I read that to gel at my altitude, the syrup needs to heat to at least 214 degrees (F). Well, liquids here boil at ~207-208...ergo, not hot enough to gel no matter how long I boil. I have read that at high altitudes you must add time to the processing time. I don't understand the science. The boiling water that heats the jars won't get hotter than 207-208 either. Will more time make the contents hotter than the boiling point? I would think one would have to have a pressure canner. Does this mean that it is impossible to make jelly here unless one has pressure equipment?
Can anyone help her?
I live in West Texas where the elevation is almost 3000' above sea level. My jellies seem to never gel quite enough. I finally figured out it is because I am dealing with mostly a liquid, and it doesn't get hot enough. I read that to gel at my altitude, the syrup needs to heat to at least 214 degrees (F). Well, liquids here boil at ~207-208...ergo, not hot enough to gel no matter how long I boil. I have read that at high altitudes you must add time to the processing time. I don't understand the science. The boiling water that heats the jars won't get hotter than 207-208 either. Will more time make the contents hotter than the boiling point? I would think one would have to have a pressure canner. Does this mean that it is impossible to make jelly here unless one has pressure equipment?
Can anyone help her?