What are you canning now?

[McGoo]

Help pleeeease!!!!!!
I was canning some strawberry jam and I thought(

) the temp was high enough - NOT. It did not gel. I did not use pectin, just sugar, strawberries and a little lemon juice. 7 jars filled with soupy sauce.... what to do

I've read that I can use pectin, but how do I do that now? I have extra lids and can do the whole water bath again, but need help/directions on what to do.

Thanks all.
Colleen

 

[BarefootMom]

I have never done it but you can re-cook it and try to get it to gel up. don't know about adding pectin now.

if not here is a list of uses I have came up with for not set strawberyy jam:

ice cream topping
strawberry shakes/smoothies
topping on cereal
strawberry milk
ontop of cake--pound cake, angel food, etc
filling for cakes
cobblers

and there are probably many more uses...

sorry if this doesn't help

 

[sparkles2307]

My mom always tells me to re-cook it... I'm scared to try that, but she tosses it out so nonchalantly that it must not be too hard.

 

[vfem]

I managed to come up with blueberry syrup, several size containers of blueberry jam, blackberry jam (several sizes too), strawberry, strawberry banana, rose petal jelly and more watermelon!

60 jars done this past weekend....

EXHAUSTED and I have to go picking more berries on Thursday.

 

[BarefootMom]

Quote:
so jealous! blackberries and watermelon are not ready until July/August here. Don't know anyone that grows blueberries but I am waiting until they go on sale at WalMart. Last year I found them for $0.50 a pint. and I bought like 20 boxes...lol

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Quote:
I always end up with super crispy waffles if I freeze and reheat them...but I guess thats because I put them in my toaster to defrost (which then crisps them up)...too bad we can't combine our reheating experiences and get the perfect waffle. Let me knwo how the blueberry syrup turns out, that sounds soooooo good! I love maple syrup but its not like I can actually make it here, given the absence of the right kind of maple trees and the wrong weather.

 

[oberhaslikid]

Quote:
Open all the jars and dump back into your pan.Bring to a boil. and let it boil untill when you raise the spoon and let it drip back into the pan. It will start to gel in the spoon. I raise the spoon and when the third or fourth drip starts to hang on the spoon and not want to drop off . Then I start jarring up the jam.I do this even if I use pectin.This is when I know its ready.
I have a tenancy to use too much fruit.

 

[calicokat]

We always made Maple syrup when I was growing up. Just a plain syrup (2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, I think) and a touch of maple extract or flavoring. Might try that.

 

[bockbock2008]

Soooo, we have ALOT of sweet corn planted and I'm trying to come up with a few different recipes so its not just all creamed corn. My DH wants some "chili king corn". Never heard of it. Anyone have a recipe for it? I've looked through the ball book but haven't seen anything he thinks it might be.

 

[vfem]

Quote:
Open all the jars and dump back into your pan.Bring to a boil. and let it boil untill when you raise the spoon and let it drip back into the pan. It will start to gel in the spoon. I raise the spoon and when the third or fourth drip starts to hang on the spoon and not want to drop off . Then I start jarring up the jam.I do this even if I use pectin.This is when I know its ready.
I have a tenancy to use too much fruit.

You can jam strawberries without pectin, but they are a 'low' pectin fruit and it never works well. I always add pectin. Blueberries & blackberries are high pectin fruit and those should gel very well for you. I never use pectin in those (or apples) and they always come out perfect.

Buy a box of ball pectin and in the directions there is a "What if my jam didn't set?" area on the back page telling you how to do it again. I also posted a recipe for the same issue a couple pages back. ----> https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6593525#p6593525