Jam won't set :.(

[BoffinMum]

So here I am with 4 lbs blackberry and apple jelly slopping about mournfully in jars, and about 8 lbs grape jelly with added Bramleys for emergency pectin boiling for about an hour on the hob, and despite the fact that I have been mucking about with the stuff for hours now, neither has set. Plus I have driven around every shop that is open and there is no pectin to be found to rescue me. WTF should I do????

Boil it up again with a very liberal dose of lemon juice?

This was me last week, my jam took 3 hours boiling to set. Pour it all back into the pan and get boiling. Are you sure you added enough sugar? I was accidentally a kilo out, so the jam is runny but set now.

Did you chuck the apple peelings and cores? If not, shove them in an old muslin tied over the side of the pan and boil up the jam again. Most of the pectin is in the core and skin.

I usually add the whole (halved, squeezed) lemons whilst boiling for the pectin in the seeds/ pith/ membranes. Under-ripe apples are better for pectin if you happen to have any trees nearby with some smaller, unripe apples.

Or, option 2: It is, and was always intended to be, a pouring sauce for ice cream and other desserts!

These are excellent ideas. Thank you.

I have put more apple in it, boiled it up a bit more, and tested it on a saucer. It wrinkled a little so DH and I have taken a risk and put it into the jars to see what happens. I have a control sample in a ramekin for observation throughout the evening. I think if all else fails I will boil it up with a bit of pectin from a bottle tomorrow when Waitrose is open again, if everyone thinks this is a good idea.

I think I did get the recipe right because initially I put double the sugar in that was required, but then realised my mistake, checked it with DH, and got him to prepare a further 4lbs of grapes.

defintely not enough pectin, hope you can set it! My dad made jam once that was too runny and we used it as an icecream topping instead :-)

Update: Rushed home from work, bought 8 yes 8 bottles of Certo. In fact denuded Waitrose of all Certo in stock. Came home ready to boil up jam. Grape jelly had set overnight all by itself! Boiled up bramble and apple jam and poured in half a bottle of Certo and that seemed to set. Than in fot of madness made strawberry jam with remaining half bottle of Certo, but that hasn't set, so I am thinking I should boil that up again, am I right? It's a bit anaemic looking and I am wondering if Certo has that effect on strawberries.

Hi everyone!

If it is any help I hav made chutney for years and when I tried making jam I had the same problem - sloppy jam! So I applied the same principles as I used making chutney and put the jam back in the pan. I then simmered it for ages until it reduced in consistancy until the usual jam testing methods worked. Hey presto - jam that had already reached the setting point was of a proper thick consistancy AND WHEN COOLED IT WAS SET!!!

Hope this helps - and if anyone needs a good, nay - prize-winning - recipe for tomato chutney, well I'm your woman.

Kind regards to all
Chicken Keeper Karen