University of Wisconsin - Extension

Ripe, juicy berries, fresh peaches, apples, pears and other fruits can be deliciously preserved to enjoy all year long. Whether you are making fruit jams, jellies, preserves, or conserves, these products all provide a good way to use fruits not suitable for canning or freezing. And while the type and proportion of ingredients varies for each product, they are all preserved by the presence of sugar in the product, according to Barb Ingham, University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension food scientist.

The four main ingredients needed to make jam or other jellied fruit products are: fruit, pectin, acid and sugar, Ingham says. Fruit gives each product its characteristic color and flavor. Pectin is the natural plant substance that causes fruit to gel. Fruits such as apples, cranberries, crabapples, currants, grapes and some plums contain enough natural pectin to form a gel; others require added pectin. Pectin is sold as a liquid or powder.

"Be sure to follow a recipe developed specifically for the type of pectin that you are using," Ingham says, "as the two types cannot be interchanged."

Acid is essential in jellied fruit products for both gel formation and flavor. Acid content varies among fruits, and is higher in under-ripe fruits. Follow recipes carefully and add acid if required. Sugar is another essential ingredient. Added sugar preserves fruit, helps the gel form and contributes to flavor.

"Use the amount of sugar a recipe calls for, or the product will not form a gel," says Ingham. "Sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners cannot replace sugar in regular recipes. If you wish to use less sugar, choose a low-sugar or no-sugar-added pectin designed for this purpose."

Here are some hints Ingham offers for making a successful batch of homemade jam or jelly:

-- Make one batch at a time. Double batches do not always gel properly.

-- Sterilize jars by boiling them for ten minutes. Pretreat lids as directed.

-- Remove bubbles and wipe jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Jam that sticks to the jar rim or threads can prevent the lid from sealing.

-- Process filled jars in a boiling water canner. UW-Extension does not recommend sealing jars with paraffin, or inverting sealed jars as a final step as these steps will not guarantee a good seal.

-- Store all opened jellied fruit products in the refrigerator.

If your product fails to gel, consider using it as syrup instead. (Or follow directions for remaking the product in small batches.)

The UW-Extension bulletin Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit Preserves (B2909) contains nearly 60 recipes for jams, jellies, fruit butters and syrups. Here are a few family-favorite recipes to get you started:

Peach Jam

Sterilize half-pint home canning jars and pretreat two-piece canning lids. Sort and wash ripe peaches. Remove the stems, peel and pits, and crush the fruit. Measure out four cups of crushed peaches into a large kettle. Stir one box of powdered pectin into prepared fruit. Add two Tablespoons bottled lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of butter or margarine, if desired to reduce foaming. Quickly bring fruit-pectin mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. At once, stir in five cups of sugar. Continue stirring and bring back to a full boil. Boil hard for one minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Stir gently for five minutes to prevent fruit from floating. Quickly ladle hot fruit mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe rim and jar threads and seal with pretreated lids. Process in a boiling water canner for five minutes. Adjust time for elevation, if necessary. Yield: 6 to 7 (1/2 pints)

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Wash one-quart strawberries and crush with a spoon or pastry blender. Measure two cups of crushed strawberries. Measure four cups sugar into a separate bowl and stir into strawberries. Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, stir two Tablespoons of bottled lemon juice into one pouch of liquid pectin. Add pectin mixture to prepared strawberries. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into clean, plastic freezer containers or glass canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace for expansion during freezing. Let stand at room temp for 24 hours or until set. Refrigerate for up to three weeks, or freeze up to one year. Thaw in the refrigerator, then store refrigerated for up to one month. Yield: 4 (1/2 pints)

Re-Cook with Powdered Pectin

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, jellied fruit products refuse to set. At this point, you can use the product for pancake or ice cream topping, or follow these directions for recooking with powdered pectin.

Measure the jam to be re-cooked. For each quart (four cups) of jam, measure: 1/4-cup of sugar, 1/4-cup water, and four teaspoons of powdered pectin.

Mix the pectin and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the soft jam and sugar. Stir well. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil mixture hard for 30 seconds. Remove jam from heat and skim off foam. Pour into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe jar rims clean and cap with pretreated lids. Process in a boiling water canner for five minutes. Remember to use new pretreated lids when you reprocess jam or jelly.

UW-Extension has a publication series available on preserving foods from the garden. The Wisconsin Safe Food Preservation Series by Barbara Ingham includes the revised Canning Fruits Safely (B0430), Making Jams, Jellies and Preserves (B2909), Freezing Fruits and Vegetables (B3278), Canning Vegetables Safely (B1159), Canning Salsa Safely (B3570), Tomatoes Tart and Tasty (B2605), Homemade Pickles and Relishes (B2267) and Canning Meat, Wild Game, Poultry and Fish Safely (B3345).

These and other gardening and food preservation publications are available from your county UW-Extension office or from Cooperative Extension Publications (877-947-7827) and online at http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/pubs . For more information, visit the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning web site at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html .

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File: Food safety, Gardening