10 Unique Jelly and Jam Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are 10 fruits that can be made into jam or jelly? ›

Some examples of the fruits that are high in natural pectin and acid are apples, oranges, melons, cherries, currants, grapes, raspberries. While the opposites are peaches, strawberries, peach, pineapple, grapefruit, pears, blueberries, papaya.

Strawberry is the most popular jam flavor worldwide because of its sweet and tangy taste and its versatility. It can be used in various recipes and goes well with many other fruits.

Some people have reservations about using pectin, but it's incredibly helpful, especially for someone new to the process. It's totally possible to make jams and jellies without using store-bought pectin, but it's much harder to get the right consistency and it takes longer, too.

Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice.

Fruit jam and fruit jam with pectin may contain a class II preservative, a pH adjusting agent or an antifoaming agent. Both types cannot contain apple or rhubarb fruit. Though both types of jam are very similar, there are some differences in fruit percent, added pectin, and added acidity.

Some fresh fruits prevent Jell-O and other types of gelatin from gelling. These are fruits that contain high levels of proteases. Proteases are enzymes that break chemical bonds in proteins, such as collagen in gelatin. Pineapple, kiwi, papaya, mango, and guava are examples of fruits that cause a problem.

Grape Jelly

This timeless flavor has earned its place at the top with its irresistible blend of sweetness and tanginess.

Grape is the most popular jelly, strawberry is the most popular jam.

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

With a simple lemon juice trick, your homemade jam will achieve your desired thick texture. Preparing jam is about capturing the sweet essence of the fruit while simultaneously cooking it down to the perfect syrupy consistency.

Some people use it to good effect, but I tend to avoid it because I have gotten much better results by just using pectin-rich fruit that is just ripe enough, and then dialing in on the sugar and acid and heat. Jams that I've made with added pectin have often turned out too thick and rubbery, with a dull flavor.

Use fresh, dry, slightly under-ripe fruit. Strawberries and raspberries are best layered with the sugar and left for a couple of hours before cooking. Plums, currants, gooseberries, cherries etc need to be lightly poached before sugar is added. Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set.

A properly prepared jam is also not terribly susceptible to contamination. Even though it's largely sugar, there's so much sugar that it "locks up" most of the available water; there's not enough free moisture for bacteria to thrive. The exception for jam is if you're canning it for storage at room temperature.

Commercial pectin products contain acids that help to ensure gelling. Sugar: Sugar serves as a preserving agent, contributes flavor and aids in gelling. Granulated white sugar is the usual type of sugar for jelly or jam.

The preferred fruits for making jelly: crabapples, sour apples, sour berries, sour cherries, grapes, Kumquats, and cranberries. These fruits contain sufficient amounts of pectin and acid to gel.

Apples, crabapples, gooseberries, some plums, and highbush cranberries usually contain enough pectin to form a pectin gel. Other fruits, such as strawberries, cherries, or blueberries, contain little pectin and can be used for jelly only if: Combined with fruit rich in pectin.

Nearly any fruit can be used, but the best jam comes from juicy specimens with a balance of sweet and tart flavors and high amounts of naturally occurring pectin, like raspberries, blueberries, plums and apricots.