Franklin County

 May 2008
 

Sweet fruit preserves to enjoy anytime 

Since much of the fruit crop was destroyed by the late freeze in the Spring of 2007, many people are probably looking forward to resupplying their stock of sweet spreads.

Many of the fruits that are used to make jelly and jams were in very short supply last year. When fruits are out of season, or the  supply is low, jelly can be made with 100% fruit juice that can be purchased in the grocery store such as apple juice, grape juice, or even thawed orange juice concentrate. However, most people think of making jams, jelly, preserves, conserves, marmalade, or fruit  butters from the fresh fruit when it is in season.

Making your own fruit spreads can be very satisfying, but there is labor and cost involved, even if you have your own fruit trees or bushes. It is definitely worth following an    approved USDA recipe that will assure safety and a higher quality product when processing foods at home. Recipes that are approved by the USDA can be found at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/, at local Extension Centers or university extension websites, or in the Ball Blue Book. There are also instructions in the commercial pectin packages.

For a good jelled product, there must be the right proportions of fruit or juice, acid, pectin, and sugar. If you are planning to purchase the fruit at a farmer’s market or pick the fruit at a pick-your-own farm or orchard (http://www.pickyourown.org/MO.htm), check your recipe before you go, to determine how much produce  to purchase. Choose good quality fruit at the peak of ripeness. The fruit doesn’t need to be large or perfectly shaped, since it will be mashed or made into juice. If your recipe does not require pectin, buying about a fourth of the fruit before it is totally ripe will provide more natural pectin and acid to help in the jelling of the jelly.

After you have the fruit and an approved recipe, gather all the other supplies that you will need; including ingredients, jars and lids, and a water bath canner for processing. For some fruits added   pectin is optional, because they have enough natural pectin.  Some fruit spreads can be made without pectin if   additional acid is used.  Other fruits may need added pectin and acid to have a spreadable consistency.   Pectin is a substance found naturally in fruits and vegetables. The packaged pectin is made from apples   or citrus fruits. The pectin is a carbohydrate that gives substance and structure to the fruit juice. Commercial pectin is sold in liquid and powdered form.

These two forms are not interchangeable, so check your recipe before purchasing the pectin and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If a reduced sugar jam or jelly is desired, purchase the pectin that is labeled for reduced or sugar-free products and use the recipes provided with the pectin.

The jelling of the fruit or juice is a natural chemical reaction. That    is why the ingredients must be in the right amounts for the jelling to take place. Acid in the fruit or added lemon juice or citric acid is important to help the pectin work.  The tart taste is a clue that most under ripe fruit has more acid.

Sugar is important in sweet spreads for more than flavor. The sugar is important for a good gel and for preventing spoilage. Special recipes and pectin are needed to make jelly and jams without sugar. Never substitute artificial sweetener for sugar. Other natural sweeteners, such as brown sugar, corn syrup, or honey, should only be used if specified in the recipe.

The jelly or jam should be made one recipe at a time. Doubling the recipe will mean longer cooking times to get the larger amount to a boiling point. Overcooking may affect the pectin and cause the product not to gel properly, and the jelly will lose flavor and be darker in color. Long storage causes a loss of color and flavor, so the quality is best in the first few months. To have high quality jellied products all year long, freeze or can extra fruit or juice to be made into jelly later, when the season is over.

Return to the main Franklin County page
		University of Missouri Extension Franklin County Site maintained by: Billie Jo Brenner, brennerbj@missouri.edu Last revised: 07/02/08