Reader’s Question: Jams and jellies
I am 56 years old and started canning for about a year. And I like to can jams and jellies do you have any good ones?
Russell Miller
Belmont, OH
Boy Russell, that’s a tough one. I can up a whole lot of different jams and jellies, as well as preserves and conserves. (Preserves usually have a lot more fruit in them and conserves often have nuts and raisins added.) I really don’t have a favorite, although my new cherry/chipotle/almond jelly is sure good.
To make that one, you just follow the cherry jelly (or jam!) recipe, but when you boil the juice, you throw in a few halved, seeded jalepeno peppers or dry smoked jalepenos (chipotles) to flavor the juice as hot as you wish. Then just before you ladle the jelly into the jars, add a teaspoon of almond extract. This is awfully good. And different too.
Most of my jellies and jams are made from recipes inside the Sure-Jell box or are from the Ball Blue Book. I do “tweak” them, mixing fruits and juices. But you do have to watch it there because some fruits have more natural pectin in them and you have to choose mixtures with like pectin to ensure that they will set well.
Of course you can make jams and jellies without added pectin, but with the pectin, you will end up with more jelly per batch and have much less cooking down involved. — Jackie
