How to tell if your homemade jam has reached setting point (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if your homemade jam has reached setting point? ›

1) The Saucer Test

Setting point for jam is 105c (220F) so a good way to test for setting point is to have a sugar thermometer clipped to the side of your saucepan, with the end dipped in the boiling jam mixture. Once the boiling mixture has reached the correct temperature then your jam should set.

Every recipe is different and some preserves will start to set after only 3-5 minutes where as other preserves may take 15 minutes or even longer so it is very important that you start testing for the setting point early so that you avoid over cooking your preserve.

Sometimes it can take 24-48 hours for the pectin to fully set. If you want to make sure your jam sets properly before you portion it into jars, spoon a small amount of hot jam on a plate, and place in the freezer for several minutes, just until chilled, but not frozen.

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

As soon as the preserves are spooned or poured into the sterilised jars or bottles, they must be correctly sealed to prevent deterioration. Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot.

Once the jam is done cooking, it may look a little thin, but just remember that it will thicken in the fridge as it cools. For a thicker version (good for fruits that are low in pectin, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches), add a tablespoon of pectin powder.

Regardless of the type of jam or jelly you have on hand, it's important to know the signs of spoilage. According to Lee, this may include yeasty off-odors, fermented alcohol-like flavors, and mold growth, which may appear as white fuzzy patches inside the jar or on the product itself.

Boil the jam, don't just slowly simmer—but be careful not to overboil (track your temps!). Going beyond the recipe's target temperature reduces the pectin's gelling strength. Spot-check the jam's temperature correctly.

Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

Lemon is crucial to balancing those sweet flavors, but it also helps the pectin to firm up the jam. It can be added at the start of the cooking process or towards the end, but what must be taken into account is that adding liquids to the jam mixture will inevitably require the jam to cook for longer.

The other main reason for jam not setting is that it wasn't boiled for long enough once the sugar has dissolved, so did not reach setting point. Setting point is when the boiling mixture reaches 105c/220F and a sugar/jam/candy thermometer is useful as you can put it in the pan of bubbling jam and check the temperature.

If you've made jam and waited for it to cool, but it is still runny, pour the jam back into a saucepan and bring it back to a boil. Boil until the jam starts to reduce and therefore thickens.

Pop a plate in the freezer at the beginning of your cooking time. Once you think that your jam has reached its setting point or has thickened, spoon a bit of the jam on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so the jam runs. You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set!

Not just thick, but gloopy – impossible to spread with a knife, almost gummy candy, gloopy. Ahhhhhh! You are in good company. Most of us who make pectin free jams and other spreads overcook a batch or two every year!

So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell. Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

'The wrinkle test' –

After the marmalade has been on a rolling boil for 15min, remove it from heat and spoon a little (using a sterilised teaspoon) on to a cold saucer. Leave for a minute to cool, then push your finger through the mixture – the marmalade's surface will wrinkle if it is set.

Points to remember

Push your finger through the jam on the plate - you're looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it's not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.

Of these, the temperature test is most dependable. Temperature Test – Take the temperature of the jelly with a candy or jelly thermometer. When done, the temperature of the jelly should be 220°F, 8°F above the boiling point of water, if you are at sea level.