Pectin problems - crab apple jelly edition
October 21, 2021 11:05 AM Subscribe
I am trying to make crab apple jelly. Have tried this a few times (using this recipe from BBC Good Food and this slightly different one from AllRecipes. In both cases I'm boiling up the apples for a while, filtering them overnight - adding an equal weight of sugar to the resulting mixture and boiling that again. But the resulting mixture is not setting properly. I understand crab apples have their own pectin - but it seems like there is some kind of sweet spot for making the resulting mixture set. How do I find that spot and come up with something that is not a liquid?
You are doing everything right, but your apples probably don't have enough pectin, I'm guessing because they are too ripe. That happens. Pick your fruit just before it ripens. When it happens to me, I just reheat the jelly and add pectin, before cooling it again. You can get organic, natural pectin so you will not be harming your jelly in any way. Or, next year, pick a couple of unripe crab apples and keep them in the fridge until jelly-making time. I did that a lot when I was younger and don't remember it as complicated, but I don't remember the ratios.
posted by mumimor at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yep, definitely add pectin. Working from the BBC recipe, one alternative would be to cut up the lemon rind, after you've scraped off the zest and extracted the juice, and toss it in the second boil after you have strained out the apple solids. Lemon pith definitely has additional pectin. A lot of sources are afraid of it causing bitterness, but I've never noticed this problem when I've used extra lemon pith in a jam or preserves. Either simmer it in a cheesecloth bag, or leave it in big enough pieces that you can pick it out before the apple jelly sets.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:37 AM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Sounds to me like you have too much sugar in the mix. My recipe calls for 450g of sugar for every 600mL of apple dripped liquid. This gives me a reliable set using any sort of apple.
In fact, this is exactly how you make pectin stock: boil apples, drip through then that's your pectin! I make a lot of this and freeze it in 50mL pucks, which I add to low pectin (difficult to set) fruit - strawberries mostly.
posted by car01 at 12:53 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
In fact, this is exactly how you make pectin stock: boil apples, drip through then that's your pectin! I make a lot of this and freeze it in 50mL pucks, which I add to low pectin (difficult to set) fruit - strawberries mostly.
posted by car01 at 12:53 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Do you have a jam thermometer?
I don't. But would consider getting one if it would help. If I did have one - what would I need to do with it?
posted by rongorongo at 1:45 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
I don't. But would consider getting one if it would help. If I did have one - what would I need to do with it?
posted by rongorongo at 1:45 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Jellies with adequate natural pectin and regular sugar will set if boiled to 225F, which is more reliable than testing the set with a cold plate/dripping spoon, etc. Using a thermometer makes it way easier to figure out if it's done.
But yeah, sounds like you should add pectin. You don't need a thermometer for most commercial pectins, but do follow their directions exactly.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:12 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
But yeah, sounds like you should add pectin. You don't need a thermometer for most commercial pectins, but do follow their directions exactly.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:12 PM on October 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also: you need the correct ph. Lemon juice lowers the ph, allowing the jelly/jam to set.
posted by jenquat at 3:51 PM on October 21, 2021
posted by jenquat at 3:51 PM on October 21, 2021
First, I remember being fed crabapple jelly as a kid and it was always on the runny end of things. Eaten as a condiment with roast pork, this was never an issue. I'm sure it can be made firmer, it's just how we made it (and clearly the nature of our crabapples).
Second, mixing fruit is a thing. If you don't want to add pectin, raspberries or gooseberries would admittedly make something different (possibly nicer, it's a toss of the dice, but definitely edible) and might add what you need. Stone fruit like plums might also do the trick - I was always told it was the stones that carried the pectin, though since I've never made jam after stoning the fruit I can't provide evidence, but you're filtering it anyway.
I am a hopeless experimenter and I rarely follow any recipe to the letter so I have a low bar for this sort of experiment.
Also also, unset jam makes a good yoghurt or ice cream topping.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:54 PM on October 21, 2021
Second, mixing fruit is a thing. If you don't want to add pectin, raspberries or gooseberries would admittedly make something different (possibly nicer, it's a toss of the dice, but definitely edible) and might add what you need. Stone fruit like plums might also do the trick - I was always told it was the stones that carried the pectin, though since I've never made jam after stoning the fruit I can't provide evidence, but you're filtering it anyway.
I am a hopeless experimenter and I rarely follow any recipe to the letter so I have a low bar for this sort of experiment.
Also also, unset jam makes a good yoghurt or ice cream topping.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:54 PM on October 21, 2021
Our quince trees were super productive this year and I've been making all manner of membrillo and cotognata. My advice to you is to throw a quince or two in with the initial boil - there is a ridiculous amount of pectin in quince, in my experience after boiling a few whole quince in water the liquid is nearly gelled without any additional sugar.
posted by schmoft at 5:37 AM on October 22, 2021
posted by schmoft at 5:37 AM on October 22, 2021
I made crabapple jelly last season, I think from the same BBC recipe that you tried, and it set well without any extra pectin. I did use a jam thermometer, and I was surprised at how difficult it was to get the mixture up to the right temperature (105 degrees C) for the pectin to set properly, although I live half a kilometre above sea level which doesn't help. I added a handful of cornelian cherries for extra flavour, and the jelly was extremely delicious.
On jam thermometers:
If I did have one - what would I need to do with it?
Easy - you just put it in the mixture as you boil it, and make sure that it reaches 105c then stays there for several minutes.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 5:38 AM on October 23, 2021 [1 favorite]
On jam thermometers:
If I did have one - what would I need to do with it?
Easy - you just put it in the mixture as you boil it, and make sure that it reaches 105c then stays there for several minutes.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 5:38 AM on October 23, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Many thanks for all your responses here - not marking any one as best since they cover several different valid approaches. In my case I invested in a jam thermometer and some pectin and it did the trick perfectly. I found this page "How does pectin work" useful as a reference. It mentions that pectin levels fall as the fruit ripens - so it seems like the best tip would be to always count on adding your own - or to make use of some under-ripened fruit kept in the fridge, as mumimor suggests. They also mention the point that adding your own pectin will allow you to make a jam which has lower levels of sugar than would otherwise be the case.
posted by rongorongo at 2:57 AM on November 23, 2021
posted by rongorongo at 2:57 AM on November 23, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lokta at 11:17 AM on October 21, 2021