my jam didn't set

[Madame Mucksprout]

Hi,

I wondered if any of the experianced 'jammers' could help me.

I made yellow plum jam a few weeks back using sugar with pectin in it, popped it into jars and stashed it in the cupboard. Now that Ive opened one Ive found it hasnt set :-(

If I re-boil it willI loose the flavour? or do you think it may keep untill around christmas as a 'puring sauce'.

Has anyone else managed to set already made jam? maybe I could make maybe an apple jam and mix them together? would that make it set?

Thank you

[hamster]

As I wasnt there at the time, i dont know why it didnt set. But ive recently been into a very expensive jam and marmalade shop, where the jam was very runny and not as set as perhaps you would think it should be. There were hundreds of jars. So one question is how runny can you put up with?

When my jam is cold and in the jars i always tip it upside down to check the set, ie if the jam stays put and i can see the gap between the lid and the jam its set!
If the jam runs and fills the lid then for me its not set. Then i would reboil, but you do have to be careful, not to over do it.

Put the opened jar in the fridge untill morning and have another look at it. Sometimes that can help.

May be if the fruit was very ripe, perhaps it didnt need so much water adding,
im sure someone else will be along to advise soon!!!

Hope that has helped!

[Alison]

Did you get it up to a high enough temperature to get a set? If not then boiling it up again may well help but it's worth checking if the you got the amount of jam you were expecting for the volume of ingredients - the recipe should say but a lot don't which is quite annoying. If you got more than you should have done then you need to boil off more water (note the flavour will get stronger not weaker as it'll be more concentrated). However if you've got the right amount and you took it up to the high setting temp then you probably didn't have enough pectin as plums can be pretty low. Not sure I've ever made plum jam but with low pectin fruits I tend to add the juice of a lemon when I first make them up although you shouldn't need it if you used proper jam sugar (too tight to buy the stuff personally so not sure I've ever used it).

[hamster]

By the way how many jars did you make?

[Alison]

When my jam is cold and in the jars i always tip it upside down to check the set, ie if the jam stays put and i can see the gap between the lid and the jam its set!
If the jam runs and fills the lid then for me its not set. Then i would reboil, but you do have to be careful, not to over do it.

Personally I think it's a bit brutal to turn it upside down but I do always give it a gentle tilt to see if how much it moves before storing it. However much you make you still get the occasional one which doesn't work first time so don't panic

[Nicos]

Bought jam over here is never set.....I personally wouldn't mark yourself out of 10 as to how well it's set....it's the flavour which is more important!!

....just call it confiture and it'll probably win prizes!!!!

[northepaul]

Did you use a thermometer or the saucer method for checking the set? I have found through experience, the saucer method is the most reliable. Thermometers dont always work properly!!

[Flummery]

I agree with testing on a small plate which I bung in the fridge for a few minutes.
You also need to ensure it has boiled vigorously for several minutes before you test it. You need a very big pan and the boiling jam will come up the sides and go a bit volcanic. If it isn't allowed to to get to a rolling boil and be held there for a length of time, it's not likely to set.

I'd bung it all back in the pan and go again. It's a pain re-washing and sterilising the jars though.

[Madame Mucksprout]

Hi - Thank you for all the helpfull replies.
I made 6 jars of yellow plum jam. My first thought was to pour it back in the pan and boil it again (i used a thermomitor, perhaps in retrospect I should do the cold plate thing). But it is such a pain to wash and re-sterilise the jars again.
I really like the 'confiture' cover lol. Im going to have another look and see if it can pass for being a bit fancy, rather than 'not - set'.

[Nicos]

Just be aware that confiture tends to need storing in the fridge once opened!...apart from that- I have unopened bramble 'confiture' from 2 yrs ago looking very liquid and very healthy in my barn!

[Sanjo]

I have reboiled jam that hasn't set and it does work but yes it's a pain to have to do it. Your jam will be lovely on icecream or rice pudding as a puree. If it tastes fine then that is what matters. At least it's usable and the ingredients and cooking time haven't been wasted. I always use the plate method, although I do have a jam thermometer, but I stick 2 or 3 of them in the freezer before I start so I usually have one ready for the testing. Plum jam, especially if the plums were ripe, will not make a fantastic set. Reducing the liquid is important before you add the sugar.

[Hilary B]

The snag with using a thermometer is that the temperature may not be the same all through the jam.....

[Rowanwolf]

Won't set

I made two batches of Bramble Jelly recently and one didn't set.
I looked up advice and reboiled. I use a recipe, a thermometer and the old saucer method. I even ended up trying Certo.
No joy! I have three jars of blackberry sauce..

[Bren In Pots]

Hello Rowanwolf and welcome to the vine

I remember one time early on in my jam making, mine didn't set so I re-bolied it and added cubed jelly to it in desperation and that worked.

[Snoop Puss]

Me, I'd just leave it runny. Call it confiture or conserve. And use it for stirring into plain yogurt. Delumptious!

Edited to add: Yes, sorry, welcome to the Vine, Rowanwolf.