Help with jelly

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eileen

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Joined
1 May 2024
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2:48 PM
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Location
Louisiana
Please help!
I made pepper jelly for the first time. All the canning lids have a good pop down seal. when cooled (4 hr.) it did start jelling but was runny. after 8 hr. it got a little thicker, so I waited. I am now 24 hr. in and it is much thicker but is still a little runny -not a complete solid. On youtube , the cook made the jelly and said it would be thick by the next day.
Question: should I try to reheat and recan OR does pectin take longer then 24 hr to set (to a solid gel)
To know the whole recipe/situation- used 4 full cups of sweet peppers, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 box of sure-gel fruit pectin. let it come to a rolling boil at least 1-2 min. Added 5 cups of sugar, and again let it come to a rolling boil. Canned in hot 4 oz. jars and let cooled. Also in case altitude comes into play, I live in the south (Louisiana)
 
Hello, Eileen!
I've been making pepper jelly for about 20 years, and sold it in the local supermarkets. Sometimes it just doesn't want to work.
I've always made the pepper/vinegar/sugar mixture first, then once it begins to clear (about 20 minutes), I take it off the heat and leave it for 10 minutes or so. THEN I bring it back to a full boil and add the pectin, mix well, and stir for about 2 minutes. Ready. It should be set after 24 hours, so if yours is still runny, you may have an issue.
Could be that, by adding the pectin at the start, the cooking has made it lose some its potency. The quantities seem about right for the jelly.
Could be that you didn't add enough pectin - I use 2.5 tablespoons for 1 kg of fruit. The stuff I buy is called "quick set".
I don't think the altitude is an issue; I cook at 3,000 ft above sea level.
If the problem persists, I'd scrape it all back into a pot, heat it up to a boil again and add more pectin. Sometimes it's a bit of trial and error.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Hello, Eileen!
I've been making pepper jelly for about 20 years, and sold it in the local supermarkets. Sometimes it just doesn't want to work.
I've always made the pepper/vinegar/sugar mixture first, then once it begins to clear (about 20 minutes), I take it off the heat and leave it for 10 minutes or so. THEN I bring it back to a full boil and add the pectin, mix well, and stir for about 2 minutes. Ready. It should be set after 24 hours, so if yours is still runny, you may have an issue.
Could be that, by adding the pectin at the start, the cooking has made it lose some its potency. The quantities seem about right for the jelly.
Could be that you didn't add enough pectin - I use 2.5 tablespoons for 1 kg of fruit. The stuff I buy is called "quick set".
I don't think the altitude is an issue; I cook at 3,000 ft above sea level.
If the problem persists, I'd scrape it all back into a pot, heat it up to a boil again and add more pectin. Sometimes it's a bit of trial and error.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much karadekoolaid. that has been helpful. I will look into the "quick set"
 
eileen said:
Please help!
I made pepper jelly for the first time. All the canning lids have a good pop down seal. when cooled (4 hr.) it did start jelling but was runny. after 8 hr. it got a little thicker, so I waited. I am now 24 hr. in and it is much thicker but is still a little runny -not a complete solid. On youtube , the cook made the jelly and said it would be thick by the next day.
Question: should I try to reheat and recan OR does pectin take longer then 24 hr to set (to a solid gel)
To know the whole recipe/situation- used 4 full cups of sweet peppers, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 box of sure-gel fruit pectin. let it come to a rolling boil at least 1-2 min. Added 5 cups of sugar, and again let it come to a rolling boil. Canned in hot 4 oz. jars and let cooled. Also in case altitude comes into play, I live in the south (Louisiana)
Click to expand...
Heating up and reboiling the sample can affect the thickening process, but it may also alter the taste or texture of the jelly. If you have enough time and are not in a hurry, I would recommend giving it some more time to thicken naturally.
 
Pilgrim said:
Heating up and reboiling the sample can affect the thickening process, but it may also alter the taste or texture of the jelly
Click to expand...
I totally agree there. We occasionally had to reheat the jellies the following day to add more pectin, but to be honest, I never really noticed a change in taste; only in texture. A minute or so too long and you'd end up with a red pepper jelly brick.
 
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