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Originally Posted by ast3r3x
It was easy and turned out really well, although I would like it to be a little firmer and less sugary, but that is for next time, or when I try again with a different fruit.
So do any of you guys make anything or do your own canning/bottling? I know several of you have vegetable/fruit gardens, do you just eat them, or do something with them like this?
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With jamming, you should
always follow a recipe, not make your own variations - unless you have
a lot of experience with jam-making.
For one thing, all fruits have pectin - but different fruits have different amounts. So the calculations for how much pectin to add to a recipie changes depending on the fruit you use. Similarly, the differing acid levels in fruits will impact the jams, so you need to account for that. You also can't just play with sugar levels too much - you need certain amounts because it is required for the pectin to set. And most importantly, the sugar makes it harder for bacteria to show up in your jam, because it absorbs up water, which is where germs want to hang out.
Why don't you check this
page out (which is a transcript), or at least watch the Good Eats episode that discusses jams (if you can).