Fixing un-jelled jam with green apple jelly?

[ElainaA]

I made a batch of ginger jam (using commercial pectin) that, a month later, is still liquid. I also have a batch of Christine Ferber's green apple jelly, which she uses instead of commercial pectin in her recipes. I am wondering if I could re-cook the jam with some of the green apple jelly added to get it to jell. And if so, how much jelly I should use. I have 5 8oz jars of the ginger "jam".

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Elaina

[pastrygirl]

Every time I have tried to re-cook jam, I have scorched it. It may be possible, but I have given up.

[minas6907]

Are you able to elaborate when you say the individual used the green apple jelly instead of commercial pectin in her recipes? Im not quite following that, what type of recipes are these? As far as I know, and everyone else is more then welcome to correct me, I didn't think it was possible to get a jam to gel by reboiling, when it initially failed to do so the first time it was cooked.

[ElainaA]

The 'green apple jelly as pectin' method is from Christine Ferber's book Mes Confitures. The jelly is made from VERY green apples and added to jams or jellies made with low pectin fruit - some examples are her Pear with Acacia Honey and Ginger, Black Cherry with Pinot Noir, and Raspberry and Litchi with Rose Water (all jams). She comments that you could get the same result with long cooking but her method (she says) gives you better texture and prevents caramelization of the fruit.

I have successfully re-cooked jam before using commercial pectin, sugar and lemon juice - a formula I got from Garden Web's Harvest board. Since I have the green apple jelly on hand, I thought I might try that, but I really do not want to ruin the jam - finding young, stem ginger is so difficult.

Elaina

Edited October 19, 2013 by ElainaA (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Why not try one little jar for experimental purposes first - if it doesn't work you can go back to the re-cooking with the commercial pectin.

[ElainaA]

Kerry - Why didn't I think of that? Thanks. It has to wait for a rainy day though - I have too much to do outside.

Elaina

[Shalmanese]

Any time I get ungelled jam, I just repurpose it instead of trying to make it gel. Just pour it over ice cream as a sauce or use it to poach fruit or something.

[K8memphis]

are there no trouble shooting ideas for re-doing this on the pectin packaging?

[ElainaA]

The Ball Blue Book has a fix using commercial pectin - which works. I am simply curious about using Christine Ferbers methods and wondered what the experts here would think.

[minas6907]

What's the fix using commercial pectin? Would the same work on pate de fruit?

[ElainaA]

Minas:
Here's the formula I have used. It is the same as the Ball Blue Book one although I got it from another source.

For 1 quart of jelly:

Bring jelly just to a boil. Off the heat stir in: 3/4 c sugar, 2T lemon juice, 2 T pectin. Bring back to a full boil, stirring. Boil 1 min.

I've had this work for me.

Elaina

[ElainaA]

Just to follow up my original post: I have successfully 'Ferberized' my un-jelled jam. I now have some lovely ginger marmalade rather than ginger sauce. I basically compared the amount of green apple jelly Ferber uses for a batch of jam (7 oz) to the amount of commercial pectin used (usually 3 oz) then applied that ratio to the Ball Blue Book formula for 'fixing' un-jelled jam. I tried one jar first, as Kerry suggested, with success. The 5 remaining jars are now cooling on the counter.

Elaina