How to Make Jam and Jelly
- Jam vs. Jelly: What’s the Difference?
- Jelly is made with only fruit juice.
- Jam is made with juice and fruit puree or small pieces of fruit.
- Preserves are made with large fruit pieces or whole fruits.
- Jam and jelly recipes are typically made with fruit, sugar and pectin – a naturally occurring enzyme found in fruits that causes a gel to form when sugar is added
- Both SURE-JELL and CERTO are pectin products. CERTO is a ready-to-use liquid pectin, whereas SURE-JELL is a powdered pectin product that needs to be dissolved in water before using to make jam and jelly recipes.
- Always use fruit at its ripest to provide the best flavor in your jam and jelly recipes.
- Before making your jam and jelly recipes, ensure your containers are sanitized in boiling water and thoroughly dried prior to filling them.
- Use a potato masher to easily crush the fruit needed to make your favorite jam and jelly recipes.
- Consult the SURE-JELL or CERTO packages for recipes and methods depending on the type of fruit. Here are a few of our recommendations for making jam and jelly recipes using 1 pouch/box pectin:
| FRUIT |
SUGAR |
| 2 cups grape juice |
4 cups |
| 2 cups blackberries, raspberries or blueberries |
4 cups |
| 2 cups grapefruit juice |
4-1/2 cups |
| 2 cups strawberries |
4 cups |
| 1-1/2 cups apricots |
3 cups |
| 1-1/2 cups mangos |
3 cups |
| 3 cups apple juice |
5 cups |
| 2 cups cherries |
4-1/2 cups |
- Don’t know how to make jam? Just watch our video for step-by-step instructions on how to make Strawberry Freezer Jam in just 30 minutes.
- For best results when making jam and jelly recipes, do not double recipes. Instead, prepare each recipe as a separate batch.
- CERTO and SURE-JELL make canning easy! The following marmalade, jam and jelly recipes are ready to use in just 24 hours with no special jars or equipment. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year.
- If you are watching calories and sugar intake, try SURE-JELL for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes – Red Raspberry Freezer Jam or No-Sugar-Needed Triple Berry Jam.On occasion, you may find that your jam does not set the way you expected. If your efforts resulted in a runny batch, try our Remake Directions to improve your finished jam. If your jam still doesn't set, you can always use it as a glaze or syrup.
- SURE-JELL and CERTO can also be used to make jam and jelly recipes in a traditional water bath canner. Try these recipes:
- Pectin isn’t just for jelly! Here are a few great ideas to use SURE.JELL or CERTO in other recipes:
