My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (2024)

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38 Responses Leave a Reply FAQs

If your jam or jelly is too thick, the first question to ask is: Is itspreadable? The Pomona’s jell could be stiffer or firmer than you are used to, but it should be spreadable. If it’s not spreadable, then something went wrong.

The most usual cause for a too firm or rubbery texture with Pomona's is that you used less fruit than the recipe called for. Our recipes are calculated for mashed fruit. So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell.

Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

Cooking can also affect the amount of fruit you are working with. For example, if you cook the fruit mixture for too long before adding pectin, you could reduce the fruit volume and make the pectin amount too high for the fruit you have left.

It is less likely that your jam would be too firm from overcooking after adding the pectin. Usually if you cook jam made with Pomona's for too long after adding the pectin, it will de-activate the pectin and you will get a poor jell.

If you want to use cut up pieces of fruit or whole berries and suspend them in a jelled syrup, that is what we call a preserve.

Strawberry-Vanilla Preserves, a recipe from our cookbook that is on our website, is an example of how to make a preserve with Pomona's. You'll notice that less pectin is used in this recipe for 4 cups of strawberry fruit mixture than for 4 cups of mashed strawberries. There are a couple of other preserve recipes on our website Recipe Pagealso.

All of this being said, the typical Pomona's jell is more like a fruit spread than a gloppy high-sugar jam. If you prefer a softer set, you can always use less pectin than called for in our recipes. We would suggest you experiment by using ¼ to ½ teaspoon less pectin than the recipe calls for, or perhaps up to a teaspoon less for recipes that call for 4 teaspoons of pectin. You would keep the calcium water amount the same.

If your jam or jelly didn't jell, you can learn more aboutwhy that might be and how to fix ithere.

38 Responses

  1. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (3)
    Shirley Garner

    | Reply

    My pear preservers are too thick turning into hard sugar. Didn’t use any pectin just sugar. What to do? Can I reheat, add more juice, and Certo Liquid Pectin? If so how much? I have 2 batches!! So sad😞

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (4)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Shirley,

      We are not familiar with Certo Liquid Pectin and cannot advise on how to use it.

      If you would like recook your pear preserves using Pomona’s Pectin, please email us at info@pomonapectin.com with the recipe you followed.

  2. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (5)
    Aaron Marie Schumacher

    | Reply

    So I made habanero pepper jelly the other day, and I’ve been cooking it up for about a year and have never had any issues but…….
    It’s super thick and rubbery, any ideas to what ingredient I can add to the re-boiled mixture to make it more spreadable??
    Thank you for anyones ideas….

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (6)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello there,

      Thanks so much for reaching out!

      Empty jars into sauce pan. Add the additional juice, water or mashed fruit (to decide how much to use, you will need to determine how firm your jam is. If you’d say it. is 25% more firm than you would like, you will add 25% of the fruit/juice called for in the recipe (probably 1 cup, if you were using a 4 cup recipe)). Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a full boil. Stir for 1 minute. When mixture returns to a full boil, remove from the heat. Fill into clean, hot jars and process according to the Recipe sheet that comes with Pomona’s Pectin.

      Please let us know if you have any other questions, happy jamming!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  3. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (7)
    Sue

    | Reply

    Just to clarify, if my beach plum jelly turns out too stiff I just need to melt it, add in more beach plum juice. Bring it to a quick boil and the can properly. Do I need to add more pectin? I’m afraid the heat will deactivate the pectin. Thanks!

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (8)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      That is correct! It should be good-to-go 😊

  4. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (9)
    Carolyn

    | Reply

    I just finished making a batch of Guava preserves leaving in the seeds and it is very thick. Should I add more water to thin it out some?
    Thank you.

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (10)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      You certainly can!

      Empty jars into saucepan. Add the additional juice, water or mashed fruit (to decide how much to use, you will need to determine how firm your jam is. If you’d say it. is 25% more firm than you would like, you will add 25% of the fruit/juice called for in the recipe (probably 1 cup, if you were using a 4 cup recipe)). Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a full boil. Stir for 1 minute. When mixture returns to a full boil, remove from the heat. Fill into clean, hot jars and process according to the Recipe sheet that comes with Pomona’s Pectin.

  5. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (11)
    Jean Atwater-Williams

    | Reply

    You say “We would suggest you experiment by using ¼ to ½ teaspoon less pectin than the recipe calls for, or perhaps up to a teaspoon less for recipes that call for 4 teaspoons of pectin. You would keep the calcium water amount the same.”

    Do you mean keep the calcium water the same as what the recipe calls for or the same as the amount of pectin?

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (12)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Great questions Jean! We meant that it would stay the same as the recipe calls for originally.

      Happy jamming!

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (13)
      Mari

      | Reply

      Will my jam loose color. I used Pomona pectin for peach jam, but since it uses less sugar, I don’t want it to turn a not so appealing jam. If so, what can I do to keep the color of peaches?

      • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (14)
        Shelby Collings

        | Reply

        Hello Jean,

        Yes, overtime the jam will oxidize since it is not loaded with sugar and preservatives. You can add 1 tsp citric acid or additional lemon juice.

  6. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (15)
    Lindsey Smith

    | Reply

    I reduced the pectin in my apple pear spread recipe by 1/2 tsp and it turned out AMAZING.

  7. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (16)
    Andrea Varney

    | Reply

    Shelby, Thanks so much for calling me back today! I added 1/4-1/3 volume of juice and redid per your instructions and it worked out much better! Thank you!

  8. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (17)
    Lisa Hays

    | Reply

    July 20, 2020 Someone gave me her pectin. It had passed the expiration date. The ‘donor suggested adding more pectin to be sure the jam would thicken. Well, the ex-
    pirating date meant nothing. The jam came out like rubber. (Note: Pectin lasts at least
    two years beyond expiration date.)
    I dumped all the jam back into the pan. I added 2 TB of Lemon Juice and 1/4 cup
    Strawberry Syrup, a Cup of warm Water and using med heat brought it back to a rolling boil. I boiled on med-high (stirring constantly) for 5 Minutes.. MY JAM CAME
    OUT PERFECTLY. Delicious and the perfect spreading consistency. TRY IT!

  9. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (18)
    Ra Jovanelly

    | Reply

    I used Pomona pectin and made perfect apricot jam. However, now I’ve made cherry jam twice and it’s way too stiff. I
    followed the exact method when I made apricot. I really thought my second batch of cherry was perfect when I jarred it, but it’s too jelled. Any suggestions?

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (19)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hi there,

      Bummer! If you would like to recook your jam, we would recommend placing all the contents of your cherry jam into a pot, and adding about 1 cup of cherry juice, apple juice or water. Bring your mixture just to a boil. Recan into hot, clean jars. Then proceed with another 10 minute water-bath can.

      Happy jamming!

  10. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (20)
    Odette

    | Reply

    Hello, my Monkey freezer jam that I made is too dense and not spreadable. I’m thinking of adding juice (pineapple or apple?) to it, perhaps with a little coconut cream. Then, return it to the fre.ezer. What do you think?

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (21)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Odette,
      Adding some juice to thin it and some coconut cream both sound like great additions…as long as it will be frozen and not for shelf canning. Happy jamming!

  11. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (22)
    Debby Chappell

    | Reply

    Hi Shelby
    I made four 500 ml (2 cups) of cooked strawberry jam using pectin and it turned out quite thick. I’m not completely sure what went wrong..maybe older berries! I am interested in trying to recook it by adding water. Would you have any idea how much water I should use per cup or should I just eyeball it? Any advice would certainly be appreciated!

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (23)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hi Debby,
      Thanks so much for reaching out! I would have to say that eyeballing it would be best…my best guess would be 1/2 cup or no sugar added juice or water.

      Happy jamming!

  12. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (24)
    Shelby Collings

    | Reply

    Hello Caroline,

    Yes, you can use Pomona’s to make jam in your electric jam maker or bread machine. You will need to follow a Pomona’s recipe and the basic directions for Cooked Jam – Low Sugar or Honey for it to work properly.

    You need to mash & measure the fruit into a bowl. If our recipe is too big for your machine, then you can do a half recipe. Add the calcium water & lemon juice (if called for) and stir well. Then mix the pectin into the sugar (or other sweetener) and then add the pectin-sweetener mix into the bowl of fruit and stir well. Then put the bowl of jam mixture into the machine and turn it on.

  13. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (25)
    Caroline Harris

    | Reply

    I have a Ball fresh tec jam maker, it stirs and boils it for me and has a timer, can I use the recipes with my jam maker..
    thank you

  14. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (26)
    Kim

    | Reply

    I just made a double batch of jalapeño jelly that is too thick and not spreadable. What can I do? I know I can add the jars back to a pan and warm it up but how much liquid do I add and do I add more pectin?

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (27)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Kim,

      Yes, empty your jars back into a pot and add liquid, then heat to just before a boil, and proceed with re-canning and water-bath processing. If you used 4 cups of liquid in your jelly, and you would say that you would like your jelly to be about 1/4 less jelled, you would want to add 1 cup of liquid and NO additional pectin.

  15. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (28)
    Denise

    | Reply

    I have two triple batches of pepper jelly (25 cups) that I’ve made before with success that is over-jelled. The only things I did different for these batches compared to my successful ones are 1) used frozen & defrosted chopped peppers 2) added the pectin to 4 cups of sugar rather than 1-1/2, but since I had over 5 cups of peppers (measured prior to freezing) I thought that should work. This is a full sugar recipe with a total of 15 cups of sugar per triple batch.

    What do you think caused the over-jelling and is there anything I can do to correct it? I can’t sell them in the condition they are in. Thank you for your help.

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (29)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Denise,

      Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin! You can recook your jelly by emptying all your jars back into a pot,adding more liquid, cleaning your jars, and then proceeding proper water bath canning.
      Once you add your jelly back to the pot, add additional liquid, and bring back up to a boil. Turn off heat and proceed with water bath canning.

      If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us: 559-760-0910 or info@pomonapectin.com

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (30)
        Denise

        | Reply

        Thank you for your response. Is there any reason I can’t also add some more peppers? Also, would it be wise to heat up the jelly, heat up the liquid/peppers and then add it to the point that the jelly looks like the right consistency and then bring to a boil? Or, is that not a sure bet?
        Thanks!!

        • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (31)
          Shelby Collings

          | Reply

          That should work just fine Denise.

          Happy jamming!

        • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (32)
          Bryant

          | Reply

          What type of liquid should I add in when reheating my batch of pepper jelly. Because the jelly came out too thick want it to be more of a jam. Thank you.

          • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (33)
            Shelby Collings

            |

            Hi there,

            You can add water or any no sugar added juice.

            Happy jamming!

  16. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (34)
    Tracy

    | Reply

    Hi, I used a sugar substitute for myblueberry jam and it turned out grainy and thick mess. I know that I didn’t use enough fruit. Can I salvage it by not adding any additional sugar/juice? Thanks for your help.

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (35)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Tracy,
      I cannot think of any way around adding more liquid if your would like to change the consistency of your jam. If you do not wish to use juice or anymore sweetener, you could choose to add water, but I am not sure how that will turn our taste wise.

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  17. My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (36)
    Sue

    | Reply

    What can I do to make it less stiff? Can I empty the jars and add more fruit. I did not chop the sour cherries. I
    And don’t mash very well so I probably need to add fruit. I used 8 cups of fruit and juice and added 4 tsp calcium water and 4 tsp of pectin.
    I’d like to redo it as soon as I hear from you how to do that.
    Thank you. Love your product.

    • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (37)
      Shelby Collings

      | Reply

      Hello Sue,

      Thanks so much for reaching out to us over here at Pomona’s. Sorry to hear that your labor of love for your Cherry Jam did not repay the favor for you!

      Click here for a link to troubleshoot possible reasons why your Jam was too thick.
      Click here for a link for general troubleshooting.

      In order to loosen up your jam a bit I would recommend adding all your jars back into a pot. I would then suggest buying a jar of cherry juice (or any juice you prefer) from the grocery store, boiling 1-2 cups of that juice, then pureeing that juice with 1-2 teaspoons of Pomona’s Pectin for about 1 minute in a blender or food processor.
      Add the, now liquid, pectin-juice into your cherry mixture and bring to a boil. Proceed with your water bath canning process.

      Hope this information provides you with some lovely jam.

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (38)
        Sue

        | Reply

        Thank you Shelby. Your suggestion worked perfectly and the sour cherry juice I used gave it an even richer color. It now is spreadable.
        How nice to get help so quickly. I was in a panic after spending all that time picking and pitting all those cherries.

        • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (39)
          Shelby Collings

          | Reply

          You are so very welcome. Wonderful news!! I am so thrilled for you Sue!
          We loving when our customers are just as smitten with our product as we are.
          Kindly,
          Shelby

          • My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (40)
            Monica

            |

            Thanks for your question… I had the exact same problem!

Leave a Reply

My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick (2024)

FAQs

My Jam or Jelly Is Too Thick? ›

We would suggest you experiment by using ¼ to ½ teaspoon less pectin than the recipe calls for, or perhaps up to a teaspoon less for recipes that call for 4 teaspoons of pectin. You would keep the calcium water amount the same.

How to fix jelly that is too thick? ›

If it isn't scorched though, here are some ideas to try: Slowly heat it in the microwave a few seconds at a time and then use it as usual. If it is still too thick, add some water while heating it in the microwave and then use it as a delicious and unusual pancake or ice cream syrup.

Can you thin thick jam? ›

I found stirring in some kettle boiled water to the jam just before serving helped to thin it and make it spreadable - Loved the idea of adding port too! I'd put it in a heavy pot and stir about 1-2 tablespoons of ruby port per 8-ounce jar into it over medium heat. It's a great combination!!

Can you thicken runny jam? ›

Add pectin.

While this trick won't work for jam recipes that already call for pectin, adding pectin to a loose batch of jam while re-cooking it almost guarantees that the jam with set back up nicely. Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam.

Can you reboil jam if it doesn't set? ›

If the jam is still liquid then we don't particularly recommend reboiling. It can be tried but there is a risk that the jam becomes over boiled, which also means that it will not set. The jam can also burn much more easily when reboiled.

Does sugar help thicken jelly? ›

Since pectin is activated by sugar, it requires using a considerable amount of sugar to activate the pectin and set (i.e. thicken) your jam. If you try to cut back on the sugar, it won't set properly.

Why is my jelly not solidifying? ›

- Overcooking is a problem that, it destroys the gelling capacity of the pectin. That can occur when the fruit is being heated to extract the juice, or while cooking the jelly itself. Likewise, undercooking produces problems because the jelly is not sufficiently concentrated.

What happens if you put too much pectin in jelly? ›

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

What to do if homemade jam is too sweet? ›

To try out this two-ingredient trick, add just a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, then taste the jam. If it's still too sweet, try adding another squeeze of lemon juice, but hold back on any more salt, since the salt can ultimately make it taste even sweeter, which we don't want.

What to do with jelly that didn't set? ›

For each quart of jam or jelly to be fixed, mix 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water or white grape juice, 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice, and 4 teaspoons powdered pectin in a large pot. So, if you made a batch of jam and have 10 eight-ounce jars that didn't set, that would be an average batch (10 cups or 2.5 quarts).

Can you thicken jam in the microwave? ›

If the jam is too watery, continue to microwave and test at 30-second intervals. Puree all of the ingredients in a processor or blender. Scoop the mixture into a wide 2-quart casserole dish and microwave, uncovered, on full power until thick, about 5 minutes. While microwaving, the jam should bubble robustly.

Why does lemon juice thicken jam? ›

The Acid. Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

How do you thicken jam without cornstarch or pectin? ›

The secret ingredient to making jam without pectin is time. The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. A long, slow boil drives the moisture out of the fruit, helping to preserve and thicken it at the same time. Fruit varies in water content as well, and some fruits may take longer to jam up.

What can I do if my jam is too thick? ›

Heat small amounts of jam in the microwave, a few seconds at a time, and then use as you would normally. If it's still too thick, add some water while heating in the microwave, and then use it as an unusual pancake or ice cream syrup.

How do I reset my runny jam? ›

Mix jam or jelly with 25 mL (2 tbsp) sugar for each 250 mL (1 cup) of jam or jelly. Stir well until dissolved about 3 minutes. Measure 15 mL (1 tbsp) water and 7 mL (1/1/2 tsp) powdered pectin for each 250 mL (1 cup) of jelly or jam.

Can you boil jam too long? ›

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

How do you make jelly less firm? ›

If you prefer a softer set, you can always use less pectin than called for in our recipes. We would suggest you experiment by using ¼ to ½ teaspoon less pectin than the recipe calls for, or perhaps up to a teaspoon less for recipes that call for 4 teaspoons of pectin. You would keep the calcium water amount the same.

What helps jelly become firm? ›

Commercial pectin products contain acids that help to ensure gelling. Sugar: Sugar serves as a preserving agent, contributes flavor and aids in gelling. Granulated white sugar is the usual type of sugar for jelly or jam.

Will jelly thicken as it cools? ›

You do not need to reach a specific temperature beyond a “full boil” (a boil you can't stir down). Jam/jelly will be runny when you put it in the jars, and will jell when completely cool.

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