Making jelly from juice

by GB 15th July 2010, 2:58 pm

Could someone please talk me through your sure fire NEVER FAILS jelly system? Please?

I have a juicer (centrifugal and VERY powerful) and plan to extract the juice from pindo palm fruit. Have put a pair of snipers into the car for scavenging some fruit as the back yard fruit is getting eaten faster than the fruit can ripen properly Making jelly from juice Icon_lol

yes, its that good Making jelly from juice 91347

So, once I have the raw juice what do I do with it?

Oh, jelly palm fruit has some pectin in it but from reading needs a bit more to set properly.

by Aberlemno 15th July 2010, 4:23 pm

Now, do you mean jelly as in like jam, or jelly as in like Rowntrees?! My tried and tested method for cooked jelly (jam without the bits) is to cook the fruit up with a little water to release the juices and until the fruit is soft and then put it through a jelly bag overnight, not pushing it through as that will cloud the jelly. Next morning measure 1 lb preserving sugar to each pint of juice, and bring slowly to boil, making sure that the sugar is thoroughly dissolved before you turn the heat up. Cook until setting point is reached (a little on a cold plate wrinkles when pushed). I can't advise on how much pectin you would need to add as the fruit is a new one on me, but I expect there is advice on line?

by GB 15th July 2010, 4:38 pm

Aberlemno wrote:Now, do you mean jelly as in like jam, or jelly as in like Rowntrees?! My tried and tested method for cooked jelly (jam without the bits) is to cook the fruit up with a little water to release the juices and until the fruit is soft and then put it through a jelly bag overnight, not pushing it through as that will cloud the jelly. Next morning measure 1 lb preserving sugar to each pint of juice, and bring slowly to boil, making sure that the sugar is thoroughly dissolved before you turn the heat up. Cook until setting point is reached (a little on a cold plate wrinkles when pushed). I can't advise on how much pectin you would need to add as the fruit is a new one on me, but I expect there is advice on line?

Yep, jelly without the bits in Making jelly from juice Icon_biggrin

I cant see why the above wouldnt work with raw juice, would it?

And I have found a few recipes online but they are always SO heavy on hte sugar Making jelly from juice Icon_eek

by Guest 15th July 2010, 6:42 pm

GB - at the end of the season here I'm pretty tired but that is when the quinces come in. I use the juice extractor that steams the chopped up fruit as I don't have the time or energy to do it the "cook up and strain way". I have also done this with apple and made many many pounds of Jelly this way. About 50lbs a year (I now can cold press the apples)

So what I do is extract the fruit with the amount of water specified by the maker of the extractor, but you might need to check how strong your juice is and dilute it if necessary. For quince jelly I add after the juice is made, the juice of a lemon for each 2 lb of original fruit (before it was juiced).

Measure the juice and weigh out 1lb of sugar for each pint of juice - if the fruit is sweetish (if not you may have to up the sugar a bit to max 1 1/4 lb to the pint).

Heat up the juice in a preserving pan. When it is boiling add the sugar and stir well until dissolved. Bring up to a rolling point and boil until setting point. 20mins is needed for quince usually. Pot into warm, sterilised pots.

You could try a small batch and if it has problem setting then up the amount of lemon juice.

To preserve fruit as jam or jelly you have to use about 50:50 fruit to sugar. Then you don't you have to freeze it or eat it quickly from the fridge. Why worry about the sugar...just use less jam on you bread and go out and dig the veg plot!!! Making jelly from juice Icon_biggrin

by GB 15th July 2010, 8:05 pm

I could indeed reduce my jam on bread Zoe, would do me good Making jelly from juice Icon_lol

Cant go jelly palm fruit hunting today as am out of petrol but got the pectin today. The one branch of fruit that is ripening on the tree is aaaaaaaalmost ready but as its only about 5 pounds of fruit I dont think its gunna get past the kids and to the jelly pan Making jelly from juice Icon_rolleyes

Well, they have to get past me too Making jelly from juice Icon_redface

The other branch thats about to start ripening has, at a guess, about 30 pounds of fruit so might even get some jelly from that one.

Oh, and seeds, have LOTS of seeds if anyone wants some.

by GB 19th July 2010, 4:54 pm

Slowly cooked the fruit in teh oven last night with just enough water to be two levels of fruit under the top - if that makes any sense? - and mashed with a spud masher. Let it cool overnight and the put it through the centrifugal juicer this morning.

Result is about a gallon of BRIGHT orangey yellowy juice the thickness of half whipped cream.

Quite tart and very fruity.

Am going to try a small batch without the pectin to see if it will set for me.

Question, if its a pint to a pound, can I do a cup to a cup? Not having kitchen scales and only having a measuring cup its a bit hit or miss when I go trying anything interesting with measures Making jelly from juice Icon_lol

by Guest 19th July 2010, 7:49 pm

Sounds very good GB.
From what I know
1 US cup = 7oz granulated sugar
1 US cup = 8 fl oz

This is about right - good enough. Especially as a lot depends on how much water there is in the juice. The acidity level sounds good. Try a few cups worth. As long as you don't burn it its will be very useful.

If you gently heat the thick juice with the sugar, the sugar will (probably!) make it more liquid. Then take it up to a rapid boil and test after 5mins, 10mins, 12mins carefully taking it further. I don't like to go beyond 20mins unless there is a lot of fluid.

Is this what is know as the jelly palm fruit?

by GB 19th July 2010, 8:36 pm

Zoe wrote:Sounds very good GB.
From what I know
1 US cup = 7oz granulated sugar
1 US cup = 8 fl oz

This is about right - good enough. Especially as a lot depends on how much water there is in the juice. The acidity level sounds good. Try a few cups worth. As long as you don't burn it its will be very useful.

If you gently heat the thick juice with the sugar, the sugar will (probably!) make it more liquid. Then take it up to a rapid boil and test after 5mins, 10mins, 12mins carefully taking it further. I don't like to go beyond 20mins unless there is a lot of fluid.

Is this what is know as the jelly palm fruit?

Yep, jelly palm fruit is what I am trying. Two trees came with the house and the taste of a ripe fruit is like apricot with the tart of the apricot skin all the way through the fruit.

WOW good good GOOD!

Had a frond all come ripe at once so cut the bunch and brought it inside. THe kids ate as many as they put in the pan for me but out of about 20 pounds of fruit they didnt make much of a dent Making jelly from juice Icon_lol

The fruit is VERY fibery but so what, so is sugar cane and thats good stuff too Making jelly from juice Icon_biggrin

Shall be trying a small batch later on today so fingers crossed it works out all right.

The next bunch of fruit is showing colour and its about 50 pounds or so...............

Got to get this jelly thing right Making jelly from juice Icon_lol

by GB 19th July 2010, 8:39 pm

Oh, and the juice is the colour of the sweetest ripest mango you have ever seen. A shocking orangey yellowey BRIGHT colour Making jelly from juice Icon_eek

by GB 19th July 2010, 10:02 pm

Well, thats four pots made so fingers crossed it sets.

I have NEVER managed to get jelly/jam to "wrinkle" on a cold plate, even if its pure crab apple jelly that later set like stone Making jelly from juice Icon_rolleyes

by Guest 19th July 2010, 10:59 pm

GB wrote:I have NEVER managed to get jelly/jam to "wrinkle" on a cold plate, even if its pure crab apple jelly that later set like stone

Do you put the plate in the fridge to cool it right down - before you start the "jamming session" Making jelly from juice Icon_cool

Only put a small blob of jam on the plate so it can spread out and cool. If you put it back in the fridge for a minute it should have a bit of a "skin" on it - if so then thats it - ok turn off the pan and pot.

Or try the flake test on the back of the spoon - as it slowly drains off the last blob should create a v shape and stay on.

by GB 19th July 2010, 11:06 pm

Zoe wrote:
GB wrote:I have NEVER managed to get jelly/jam to "wrinkle" on a cold plate, even if its pure crab apple jelly that later set like stone

Do you put the plate in the fridge to cool it right down - before you start the "jamming session" Only put a small blob of jam on the plate so it can spread out and cool. If you put it back in the fridge for a minute it should have a bit of a "skin" on it - if so then thats it - ok turn off the pan and pot.

Or try the flake test on the back of the spoon - as it slowly drains off the last blob should create a v shape and stay on.

Have even tried a plate straight from the freezer. It NEVER wrinkles for me Making jelly from juice Icon_rolleyes

But on the plus side, two of my pots have gone *plink* so they can go into the cupboard and the other two will go into the fridge.

Must make bread now to give it a try Making jelly from juice Icon_twisted

by GB 20th July 2010, 5:15 pm

WoooHoooo, got quite a nice set without added pectin Making jelly from juice Icon_eek

Its still a bit softer than I would have liked but it spreads nicely and tastes even better.

I did add the juice of a lemon after it had boiled 5 min as the taste needed a bit of lemon so dont know if thats what got it to set or not.

Now to bake some bread and start eating jelly Making jelly from juice Icon_cool

by GB 21st July 2010, 3:10 am

Made the bread - twas good! - and had some of the new jelly on a slice.........

OMG Making jelly from juice Icon_eek

Its gooooooooood! And SUCH a pretty colour!

One slight thing though, its STRONG, like use a quarter of the amount of jelly you usually use strong.

I really like it but the kids dont muchly so should I try the next batch with more water added to kinda thin it down a bit?

Need to fine tune the process as I have 50 pounds gunna be ready in about 10 days Making jelly from juice Affraid

by Aberlemno 21st July 2010, 6:16 am

SUCCESS! Well done. Perhaps you could make twice the amount then, by adding more water next time, and have a year's worth of Gunna Jelly! You can try all different sorts of jelly-making now you have the technique sussed.

by polgara 21st July 2010, 8:07 am

Problem there, the water is inclined to evaperate away whilst cooking to set? If you add water after the setting point is reached I do not think it will make that much difference.

Pol

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