Put fruit and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add water to fruits (see amounts in Table 1). Cut firm, larger fruits into small pieces. Wash all fruits thoroughly before cooking. One pound of fruit should yield at least 1 cup of clear juice. Too little sugar prevents gelling and may allow yeasts and molds to grow. Do not reduce the amount of sugar in traditional recipes. Using tested recipes for replacing sugar with honey or corn syrup is best. Corn syrup and honey may be used to replace part of the sugar in recipes, but too much will mask the fruit flavor and alter the gel structure. Cane and beet sugar are the usual sources of sugar for jelly or jam. Sugar serves as a preserving agent, contributes flavor and aids in gelling. Commercial pectin products contain acids that help ensure gelling. For fruits low in acid, add lemon juice or other acidic ingredients as directed. If you use too much acid, the gel will lose liquid (weep). If you use too little acid, the gel will not set. The proper level of acidity is critical to gel formation. Because fully ripened fruit has less pectin, one-fourth of the fruit used in making jellies without added pectin should be underripe. Other fruits, such as strawberries, cherries and blueberries, contain little pectin and must be combined with other fruits high in pectin or with commercial pectin products to obtain gels.
Apples, crabapples, gooseberries and some plums and grapes usually contain enough natural pectin to form a gel. Pectins are substances in fruits that form a gel if they are in the right combination with acid and sugar. Good-quality, flavorful fruits make the best jellied products. It also supplies the water to dissolve the other ingredients and furnishes some or all of the pectin and acid. The fruit gives each spread its unique flavor and color. For proper texture, jellied fruit products require the correct combination of fruit, pectin, acid and sugar.
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