Cherry Jam (no pectin recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How can I thicken jam without 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.

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.

You don't have to, but proceed carefully. "If you are really anti-pectin, you can omit it, but you'll need to cook the jam longer. Doing so will remove most of the water content in order to get it to set up properly and in turn, will result in a smaller yield," adds Wynne.

While pectin naturally occurs in fruit, the amount can vary. Fruits such as citrus, tart cooking apples, cranberries, and quince are high in pectin. Fruits such as late-season blackberries, cherries, and nectarines, are at the low end of the pectin scale.

To remake cooked jam or jelly without added pectin, for each 1 L (4 cups) jam or jelly add 25 mL (2 tbsp) bottled lemon juice. Heat to boiling and boil jam or jelly hard 3 to 4 minutes, then test for signs of gelling.

Throwing in an extra tablespoon of lemon or lime juice at the end can help, but avoid adding any more than that as it could make the jam runny.

Too little sugar: Much like pectin, some fruits are higher in natural sugar than others. Jams made from fruits with higher sugar content thicken on their own more easily than those with less sugar. A no-sugar or low-sugar recipe might not call for enough sugar to naturally thicken the jam, even at a rolling boil.

Lemon juice contains both in abundance. The ratio we use when making jam is 1tbsp of lemon juice to every 1kg of fruit. woman&Home Food Writer, Keiron George, advises, “If you're having trouble with setting your jam, bring it to the boil again, adding the rind of a lemon for some extra pectin”.

If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used. Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot.

Preservation using honey or sugar was one common method and the Ancient Greeks also used to use honey to preserve quince. Syrups made from honey and sugar were also used to preserve food; honey has no moisture so it preserves any food encased within it.

Why people avoid pectin? ›

Pectin is high in fiber. Fiber can stick to some medications in the stomach and intestines. Taking pectin at the same time as medications that you take by mouth might decrease how much medication your body absorbs. This can decrease how well these drugs work.

Pectin Substitute

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

Tart cherries are most often used to desserts, jams, jellies, and sauces where they will be paired with large amounts of sugar or rich, creamy ingredients. Their tart, acid flavor adds brightness to balance the richness or sweetness. Two common varieties of tart cherries are Montmorency and Morello.

Cherries have very little pectin, especially sour cherries, and because I don't add additional pectin (like they do here), you can expect this cherry jam to be on the soft side.

Cherry preserves are different from cherry jam in that preserves contain easily distinguishable whole fruits or fruit pieces, as opposed to jam, for which chopped or crushed fruit is cooked until soft and spreadable.

Clean the jars and prep new lids. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring the jam to a boil. Cook vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Look for signs of thickening.

Add chia seeds to the recipe.

The chia seeds soak up the juice and moisture from fruit purée and plump up, giving a thickening effect to the jam without using heat or added sugar or pectin. Think of it as a chia seed pudding made with fruit rather than milk.

You can boil it down on the stove to thicken it up a bit... maybe add in some gelatin too. Also, to make it easier on you, you can spread the jam filling thin on a baking sheet and freeze it and then put it on the cake while it's frozen so it'll go on as one sheet.