Over the years, I have made thousands of jars of jam and jelly. I’ve also made more than a few batches of berry syrup. That’s what I call jam that didn’t set up. I label it as pancake or waffle syrup. Sometimes I label it ice-cream topping.
Years ago, I bought the little boxes of fruit pectin. Sure-Jell and Ball realfruit pectin are a couple of brands. The procedure is the same if you make a small or large batch of jam.
What Kind Of Pectin Do I Use For Jam?
Years ago, I bought the little boxes of fruit pectin. Sure-Jell and Ball realfruit pectin are a couple of brands. The procedure is the same if you make a small or large batch of jam. Each box made about 6 to 9 jars of jam, depending on the fruit I used. The last time I checked the price on a box of Sure-Jell, it was about $5.00 for one ounce of pectin. I use the equivalent of 50 boxes of Sure-Jell pectin a year.
Where Can I Buy Pectin In Bulk?
I needed to find a bulk supply of fruit pectin fast. After an internet search of suppliers of bulk fruit pectin, I decided to give Nuts.com a try. I loved it, and now I order the one-pound bags which currently cost $6.99 plus $5.99 for shipping, or 81 cents an ounce. I order ten bags at a time and get free shipping. That’s 44 cents an ounce! They also offer a 25 lb case at 27 cents an ounce with free shipping. If you make more than 12 jars of jam, go with a bulk purchase of fruit pectin. I am sure there are other suppliers than Nuts.com. However, I have found this to be a reliable and excellent source of fruit pectin for my jam.
Small or Large Batch of Jam for All Berries except Blueberries
| Fruit in cups* |
Lemon juice ** | Sugar*** in cups |
Sugar*** in Lbs. | Pectin*** in cups | Pectin*** ounces |
Pectin*** grams | Yield 1/2 pints |
| 5 | 2 TBS | 7 | 3lb 1oz | 1/4 | 1.4 | 40 | 9 |
| 10 | 4 | 14 | 6lb 2oz | 1/2 | 2.8 | 80 | 18 |
| 15 | 6 | 21 | 9lb3oz | 3/4 | 4.2 | 120 | 27 |
| 25 | 10 | 35 | 15lb5oz | 1 1/4 | 7.0 | 200 | 45 |
| 30 | 12 | 42 | 18lb6oz | 1 1/2 | 8.4 | 240 | 54 |
| 35 | 14 | 29 | 21lb7oz | 1 3/4 | 9.8 | 280 | 63 |
| 40 | 16 | 56 | 24lb8oz | 2 | 11.2 | 320 | 72 |
| 45 | 18 | 63 | 27lb9oz | 2 1/4 | 12.6 | 360 | 81 |
NOTES:
* Crush berries before measuring the amount called for in the above recipe.
**Use bottled not fresh lemon juice.
***For the sugar and the pectin, pick the unit you are most comfortable with. For the sugar use either the cups or the lbs. measurement but NOT BOTH together. For the pectin use either the cups, ounces, or grams but NOT ALL THREE together.
Small or Large Batch of Jam for Blueberries
| Lemon* Juice Tbs. | Fruit** cups | Sugar cups*** | Sugar lbs.*** | Pectin cups*** | Pectin ounces*** | Pectin grams*** | Yield 1/2pints |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 1lb 5oz | 1/4 | 1.4 | 40 | 6 |
| 2 | 8 | 6 | 2lb10oz | 1/2 | 2.8 | 80 | 12 |
| 3 | 12 | 9 | 4lbs | 3/4 | 4.2 | 120 | 18 |
| 4 | 16 | 12 | 5lb 5oz | 1cup | 5.6 | 160 | 24 |
| 5 | 20 | 15 | 6lb10oz | 1 1/4 . | 7.0 | 200 | 30 |
| 6 | 24 | 18 | 7lb15oz | 1 1/2 | 8.4 | 240 | 36 |
| 7 | 28 | 21 | 9lb4oz | 1 3/4 | 9.8 | 280 | 42 |
| 8 | 32 | 24 | 10lb9oz | 2 | 11.2 | 320 | 48 |
| 9 | 36 | 27 | 11lb14oz | 2 1/4 | 12.6 | 360 | 54 |
NOTES
*Crush the berries before measuring the amount called for in the above recipe.
**Use bottled lemon juice, not fresh.
***For the sugar and the pectin, pick the unit you are most comfortable with. For the sugar use either the cups or the lbs. measurement but NOT BOTH together. For the pectin use either the cups, ounces, or grams but NOT ALL THREE together.
Small or Large Batch of Jam for Peaches, Stone Fruit, and Tropical Fruit
| Fruit* cups | Lemon Juice** | Sugar cups*** | Sugar lbs *** | Pectin cups *** | Pectin oz, *** | Pectin grms*** | Yield 1/2 pints |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | 2lbs 3oz | 1/4 | 1.4 | 40 | 7 |
| 8 | 4 | 10 | 4lbs6oz | 1/2 | 2.8 | 80 | 14 |
| 12 | 6 | 15 | 6lbs9oz | 3/4 | 4.2 | 120 | 21 |
| 16 | 8 | 20 | 8lbs12oz | 1 | 5.6 | 160 | 28 |
| 20 | 10 | 25 | 10lbs15oz | 1 1/4 | 7.0 | 200 | 35 |
| 24 | 12 | 30 | 13lbs2oz | 1 1/2 | 8.4 | 240 | 42 |
| 28 | 14 | 35 | 15lbs5oz | 1 3/4 | 9.8 | 280 | 49 |
| 32 | 16 | 40 | 17lbs8oz | 2 | 11.2 | 320 | 56 |
| 36 | 18 | 45 | 19lbs11oz | 2 1/4 | 12.6 | 360 | 63 |
NOTES:
* Crush fruit before measuring the amount called for in the above recipe.
**Use bottled lemon juice, not fresh
***For the sugar and the pectin, pick the unit you are most comfortable with. For the sugar use either the cups or the lbs. measurement but NOT BOTH together. For the pectin use either the cups, ounces, or grams but NOT ALL THREE together.
How to calculate if your kettle is large enough:
It is essential to make sure you have a kettle large enough for the amount of jam you are making. If the kettle is too small, the jam will boil over during the second boil and make a BIG MESS!!! The maximum cups of fruit you put into the pot should not exceed the size of the kettle in quarts. For example, if you have 4 cups of crushed fruit, you need a 4- quart kettle. Twenty cups of crushed fruit need a 20-quart kettle.
The procedure is the same if you make a small or large batch of jam.
Rx for a small or large batch of jam:
1. Add the crushed berries to a large kettle. The pot shouldn’t be more than 1/2 full.
2. Add the lemon juice to the crushed berries. The lemon juice helps the jam jell and add acidity to lower the ph and prevent the growth of bacteria.
3. Add the Fruit Pectin to the berries and stir well.
4. Optional: a tbsp. of butter or oil helps break up the surface tension of the jam and minimizes the foam you will have to skim and discard before you fill the jars.
5. Stir constantly to prevent scorching and bring to a full rolling boil that can’t be stirred down. Boil for 1 minute. Boiling gives lots of bubbles on the top of the jam. A rolling boil that can’t be stirred down means you can’t make the bubbles go away by vigorous stirring. Boil for 1 minute.
6. Add the sugar all at once and stir in. Stir constantly to bring to a second rolling boil that can’t be stirred down. Boil a full minute again.
7. Remove from the heat. Skim off any foam and discard. Fill the jam jars. Be sure to leave about 1/2 inch of space between the top of the jam and the lid. Put the lid on and screw a ring on tightly.
8. Put the jars in a water bath canner. Cover the jars with water and bring to a boil. Boil the jars for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let them cool completely.
9. Once the jars have cooled, test the lids to make sure the jars sealed. Test for a seal by pressing down in the center of the lid with your finger. If the top springs back up when you release your finger, the jar isn’t sealed. If the jar doesn’t seal, take off the lid and check the jar rim for damage. If the jar is damaged, discard the jar. If the jar isn’t damaged, discard the lid and put a new lid on the jar. Reheat the jar in the water batch.
10. For more detailed instruction on how to make jam, hop over to my blog on Strawberry Jam. (click here)
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I notice you don’t mention anything about jelly’s so I guess I’ll just wing it! (i.e. test micro batches till I get it right and then scale up)
And another thing I am not accustomed to, is the canning water bath. I am in New Zealand and most common here is boil the daylights out of the jam till it reduces enough to jell on a cold plate and then pour it into jars and add lids or cellophane and rubber bands. Never a problem with mold or fermentation with this method so I wonder if the canning double boiling part of the process can be done without?
Your short boiling times with added pectin certainly seems the superior workflow. I am experimenting with it now.
<3
Thank you for your awesome comments. Yes, with the added pectin I can make 150 pints of jam in a morning. That is a great suggestion to add jelly to the options. The water bath makes sure the jars are sealed. If the jam is hot enough when it is poured into the jars and the lids and rings added right away, the jar is often hot enough to seal without the water bath. I like to just do a water bath to make sure each jar has the best chance of sealing. I have had a jar of jam that didn’t seal grow mold. However it usually takes many months before this happens, so if you are using the jam or jelly within a few months you will likely be ok with not water bathing the jam. Happy canning.
Hi, I just read all of your info. Thank you so much!! That really helps because I just started making jelly and jam and I give it away faster than I can make it. LOL. My family lives in Oregon, Washington, Calif. and I have sent it to all of them, plus family here and gift bags I have made and the guys at the shop. The most I have made in one batch is 17 4 oz jars of Banana Jam. They absolutely love it. I am going (with your info.) make a large batch of Strawberry for them all.
Wow, you must work all the time! ER Doctor, Can, make Jellies, Jams, Garden….I work all day and look forward to making a new jam or jelly ( I like a Challenge 🙂 ) when I get home, plus work in the yard and everything else. I can say, when I lay down at night…Thank you Lord for the energy you give me to continue doing my have toos and my new hobby!! and thank you for your info.
What’s the conversion for jelly using fruit juice? I’m doing a triple Berry with raspberry, cranberry and gooseberry. Thank you this info is a life saver
That jam sounds amazing. I haven’t figured out the conversion for jelly. But now that you asked the question that is a great idea and I will have to figure it
out once I get the time.
Is the pectin powdered or liquid? I think powder goes in with sugar and/or liquid goes in at the end… thx
The pectin is powdered. The pectin is added to the fruit at the beginning.
Question – when you say all berries except blueberries, does that include Cranberries? Or are they different?
If you are thinking about cranberry sauce, this recipe wouldn’t work. I haven’t made cranberry jam with this recipe. However, I would add orange juice in place of the lemon juice and otherwise, it should work. I would puree the cranberries before I added them to the kettle or you may end up with mostly whole cranberries in your jam. If you give it a try let me know how it comes out.