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Runny jam

SherwoodArrowSherwoodArrow Posts: 262
in The potting shed
I have made some marrow and crystallized ginger jam, with some courgettes that trebled in size over night. I don’t use a recipe as such just weight for weight marrow to sugar. I have made this jam over and over again with no problems with it setting.

I was told that you can reheat jam to (hopefully) get it to set? 

Do you have to add to add anything to it or just get it to a rolling boil again?

Having not done it before all help will be very much appreciated.
Nottinghamshire.
Failure is always an option.

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,983
    edited August 2022
    I would buy a bottle or two of Certo pectin … that way you can get a set without having to boil the jam it begins to taste like caramel. 

    There’s little or no pectin in marrows and without pectin it won’t set. 

    Perhaps you’ve used ‘jam sugar’ in the past; this contains pectin. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,118
    edited August 2022
    Sounds like the right amount of sugar to me. For getting it to set you can try boiling it up again, and if it doesn't reach setting point maybe add some extra lemon juice or powdered or bottled pectin and test again.
    I have two preserving books, both have recipes for marrow and ginger jam, both have lemon juice in so maybe the acidity is key. The simpler one is 1lb peeled & deseeded marrow and 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger to 1 lb sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. The other is more complicated, using fresh root ginger (not crystallized) and apples, lemon juice and pectin stock (which they give instructions for making, from cooking apples or crab apples) as well as marrow.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • SherwoodArrowSherwoodArrow Posts: 262
    edited August 2022
    I should of said I put 2 lemons juice in, as I can’t get to a ‘big’ shop for the pectin stock I’m going to try adding some apples that I’ve pureed down so it’s soft then add another lemon juice and then boil again?

    If it doesn’t set after this I’ll just have to catch it when it slides off my toast 😀.

    Thanks for you help. 
    Nottinghamshire.
    Failure is always an option.

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,118
    Worth a go. Maybe try one thing at a time and test for a set before adding something else.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,496
    On the plus side, I've never known anyone to really complain about runny homemade jam :D
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,118
    Nor me. You can always use it as a sauce on ice cream.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,496
    Stop it @JennyJ - I've run out of Ice cream  :'(
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,118
    :D
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,694
    It might be worth straining the apple pulp to avoid adding to the fruit proportions.
    You may not have reduced the marrow pulp as much as you usually do before adding the sugar. 
    Boiling up jam after adding sugar to jam makes it go treacly and not necessarily thicker.
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,628
    Had to laugh at this thread! My problem is that I usually overcook jam and it sets rock hard in the jar. Leads to requests from OH to cut him a slice of jam! Last time I made any, I did use my new thermometer and it was an improvement. I do always add lemon juice if I am making strawberry jam.
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