Showing posts with label what is Jelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what is Jelly. Show all posts

10.25.2013

What is a Chutney, Jam, Conserve, Marmalade, Jelly ?

What exactly is a preserve. Let us start from the beginning but not get to goofy. Fruit Preserves are the preparation of fruits or vegetables. Most often they are canned adding sugar and pectin. Back in the day prior to 1939 they never used pectin and thus many preservers are not using it today. The ingredients you use and how you prepare your preserves determines what type it is.




There are a few types. There are sweet preserves which will use sugar, honey or a sweetening agent. There are savory preserves using vegetables. and there are savory. Let us get started and it will be in alphabetical order. 


What is a Chutney?


A chutney can be made from with a fruit or a vegetable. It is a pungent type of relish. Chutneys always have a variation of spices added. It is noted that American and European chutneys have vinegar and sugar added and are cooked until thick. Chutney is of Indian origin.



What is a Confit ?

A confit of which I have yet to do is food that have been cooked in oil or sugar water. Sealed and stored in a cool, dark place. This is known to be the oldest way to preserve food. The term is also used for preserved meats, it is also used for fruits and vegetables seasoned with and cooked with honey and or sugar until jam-like. 

What is a Conserve?

This is whole fruit jam. The fruit is "stewed" in sugar. Conserves are known to be thicker than you standard jam and may also include nuts and or dried fruit.

What is Fruit Butter?




This is delicious and one of my favorites. This process is  when you take whole fruit and run it through a food mill, sieve or blend it after it has been processed by heat. It is cooked to the point of making it paste like.




What is Fruit Curd ?

This is a spread or dessert topping that has been made with lemon, lime, orange.

What is a Fruit Spread ?

Fruit spread is a jam/preserve with no sugar added.

What is a Jam ?




Jam is chopped fruit or vegetables that is cooked crushed into bite size pieces and heated in sugar and pectin to gel. Jam has a velvet consistency without large chunks of fruit, good color, and great fruit flavor.




What is Jelly?


Jelly is a fruit spread made from sweetened fruit/vegetable juice that is set by using it's ( U.S. Jelly) naturally occurring pectin.  Natural pectin is extracted from the cooked fruit thus creating a clear sparkling jelly.



What is Marmalade? 



This is one of my favorite ! I make a great tangy snappy lemon marmalade! Marmalade is a preserve made from juice and peels of citrus fruits boiled in sugar.




Disclaimer: This is not  all inclusive information/definitions for preserving. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.

Excerpts for information was from Chutney , Confit , Conserve , Fruit Butter , Fruit Curd , Jam , Jelly , Marmalade

2.20.2013

Pomegranate Jelly/Jam

My neighbor has a pomegranate tree so each year it is mine.  I hope that she never cuts it down. You will get about 6 pints from this recipe for pomegranate jelly/jam

Ingredients

5 pounds of pomegranates- makes -  5 cups of pomegranate juice.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 cups of granulated sugar
1 box of pectin - Mix the pectin with about a cup of your sugar makes it easier to mix into the juice. It is your first ingredient to add. If you want thicker jelly just add about 1/4 of a pack of pectin more. I do! Here is a pectin link






It is a long and tedious process for me because I get so many pomegranates that it is insane. But good delicious insane.To clean my pom's I crack them in half and get the guts out. I then fill a bowl with cool water and begin to tear the pulp from the core the seeds will sink the pulp will float.







Once you have separated the seeds rinse them and make sure all the white is off them. If any seeds float that means that there is still white on them. Here is the detailed link to clean.





I know you think I have enough. For me it is a two day process just to clean and separate I get so many. But I have so much juice for food and recipes far beyond the jelly I make.









 
 Ok the first thing you want to do is cook your pomegranate almost to a boil to help make the juice come on down. Just a medium heat you do not want to burn or over cook. Simmer them for 10 minutes then into the food mill. After you have run it through the food mill you will now need to use  a jelly strainer.








 I know this seems like a lot of tools and time. BUT all the tools I use, I use over and over and over. This and all my tools have been great investments.

DO NOT cut corners when it comes to your jam's. I found a link that has a few ways to make juice if you do not have a food mill.










Look at that beautiful juice I got from the fruit. So rich and delicious. So worth the time to make this jelly. And this is probably the only jelly I make besides Grape. All my others are jams. 



But if you want to you can set aside some seeds and add them to your jelly to get a little crunch.
 I do a few jars this way Take the last of the jelly prior to filling the last jars and add seeds to the mix. So far they seem to just rise to the top a look I do not like  Here is the link to add your seeds .
So make your own jammin decision.  



Ok now it is time to cook your jelly put your gorgeous juice into a large pot and add your lemon juice and pectin/sugar mix. Bring this to a rolling boil one you can not stir down. This will take about 10 minutes.
 
Now add the remaining sugar and bring it back to a rolling boil. Once you can not stir down the rolling boil take the pot off the burner and let it sit for 5 minutes scrape off the foamy stuff. Pour the jam into the jars leaving a 1/4 inch from the top. Whip the rims of the jars place the lid and screw top and water bath for 15 minutes.  

Once they are done let them cool for 5 minute prior to removing them from their bath. Remove let them cool for 24 hours remove the twist top clean and label. Store without the twist top
 
 

You do not want to store your jams with a twist top still on here is the link to why you store jar with no twist ring.









Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.