I went to make some satsuma marmalade for the first time and I can’t believe the amount of sugar most recipes use, pretty much the same weight sugar per liquid. I used 6 cups sugar and only got 7 half pints, I could barely finish 1 slice of bread with some on it, way to sweet. I didn’t use any pectin since I used the orange rinds.
Is there a way to use half the sugar and still make it last 6 months unopened in the pantry? I would like to taste the fruit more than sugar. I will definitely use more orange rind in my next batch.
I wouldn’t hesitate to cut the sugar in half. Yes, it is a preservative, but you also have acids so that helps. I don’t like my jams too sweet so I always cut the sugar by a third or so (raspberries by a quarter) and they keep a year easily. I can in a water bath and I’m eating jam that I made in Summer of 2020.
For longest keeping I think a pressure cooker is best, but a water bath is safe for acid, sugary preserves. I would not do green beans, for just one example, in a water bath.
Ball and Kerr and local county extension agents can provide great, detailed instructions. Not hard to do if I can do it …
I did those last night in a water bath and all of the lids did seal that’s why I was wondering why I had to add so much sugar. I’m going to look in to see what the store-bought pectin actually does maybe that has a preservative in it to where I don’t have to use so much sugar or cook it down too far. I literally cooked that batch last night for about an hour and 20 minutes to get a good consistency by then there was no water left it was almost pure sugar
Funny how a case or two of botulism can change things…my family cold packed (water bath) over 100 quarts of green beans per year for my entire life until I moved from home.
None ever spoiled. Cooked about 3 hours if I remember correct…usually outdoors over a fire in a ‘enambled’ canner 6 to 8 jars at a time
I’ve canned corn (4 hours) in such system…and ate the corn 4 or 5 years later.
I don’t use store bought pectin at all -a grated apple in four cups of fruit pretty well guarantees a good set if you cook it to the right temp. For me that’s 214 F, for sea level more like 222 F. I usually get a good set lower than that, and if I cook that high (which takes a long time and spatters all over!) I can end up with too-thick jam. Two pounds of fruit (raspberries or apricots or plums) with a grated apple, a glug of lemon juice, and three cups of sugar is typical for my jams. That’ll yield about two pints.
If your fruit is very ripe the natural pectin level will be lower, and fruit which is very high in water will behave differently from drier fruit.
@Blueberry speaks from experience. I have one of those “enambled” canners he’s speaking of and it’s great. But I’ve never canned anything except fruity stuff in sugar, so I won’t speak to that any further. (But I also won’t try canning green beans in a water bath.) Lots of people around here used to can all kinds of vegetables and meats very successfully.
I just remade it using a low sugar box of Sure-Jell. Only had to use four cups of sugar turned out great just like store-bought, ended up getting 9 half pints. I guess I’ll use the other batch which was way too sugary for marinade or sauce
