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JAMS AND JELLIES
Jellies are semi-solids which are made with fruit juice and sugar and
are firm enough to maintain their shape.
Conserving Jam is made of mashed or strained fruit and sugar. It is less firm
fruit than jelly, but is also able to maintain its shape.
Jams and jellies were developed over the years as a means of
conserving fruit. The protective effect is created by the acidity of the
fruits and the sugar. Cooking a mixture of acidic fruits together with
sugar creates a kind of jelly. At the heart of this jellification process is
pectin. This polymer is a natural component of vegetables and,
particularly, fruit. Some fruits are richer in pectin than others, as many
fruits are more acidic than others. These characteristics must be taken
into account when deciding how to prepare jams and jellies.
Some Fruit rich in pectin and high in acidity: cooking apples (such as the
characteristics of Reineta), red berries (red currants, blueberries), grapes, goyaba, sour
fruits used in cherries, granadas, limes and sour oranges.
making jams and Fruits rich in pectin and with low acid levels: sweet apples, sweet
jellies cherries (or very ripe cherries), unripe figs, pears, quinces.
Fruit low in pectin with good acidity: apricot, pineapple, strawberry.
Fruits low in pectin and with low acidity: ripe fig, nectarine, peach,
ripe pears, and overripe fruit generally.
When the fruit is low in acid but has a high level of pectin, we can
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add another acidic fruit, such as lemon juice. If the fruit is low in pectin
and has high acid levels, we can add commercial pectin or mix in a fruit
that is rich in pectin, such as apples. Commercial pectin is extracted
from apples and contains acid which will provide the required level of
acidity.
It must also be remembered that very ripe fruit contains little pectin
and is low in acidity, care must be taken to ensure that at least one
quarter of the fruit used is not ripe.
To make • Ingredients:
jam
Cups of
Cups of Teaspoons of
Fruit finely
sugar lemon juice
cut fruit
Apricot 4 - 41/2 4 2
Peach 5 - 51/2 4 2
Red fruit 4 4 0
• Instructions
1. Wash the fruit carefully. Remove the seeds and the skin, cut into
small pieces and mash them well. Strain if necessary. Add the
Jam recipe
sugar and cook. To test whether the jam is cooked, take a
spoonful of the mixture, let some drops fall on to a cold plate and
put it in the freezer for a few moments. If the drops solidify, the
jam is ready. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture
into the sterilised jars.
2. Wash the jars with hot water and washing-up liquid (or wash them
in the dishwasher). Sterilise the jars with the lids (or rubbers) in
Esterilização dos
boiling water for 10 minutes. The water must cover the jars
recipientes
completely and they must be left in the hot water until they are
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needed.
3. Take the jars out of the hot water, turning them over so that all the
water will drain back into the pan. To remove all the water
completely, turn the jars upside down on a clean recently ironed
tea towel. Fill the jars with the hot jam leaving approximately 1cm
at the top of each jar. Clean around the top of the jars with a paper
towel soaked in hot water to remove any trace of jam. Take the
lids out of the hot water, drain and cover the jars tightly. This must
all be done as quickly as possible, while everything is still hot.
Attention: take all the necessary precautions to avoid being
burned!!
Sterilising the jars 4. Place the jars in the saucepan again, taking care that they do not
of jam overturn as it is essential that the insides of the lids remain clean.
If the jars are still hot when they are returned to the pan, the water
in the pan must also be hot. The jars must be immersed in the
water (6-10cm). Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the jars and place them carefully on a dry towel or board.
Do not place them on a cold surface.
6. Allow the jam to cool for between 12 to 24 hours until a vacuum is
formed. Do not touch the jars or press the lids until they are
completely cold.
7. Wash the jars to remove any traces and keep in a dry place out of
sunlight.
• The Chemistry Pectin is a natural polysaccharide which can be extracted from
vegetal tissue using chelating agents, hot water or diluted acids.
Pectin is a polymer composed of linear chains of D-galacturonic acid
linked as α-(1→4), sporadically interrupted by L-ramnose residues
linked as α-(1→2); much of the galacturonic acid residue is esterified
with methanol.
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Pectin structure with a degree of methoxylation of 50%
References:
Elizabeth L. Andress, Cooperative Extension Service . The University of
Georgia. Em:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_steps_proc_j_j.pdf
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_processing_j_j.pdf
(in June 2005).
Julie A. Albrecht, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension EC94-448-B.
Em: http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/foods/EC448.pdf (in June 2005).
