I would like to know if there is an alternative to sugar with pectin for the above Chilli Jam (Christmas, p241)? Normally I use lemons - would this be a good alternative?
Hi, Want to make Chilli Jam, but cant find Jam Sugar (not available in Bombay). How can I make it, or what is the proportion of sugar to pectin? Please advise. Regards Natasha
Our answer
Pectin is the natural substance, found in some fruits, which will thicken and set when heated with sugar, water and acid. Chillis don't conatain any pectin, so it needs to be added to the chilli jam to help it to set. In the UK sugar with added pectin, also known as jam sugar, is fairly readily available.
Lemons, and other sour citrus fruits, contain fairly high amounts of pectin. However the pectin is found mainly in the skin and membranes of the fruit rather than in the juice. Consequently adding lemon juice to regular sugar for the chilli jam will not help it to set. The acid in lemon juice can help pectin to gel which is why it is often added to lower pectin fruits in jam-making, but it is not a straight replacement for pectin. As the recipe contains (apple) cider vinegar there is already a reasonable amount of acid in the chilli jam and extra lemon juice shoud not be needed.
We would suggest that if you cannot get jam sugar then it would be better to buy a commercially produced pectin, unless you want to go through the fairly time-consuming process of extracting pectin from whole lemons. Pectin is available in some supermarkets and also on-line. Unfortunately each brand of pectin will vary in terms of amount needed and when to add the pectin. The packaging of the pectin should give guidelines as to how much to use, based on the amount of sugar in the recipe. Powdered pectin is usually added at the beginning of the recipe, along with the sugar, but liquid pectin is often added towards the end of the recipe and boiled for just a couple of minutes - again, the instructions on the package should give directions for use.
Please note that the chilli jelly in Nigella's recipe is a fairly soft set version. Also in the UK jam sugar should not be confused with preserving sugar. Preserving sugar is sugar which has larger crystals than regular sugar which dissolve slowly - preserving sugar does not contain added pectin.
Our answer. Nigella's Chilli Jam is made by using "jam sugar" (or gelling sugar). This is sugar that has pectin added to it. It should not be confused with "preserving sugar
preserving sugar
Preserving sugar is a kind of sugar used in making high-pectin fruits such as oranges and plums into marmalades, jams and other preserves. It differs from regular table sugar by having larger crystals. This helps keep the sugar suspended in preserves while cooking, preventing burning at the bottom of the pot.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Preserving_sugar
To Remake Cooked Jelly or Jam With Powdered Pectin: For each cup of jelly or jam, measure 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon water and 1½ teaspoons of powdered pectin. (Stir the package contents well before measuring.)
Jam sugar is like the superhero version of regular sugar, with added pectin and sometimes citric acid to help your jam set perfectly with the ideal texture. Pectin is a natural thickener found in fruit, but some fruits are low in pectin and don't contain enough of it to make a good jam.
Obviously sugar is heavily involved for the flavour of a sweet chilli jam, but it's secondary use is for thickness - a normal chilli sauce wouldn't include the amount of sugar present, and so won't thicken so much during cooking.
Here's a simple rule of thumb: When using powdered pectin for cooked jam, add it to the strained juice or chopped fruit BEFORE heating. Next, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down). THEN add the sugar.
Jelly can be made with one third less sugar. It is a combination of regular or high methoxyl (HM) pectin and low methoxyl (LM) pectin. Regular pectin needs different proportions of sugar and acid to gel properly than (LM) pectin. More fruit is used for the amount of sugar, so the flavor is less sweet and more fruity.
It could also be that you have put the jam into jars before it has had time to cool slightly and thicken. You need to let the jam stand for 30 to 40 minutes, so that it becomes more viscous and the pepper flecks are suspended throughout the jam.
Liquid pectin is added to the cooked fruit and sugar mixture immediately after it is removed from the heat. Powdered pectin is added to the unheated crushed fruit. Liquid and powder pectin cannot be interchanged in a recipe. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recipes and instructions.
Since pectin is activated by sugar, it requires using a considerable amount of sugar to activate the pectin and set (i.e. thicken) your jam. If you try to cut back on the sugar, it won't set properly.
5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.
Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.
You don't have to, but proceed carefully. "If you are really anti-pectin, you can omit it, but you'll need to cook the jam longer. Doing so will remove most of the water content in order to get it to set up properly and in turn, will result in a smaller yield," adds Wynne.
Just wait. You've followed the recipe and even tested the jam for thickness by smearing a bit of the cooked jam on a cold spoon straight from the freezer, but it still looks runny in the canning jars after processing. ...
If you push your finger through it then the jam should not flow back. The Chilli Jam is soft set rather than very firm. If it has not set boil for another 2 minutes and test again. You can use the thinner jam as an alternative to sweet chilli sauce and it will keep in the same way as a set jam.
Jams usually contain about 60% sugar, which is enough to stop most microorganisms growing. The high acidity also makes it an unpleasant place to breed. However, some moulds can grow even in these harsh conditions and so it is important to take care when preparing and sterilising your jars.
How much pectin do I need to add? The amount of pectin needed to thicken your jam varies depending on the fruit and the other ingredients, as well as how thick you prefer your jam, however, as a rough guide, 3g for every kilogram of fruit, or 1.5 teaspoons of powdered pectin for every cup of jam.
In general, the final concentration of sugar in the preserve should be between 60-65%. To accurately and consistently test this, a measurement known as brix can be used. Brix is a measurement of the total percentage of sugar by weight in a water-based solution.
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