LynneBo wrote:

Any hope of fixing this? I just did a couple batches of green pepper jelly
but it set up like glue. Can this be saved? I've always had more problem
with getting the jelly to set...now...wow what a set..it's like taffy. Would
adding some liquid and reprocessing help....?? Advice..???

Thanks ~~!!!


You could add a little bit of water or apple juice and reprocess them.

When I get a jam or jelly that is set too tight, I just stir a
tablespoon of hot water into the jar and let it sit overnight, and that
usually loosens it up nicely -- but it doesn't help if you want to give
them as gifts or enter them in the fair, etc.

It would be interesting to try putting the unopned jars it in a BWB for
20 minutes or a pressure canner at 5 pounds for 10 minutes and see if
that breaks down the gel. Ordinarily I'm a big fan of not sterilizing
jars, but I sometimes sterilize my jars first and then only process
jelly for 5 minutes because they often don't seem to set well after 10
minutes of processing. (it probably means the jelly was marginal to
begin with, but I hate ending up with 5 or 6 jars of syrup and a half a
jar of jelly (the leftover dab that I didn't process))

-Bob

In article _kTad.14330$Ia5.7321@edtnps89, "LynneBo"
wrote:

Any hope of fixing this? I just did a couple batches of green pepper
jelly but it set up like glue. Can this be saved? I've always had
more problem with getting the jelly to set...now...wow what a
set..it's like taffy. Would adding some liquid and reprocessing
help....?? Advice..???



Thanks ~~!!!

I don't know, Lynne. Sorry. I think if you add liquid to it, you'll
just get syrup - if I'm reading your problem right. If it were a matter
of being to stiff (more like really tough Jell-o), heating small
quantities would soften it up and make it easier to spread. But it
doesn't sound to me like that's your problem.
Can we see your recipe?
--
-Barb, www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 10-09-04; Sam I Am!.
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Jimi Hendrix, and Lt. Joe Corcoran, Retired; St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.

Hi Melba,

Yes you're right, it's like Jell-O gone Rambo, I guess I could cut it in
cubes and tell my friends it's a new flavour of
gummy bears....

suppose I'll try adding a little liquid and see what happens, if you hear an
explosion it may not be Mt St. Helens.

Interestingly enough I did red pepper jelly right after the green and it
turned out beautifully. Here's the recipe.


Pepper Jelly

1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
6 1/2 cups white sugar
3 ounces liquid pectin
In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine green pepper, white vinegar,
simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain mixture into jelly bag. Discard pulp and
return liquid to pot, add sugar bring to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes,
stirring constantly.

Stir in liquid pectin, and continue to boil for 3 more minutes, stirring
constantly. Skim off foam with a metal spoon, and remove pan from heat
Ladle jelly into sterilized jars, leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Seal,
and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes.

Thanks again
Lynne


"Melba's Jammin'" wrote in message
...
In article _kTad.14330$Ia5.7321@edtnps89, "LynneBo"
wrote:

Any hope of fixing this? I just did a couple batches of green pepper
jelly but it set up like glue. Can this be saved? I've always had
more problem with getting the jelly to set...now...wow what a
set..it's like taffy. Would adding some liquid and reprocessing
help....?? Advice..???



Thanks ~~!!!

I don't know, Lynne. Sorry. I think if you add liquid to it, you'll
just get syrup - if I'm reading your problem right. If it were a matter
of being to stiff (more like really tough Jell-o), heating small
quantities would soften it up and make it easier to spread. But it
doesn't sound to me like that's your problem.
Can we see your recipe?
--
-Barb, www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 10-09-04; Sam I Am!.
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Jimi Hendrix, and Lt. Joe Corcoran, Retired; St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.

OK, so you can cut it into squares -- I was reading it to be gummy and
gooey. Maybe you could cut little bricks and make jelly houses. No?
OK. How about this: Mash it up with a fork and use the bits to
garnish a chicken or pork dish.

Here's from the National Center for Home Food Preservation on the topic:
(See my comments at the bottom.)

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/stiff_jelly.html

"Stiff Jams or Jellies

Stiff jams or jellies may result from

* overcooking,
* adding too much pectin,
* using too little fruit and/or juice, or.
* using too little sugar or too much under-ripe fruit in recipes where
purchased pectin is not added (i.e., long-boil or no-pectin added
recipes). In the case of too little sugar, excessive cooking to
concentrate the sugar to the jellying point is required. Too much
under-ripe fruit can result in too much pectin.

Always follow the manufacturer's directions for ingredients and precise
cooking times found in the packages of commercial pectins. When making
jelly or jam without adding purchased pectin, be sure to follow
directions for determining doneness or the jellying point. See:
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/...ut_pectin.html
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/...ut_pectin.html

Trying to remake a stiff jam or jelly for long-term storage is not
expected to result in a quality product and is not recommended.

Suggested Uses for Stiff Jams or Jellies:

If a stiff jam or jelly was processed as recommended in a boiling water
canner and the lid is vacuum sealed, the jar can be stored at room
temperature like other jam or jelly. (Many homemade jams and jellies
will keep with good quality up to one year. The quality loss may be
quicker in light-colored and/or reduced-sugar products and it may be
desirable to use these within 6-8 months.)

Hard-gelled preserves can be used as meat glazes. Warm the jam or jelly
and spread it onto any type of meat during and after cooking. Discard
any leftover jam or jelly glaze that came into contact with any meat
that has not been fully cooked or utensils that came into contact with
meat that has not been fully cooked.

Stiff jams or jellies can also be warmed for use as pancake or ice cream
syrups.

Stiff jams or jellies can be thinned with water or fruit juice. They may
or may not form a gel again once they are re-heated, as over-cooking of
pectin can reduce or destroy its ability to form the gel structure. You
will need to experiment with how much liquid is needed to thin your jam
or jelly. It is best to work with only 2 to 3 half-pint jars at most at
one time. Try four tablespoons (1Ž4 cup) of liquid for each 8-ounce jar.
Over very low heat, melt the stiff jam or jelly in the added liquid,
stirring constantly to prevent scorching. When it is all in solution,
raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a full boil,
continuing to stir constantly. Remove from heat and quickly skim foam
off jelly if necessary. Fill clean, dry containers for refrigerator
storage. It is not recommended to re-process the remade jam or jelly in
a canner and store it at room temperature. Jellies and jams thinned in
this manner may or may not actually gel, but are likely to provide a
mixture that that may spread more easily than the stiff product. "

My fifty cents worth: Instead of melting the jelly on a stovetop, do it
in a microwaveable glass container. (I have a 2-quart Pyrex mixing
pitcher that would be perfect.) On the stovetop, the stuff will scorch
easily or stick easily; that won't happen in the microwave. Use high
power to start with for a couple-three minutes to get it going a bit,
then reduce the power to about half -- stir it a bit to see if it's
softening up. Then I'd put it into a pan on stovetop as they recommend,
add the water, and proceed as above. Again, just my fifty cents worth.

(The microwave thing is what I did to a couple jars of jelly when I was
making a berry-chipotle concoction a few days ago. I was adding the
jellies to the mix. The jelly got to a state of lumpy liquid when I
added it to my other kettle. I'd used a wire whisk to break up the big
chunks -- that's what I was doing my stirring with.)

Now here's another thought, Diane: Is your stuff spreadable? If what
you made is spreadable -- or can be made spreadable by stirring it a bit
with a spoon -- that's within the range of normal and I wouldn't mess
with trying to "fix" anything. It might be just considerably stiffer
than your usual outcome with it. Jelly (according to my state's State
Fair judges) should be firm and should hold its shape when cut. You
should be able to cut it with a knife. If you turn a jar of your
"good" stuff upside down, lid off, will it come out of the jar or will
it stay there?

-Barb


In article Xumbd.19151$qU.8113@clgrps13, "Diane"
wrote:

Hi Melba,

Yes you're right, it's like Jell-O gone Rambo, I guess I could cut it
in cubes and tell my friends it's a new flavour of gummy bears....

suppose I'll try adding a little liquid and see what happens, if you
hear an explosion it may not be Mt St. Helens.

Interestingly enough I did red pepper jelly right after the green and
it turned out beautifully. Here's the recipe.



Pepper Jelly

1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
6 1/2 cups white sugar
3 ounces liquid pectin
In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine green pepper, white
vinegar, simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain mixture into jelly bag.
Discard pulp and return liquid to pot, add sugar bring to a boil, and
cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in liquid pectin, and continue to boil for 3 more minutes,
stirring constantly. Skim off foam with a metal spoon, and remove pan
from heat Ladle jelly into sterilized jars, leaving a 1/2 inch space
at the top. Seal, and process in a boiling-water canner for 5
minutes.


Thanks again
Lynne


"Melba's Jammin'" wrote in message
...
In article _kTad.14330$Ia5.7321@edtnps89, "LynneBo"
wrote:

Any hope of fixing this? I just did a couple batches of green pepper
jelly but it set up like glue. Can this be saved? I've always had
more problem with getting the jelly to set...now...wow what a
set..it's like taffy. Would adding some liquid and reprocessing
help....?? Advice..???
--
-Barb, www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 10-09-04; Sam I Am!.
"Peace will come when the power of love overcomes the love of power."
-Jimi Hendrix, and Lt. Joe Corcoran, Retired; St. Paul PD, Homicide Divn.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

OK, so you can cut it into squares -- I was reading it to be gummy and
gooey. Maybe you could cut little bricks and make jelly houses. No?
OK. How about this: Mash it up with a fork and use the bits to
garnish a chicken or pork dish.

Or sell it to those guys on CSI who shoot bullets into it. Just a
thought...

Pastorio

Or sell it to those guys on CSI who shoot bullets into it. Just a
thought...

Pastorio

Large chuckle!

Craig