Jam and Jelly problems?

Late spring is jam and jelly season at AnswerLine. We get lots of calls this time of year from folks wondering what went wrong. I’ve listed some of the more common problems and their causes for jam and jelly.

Sugar crystals in my jelly:

  • You may have used more sugar than the recipe listed.
  • There might have been undissolved grains of sugar on the sides of the pan that washed into the jelly while ladling into the jars.
  • Overcooking the jam or jelly by cooking too long.
  • Doubling or tripling the batch.
  • Crystals could be tartrate crystals—these are found in grape juice that has not been allowed to settle and strained.

Bubbles in my jelly:

  • Trapped air in the jelly—remember to skim foam before filling jars.
  • Fill jars quickly to prevent partial gelling before jars are filled.
  • Bubbles may be an indication of spoiling. If the bubbles are moving discard.

Jam or Jelly did not set:

  • You may have overcooked the fruit while extracting the juice or used too much water in this part of the process.
  • You may not have measured the ingredients accurately—or doubled the recipe.
  • You may not have cooked the jam or jelly quite long enough.
  • You may have moved the jam or jelly before it had a chance to set up in the jars.
  • Or, the jam or jelly may need several weeks to set up properly.

Jam or Jelly seems to be weeping:

  • There may be extra acid in the juice that made the pectin unstable.
  • You may be storing the jam or jelly in a place that is too warm.

My Jam or Jelly seems to be darker than I expected:

  • You may have boiled the jam or jelly too long or cooked it too slowly.
  • The jam or jelly may have been stored in a place that is too hot

My Jelly is cloudy:

  • You may have used fruit that is under ripe.
  • You may have squeezed the juice bag while straining the juice from the fruit. Just let the juice drip out next time.
  • You may have waited too long to place the jam or jelly in the jar. Ladle it into jars before it begins to set up.

My Jam or Jelly is too stiff:

  • You may have overcooked the jam or jelly.
  • The fruit you used may have too much pectin in it—remember to use ripe fruit.

Remember to call us for directions to remake jams or jellies that do not gel properly. We love to be able help.

Liz Meimann

I received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science at Iowa State University. I love to quilt, sew, cook, and bake. I spent many years gardening, canning, and preserving food for my family when my children were at home.

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262 thoughts on “Jam and Jelly problems?

  1. I made wild grape and crabapple jelly. Recipe said equal parts of both fruit. It took longer than expected to gel and when I checked a finish jar a day or so later the jelly had great flavour but was very thick and has a fuzzy like texture. Did I overcook it or did my crabapples have too much pectin? Not sure where I went wrong

  2. Hi! My jelly is set but moves slowly around in jar if turn it upside down or on side. Is it safe to eat.

    Also- is jelly that is runny, safe to eat?
    Thanks!

  3. Hi Annette, in both cases, the gel is a bit soft but poses no food safety risk as long as it was made with a tested recipe and processed correctly. Once opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator where it will maintain high quality if used within one month. For safety, do not remake soft jams or jellies that were improperly processed or show signs of spoilage.

  4. Hi By mistake I added the sugar before boiling the fruit when making my medlar jelly. Will it still set? Thank you

  5. Hi Maragret, Thank you for reaching out to AnswerLine. The fruit should be thoroughly cooked to extract the pectin and the juice drained from the cooked fruit prior to adding sugar. When the fruit juice is boiled with sugar and acid, setting will occur. If the sugar is added before the fruit is properly cooked, the jelly will likely not set.

  6. Hi! New canner here!

    A group of us made plum jam a couple months ago. I went to open a jar and the rim wasn’t wiped and there is some sticky jam on the outside. The jars processed and sealed correctly. Are these safe to eat? Can I just clean the outside of the jars?

    Thank you!

  7. Hi Carla, Thank you for reaching out to AnswerLine. Wiping of jar rims is two-fold–basic cleanliness and to ensure a good seal. However, sometimes in processing, fruit does migrate to the top of the jar and may come between the rim and the flat lid. Whether the residue was caused by not wiping the rim or migration, as long as the jars have a good seal and you do not see any mold on the rim, inside neck of the jar, or on top of the jam or there is no unusual smell, the jam should be safe to eat. The outside of jars should be cleaned 12-24 hours after processing and before storage.

  8. I canned some mixed fruit jelly yesterday, used pectin and a hot water bath. I noticed today that each jar has air pockets in the bottom. Not sure what I did wrong, and will this be safe to store and eat?

  9. Hi Krista, I suspect that the air pockets you see at the bottom of your jars are air pockets. Prior to placing the flat lid on your jar and water bathing, you should remove the air bubbles. It is called de-bubbling. Watch this video to learn more and how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHnym4Uuge4 As long as the bubbles do not move, the jelly should be safe if a tested recipe was used and it was processed for the time appropriate for you elevation.

  10. I made 3 batches of Meyer lemon marmalade using a recipe we have used before. All were water bath processed and handled the same way. The third batch, done on a different day than the first two, was tested for gel, filled, 10 min water bath, same as the others, and came out of the canner looking fine. However, as they cooled, they didn’t thicken. I’ve had pepper jelly set overnight or the next day, so we left them sitting and checked the next day. They have all set up, but each jar has a small amount of liquid on top. It does not appear any water got it — they all sealed and are at the same level as when they were put into the bath. I’m guessing this was caused by the slow setting — a little separation or condensation. I feel certain they are safe, but not great for gifting. Was thinking or reheating them in boiling water just to soften them and see if I can shake the liquid back in without breaking the seal. Any thoughts?

  11. Hi Beth, thank you for reaching out to AnswerLine. I believe what you are describing in batch 3 is called syneresis or weeping. It results when excess acid in the juice makes the pectin unstable or slow to set–essential an inbalance of acid and pectin. Why it would happen with the 3rd batch is ????? when all were handled the same way. There is no way to prevent or solve it. When you open the jars, you may or may not be able to stir the liquid back into the jelly. Don’t go the route of reheating for several reasons.

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