bibliomane Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I managed to kill all of my strawberries this year, but my 2yr grapes (growing up the lattice by the entryway) put out enough for 2 pints of jelly. (We've been here about 4 years now and I'v pretty much determined that this house has bad dirt.) natural pectin test: mix 1T rubbing alcohol and 1T pressed jelly juice; stir a bit and give it a minute. If it jels (seperates out into a congealed lump,) you don't need added pectin. Toss the testing results as it is not fit to eat. Grape Jelly Grapes Sugar Wash grapes but do not dry. Cook for 10 minutes and press juice. Cool and strain. Add 3/4 c sugar per 1 c juice and boil until it sheets off a cold spoon. Can in half pint jars and process 5-10m. It is a bit on the stiff side, time got away from me while I was waiting on it to jel, but otherwise very good. cheryl Quote Link to comment
Virginia Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I have never heard of this test, but it is good to know. Welcome, I once lived in Mississippi. Quote Link to comment
Violet Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Yes,that is one of the tests that can be used. Testing Pectin in the Juice For jellies made without pectin, it is important to know whether there is enough natural pectin to form a gel. There are three ways of determining this. Cooking Test: Measure ⅓ cup of juice and ¼ cup of sugar into a small saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil rapidly until it gives the sheeting test. Pour the jelly into a clean, hot jelly glass or a small bowl and let it cool. If the cooled mixture is jelly-like, your fruit juice will gel. Alcohol Test: Add 1 teaspoon of juice to 1 table-spoon of rubbing alcohol. To mix, gently stir or shake the mixture in a closed container so that all the juice comes in contact with the alcohol. DO NOT TASTE— the mixture is poisonous. Fruit high in pectin will form a solid jelly-like mass that can be picked up with a fork. If the juice clumps into several small particles, there is not enough pectin for jelly. Jelmeter Test: The jelmeter is a graduated glass tube that measures the rate at which fruit juices flow through the tube. It gives a rough estimate of the amount of pectin present in the juice and how much sugar should be used. Quote Link to comment
dogmom4 Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Bump! Have grapes in the freezer that need to be dealt with... Quote Link to comment
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