Habanero Gold has had lots of tinkering done to it. You might search for Big Batch because I believe some one did test out doing larger batches. Unless you are already using the big batch recipe.

Hopefully some one can pop in here who has some actual experience making it since I've only read about it and dreamed of the day when my Habanero plants can provide enough fruit to use for anything.

I've tried doubling the batch. It never jelled properly though the taste was good, just sloppy soup. I have had some single batches get like gummy bears but a little hot water at serving time loosened them up. It is tricky to make it come out the same every time and I have not found anything I do differently to cause them to do so.

I grew Hab's last year and froze the extra's and all chopped ready to go. There were a LOT of extra's. I also grew green to red peppers and found that if you see just a hint of red color you can put the green ones in a paper bag and they will color up in a few days. I think the colored peppers are much tastier than the green, and a lot prettier in the jar. Those are also chopped and in the freezer.

Nancy

Nope, doesn't work well or reliable. Even the boxes state NOT to double recipes. The ONLY pectin that can be doubled, tripled and more is the Pomona. I use Pomona as there is no need for sugar. Pomona pectin (powder) can be made into a liquid by adding juice or water and putting it in a blender to dissolve. It looks almost like liquid Certo once its blended. I remove it from the blender into a bowl where its easier to pour into the boiling liquid. After a minute of stirring and boiling, I add the required calcium water and it sets up very nicely. I see it even gelling on the ladle so I know its going to be good. Last summer I made a 20 jar big batch of apricot preserves with no sugar added, and used Splenda and Pomona pectin. I aso added extra acid so it would be nice and tart like California apricots are. Ascorbic acid was also added to prevent it from browning in the jars.

Meh...I knew you were going to say that Ken. Pooey! I'm already making the big batches of the Hab Gold, but it would be nice if I could make a DOUBLE big batch of Hab Gold. I want to make 12 half pints at one time versus 6 in two separate pots. I'm using Certo.

Greedy, aren't I? :-)

Greedy Pooey?? Pomona is less than half the cost when you consider a single box price as the same size as Sure Jel, which only does 6 cups. Pomona can make up to 30 eight ounce jars in a single batch.

30 jars??? Hmmmm...now you've got my attention. Splain this to me a little more! I've heard of Pomona, but never tried it as the stores around me only carry SureJel or Certo.

Is it a liquid? Powder? Where would I order it & how is it typically used with traditional canning recipes?

The Pomona pectin has been discussed in great detail in many recent threads. Its citrus based and uses calcium to set the gel. Hence, no need for sugar. Its a powder, and can be poured into a boiling liquid, buy I find that its a bit scary as it can clump up a bit at first. Instead, I mix it in a blender with juice or water to make a syrup almost the same consistancy of liquid Certo. The Pomona has no self life issues, and each box comes with a tiny packet of calcium powder that is simply mixed with a little water. The calcium powder is more than enough for the packet of pectin. Because I am diabetic, I use Splenda. The use of Splenda tends to make a lighter texture like a thick Jello, but I usually also add a little honey to help bring back a bit of 'stickiness' to the jellies. I also use an acid blend I get from a wine making supply store. Its added to help boost lower acid fruit juices and gives a far better acid balance compared to just citric, or lemon juice. Pomona is available on line, as well as some organic grocery stores. Its made in Massachusetts, and can also be bought directly from the maker. Last year, FrankFerd Farms had it on sale in mid summer for only $2.69 a box. I bought a bunch and still have some left. I like making big batches of jellies and jams, and never had much luck with regular pectins. One time, after adding 3 boxes of regular pectin to a 12 cup batch, it ended up still being watery, so I added two more boxes of regular pectin, and it finally set. Not very cost effective. You can imagine shutting off the stove, running to the market to buy more pectin, then reheating and cooking it in.

You can also do a web search for the source, by typing in 'Pomona pectin', as well as doing a search here on the Harvest forum for that same key word.

Here is a link that might be useful: $3.75 a box from Urban Homemaker

Ken, do you find Pomona usually makes for cloudy jelly? That's been my experience but I've used it for less than 10 batches.

Gardengrl, you might want to try a smaller-than-30-jar batch the first time, to see how you like the Pomona.

Melissa

Yes, its not as clear as a regular pectin, but does allow for any wide ranges of changes to sugar, batch size etc. Totally clear is for regular pectin if its being entered into a county fair where color and clarity are very necessary. I don't mind cloudy as most of mine are dark berries, or have small bits of stuff like apple, etc. Use care with Pomona and citrus based jams and jellies. Pomona will react faster because its seeing natural calcium in the juices and peels. I agree 30 cups is about the maximum limit. You get a soft jelly, but at least its not syrup.

The reason I mentioned it is that part of the appeal of Habanero Gold is that it looks like jewels, and I think it would look a little less pretty if it were cloudy. So it depends whether it's just for eating, or whether it's for setting out on top of cream cheese at a party. Trade-offs, as you say - bigger batch vs. clearer jelly.

Melissa