One thing I love about Pomona is that I can make it as sweet as I want (I don't like sweet jams).

Here's my basic, "not very exact in measurements" recipe for strawberry jam:

4 cups fruit (I like pretty big chunks, but I mash about half to get some juices going)
about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (plus I add a bit of lemon zest to taste)
anywhere from 1 to 2 cups of sugar (depends on the berries-taste as you go)
2 teaspoons Pomona Pectin
2 teaspoons calcium water

Hope that helps. Do you have the directions for when to add the pectin, etc.?

Hi There--

Well I have other jam recipes but I'm new at this. Could I just use this recipe but with Pomona's? http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=265 It calls for 6 tablespoons pectin, a whole lot more than you're using. If I use your recipe, how long do I cook it? How much headspace? When do I add the pectin? I think maybe a recipe might be good for my first attempt. Thanks so much for your help.

Marilyn

If you go to Pomona's website they give the conversion rates if I recall correctly, or at least a basic ratio. They also provide specific recipes for their pectin.

But no you can't just even steven switch one type of pectin for another. That is a basic "law of pectins". :)

As Malna said it is a ratio formula not a straight conversion.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Pomona

Pomona will jell water, so you have a lot of latitude with proportions. Basically you could use any level of sugar and lemon juice you wish, though I'm not quite clear on why you would want to use Pomona with a full-sugar recipe.

I've attached a link to a blog where the poster made a "close-to-regular" strawberry jam with Pomona, so you could follow those instructions but use your desired proportion of fruit, sugar and lemon juice.

The headspace and processing time will remain the same as for any standard preserve.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Make Strawberry Jam with Pomona Pectin

First, Pomona is a "different" kind of pectin than Ball. It relies on calcium for the jelling process (that's what the other, smaller packet in the box is).

So, step by step:

I sterilize my jars by boiling them in the BWB while I'm making the jam.

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of the calcium powder in 1/2 cup water. Put it in a small jar and shake it until it dissolves. You'll use 2 teaspoons of the calcium water in your recipe, so store the rest in the refrigerator for the next batch. It lasts quite a while (label it though, so nobody throws it out - ask me how I know).

In a bowl, add the sugar and thoroughly whisk in the pectin powder so it's dispersed throughout the sugar . The pectin requires a low-sugar environment to dissolve, so you can use up to half the amount of sugar to total fruit (if you have four cups of fruit, use no more than 2 cups of sugar to dissolve the pectin - you can add more sugar later if you want it sweeter). I usually start with 1-1/2 cups of sugar and whisk in the pectin powder.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the fruit, the lemon juice (and zest if you choose to use it) and the calcium water. Bring to a boil, then add the sugar/pectin mixture. When the sugar/pectin is totally dissolved and the jam is clear, taste it (careful-it's hot) and, if necessary, at that point you can add more sugar to taste.

I don't boil it for more than 2-3 minutes (usually) - if I have to add more sugar, I bring it back to the boil for another minute or so just until the additional sugar is dissolved. Don't cook it for more than 10 minutes, as Pomona tends to break down after cooking it longer than that.

Ladle the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving the 1/4" headspace, and BWB for 5 minutes (if your jars are sterilized, you can cut the time down to five minutes rather than the usual 10, which helps keep the total cooking process under 10 minutes - I try to do that if possible).

Hope that helps.