ETA: They're (very close to) cool, and it's set! It doesn't move any more if I tip the jar!

I did it!

Congrats...Is that your first attempt to make jam?

Thanks! My very first :) I've done apple butter for a few years running, and various kinds of pickling, but never anything like jam or jelly.

I think maybe Strawberry-Balsamic Jam for the other 2.5lbs of strawberries that I have left. It was a very prolific pick-your-own day on Saturday!

Just keep in mind it can take up to six weeks for jam to set, so try not to get too impatient.

A boiling water bath CAN break the set, though it's unlikely. The heat is distributed differently through the water than it is when the jam is boiling in an open pan on the burner. Generally if a set breaks it's with a no-commercial-pectin jelly, which can be quite delicate. I don't think you need to worry.

Commercial pectin isn't foolproof, but it definitely improves the odds.

Carol

The main reasons they don't recommend a long boil after pectin is added is it can both scorch and also 'break' the set if its boiled too long. a BWB is under more controlled enviroment where water boils at 212, but the jelly could have reached a higher temp while boiling in the pot before its jarred. The way I test, is to use a small dish with a spoon full of the jelly and place in the freezer while the rest is just slightly simmering. It only takes a minute or two to see a set or a liquid in the refrigerated sample.

I read another tip on a thread here where the poster recommended dropping a small amount into a glass of isopropl alcohol, and seeing whether or not it gelled. I tried it with this batch (in combination with a candy thermometer and a kitchen timer) and at least one of them seems to have worked :) The freezer test sounds like a good one to have in my arsenal as well!

Thanks for the explanation, readinglady. The strawberry-balsamic will probably happen tomorrow, and with any luck I won't have to do this batch twice!

The alcohol test is an old tried-and-true every jam-making farmer's wife knew. But normally it's used to determine the pectin level of fruit or juice before cooking. It helps determine if additional pecin is needed. There is also an acid test.

During cooking I do something similar to the freezer test to check for gel formation. I keep a stack of three or four saucers in the freezer. When it looks like the preserve is nearing or at the gel point I pull the preserves off the burner (You can do this as many times as necessary.) to avoid the risk of over-cooking. Then I put a dab of the preserve on the chilled plate and put it in the fridge (not freezer) for 3 minutes. This gets the preserve to the approximate temperature it will be at when it's in the jar and cooled.

I then pull it out and run my finger through the center. If the preserve flows back together, it's not ready. If it flows together slowly it's a soft set. If it basically remains a clean trough, it's firm.

Another option helpful for a beginner is to take the whole pan and refrigerate. The next morning you'll be able to see exactly where the batch is. The nice thing about a traditional preserve is that interrupting the cooking like this does no harm.

Carol

The gel tests are for making jams and jellies without commercial pectin added.
It does take up to a month sometimes for them to gel.
Also, the BWB is needed to destroy molds and prevent fermentation in jams and jellies.

That's right. I should have clarified I was speaking of traditional preserves. I'm used to working without commercial pectin and tend to forget.

Carol