quince jelly... why does this keep happening?

[red]

I made some quince jelly - but it didn't set properly
the odd hting was the small amount i put in a ramkin (too small to go into a jar) did set,
the rest went nearly set.. sort of gloopy


so... poured it all back into pan, heated again, jarred again. and again.. the stuff in the ramkin has set.. not the stuff in the jars.

am I missing something here?

[pskipper]

Sounds like you are low in pectin which I wouldn't have expected in quinces. You can definitely get pectin enriched sugar, I don't know if a cook shop would do just plain pectin?

[Millymollymandy]

How long did you leave it in the jam jars for before you put it back in the pan?

I ask this cos when I made bramble jelly I really thought it hadn't set - every time I tilted the jars even when it was cold the jelly moved with the tilt, so I thought it was still runny. However it actually was set just right, not solid and rubbery (like last year's! ).

From my limited knowledge and experience I believe that that the sugar to fruit (or strained fruit juice) ratio can affect the set as well as the amount of pectin.

[red]

actually - a couple of weeks... last time - cos I did nto get around to re-doing it. been jarred second time around for a day.

pectin.. seems harder to get these days. i even went to the big supermarkets and they say 'pectng what that?' but to be honest. supermarkets are not really catering for people who actually cook - check out the bakery section.. its full of cake mixes.. and there is far more shelf space given to ready made Christmas puds than the ingredients to make them.. mutter mutter

[red]

just been onto silver spoon website (did you know they own billingtons? I didn't) and the website tells me that I can get pectin at all the supermarkets I have been to who dont have it.. sigh

maybe its the wrong time of year to be preserving?

emailed them anyway...

[pskipper]

I've had a look around for you...

http://www.simplysupplements.net/grapef ... p-190.html

http://www.worldwideshoppingmall.co.uk/ ... powder.asp

How bizarre that you can now get it as a health food supplement but not as a preserving product!