Jam problem

[Annpan]

I made some jam that I thought had reached setting point but it is now in the jars and I have clearly misread my sugar thermopmeter as it has definaetly not reached setting point. It is very runny, should I decant the jam to reheat it? if I do can I pour it straight back into the jars or do they need sterilised again? Or can I zap the jars in the microwave to reach setting point and then just replace the lids?

Help. This has never happened to me before, I usually get at least a thick liquid but this (damson jam, first batch) is more like syrup.

[red]

when this happens to me, I pour it back into the pan, wash and re steralyse the jars and go for setting point again. you will find you have less jam second time around.. partly due to wastage, partly cos you have boiled off more water.

sometimes its just because the pectin levels are all wrong and no amount of reboiling works.. and other times another blast of heat sorts it.

and strangley, once, the jam only set after it had sat about for a few days.. but I never understood the science behind that!!

you could always find a different use for it... like.. pouring on icecream....

[Annpan]

Its about 9lbs, I don't think I could eat enough ice cream in a lifetime

Its a bummer because in my wisdom I have also labeled all the jars before stacking them and when I lifted the first one up to stck it in the cupboard it all sloshed about... bugger. I will do what you suggest, I wasn't sure if I'd get away with just reheating the jars in the oven, so saving the labels and save running the dishwasher. But it is probably best not to mess about when you want it to keep for a good amount of time... huh.

Thanks

[red]

9 lbs! bum

well why not try one in the micro then? you never know....

[Cheezy]

Don't , and I mean don't try putting the jars in the microwave, like wot I did recently.

I use old jam jars with necks and the build up of heat/steam from below shot the contents (through the clingfilm cover) and all over the micro.

If you decanted them into a large vessel leaving lots of room and use clingfilm then in theory this will be the most ecomonical and quickest way.

You need to get to 105'C. I went to 103'C boiling on the stove...it took 20 mins to get from100 to 103, so I got sick and thought it would be close enough....but no you need to get to 105'C!!.

Following day utterly p*ssed off thought I know the micro will do this in a matter of minutes, which it would have done had the contents not ejected themselves...in a surprisingly slow but relentless way.

[Annpan]

To late Cheezy... I did stick a jar in the microwave (though it was a small baby food jar that I use to give jam to friends) and it boiled and overflowed all over the microwave.

Nevermind, I have now boiled it on the hob again and, like you say, it took 20min to get it from 102 to 104 and then another 20 to get it up to 105,I used a smaller pot than usual, my big jam pot is waiting to get cleaned since I made the jam the first time. The larger the surface are the quicker you get the jam to the higher heat... I'd have been quicker if I had just washed out the big pot.

Waiting for it to cool down again before I put it back in the jars, relable it and put it away.

[red]

hope it works this time