Developing or Converting Recipes for Cooked Jam or Jelly Using Pomona’s Pectin

When developing your own recipes, or converting a recipe written for a different pectin, use the ingredient amounts listed below. Ingredient amounts are different for different fruits as well as different for jam and jelly.

When converting a recipe written for another pectin, you can't automatically convert a pouch or bottle of liquid pectin, or a box or Tablespoons of powdered pectin, into an amount of Pomona's Pectin.

The way to figure the amount of Pomona's to use is based on the amount and type of mashed fruit or juice. So you need to figure out from the recipe you want to convert, how much mashed fruit or juice you will be working with and then use the amounts of pectin, calcium water, and acid listed below.

When developing or converting recipes, we recommend that you read and understand the directions and recipes that come with Pomona’s Pectin first. Pomona’s is different from other pectins because it is not pre-mixed with dextrose. This means that you cannot add Pomona's pectin powder directly to the fruit or it will clump. If you plan to develop or convert recipes, it is important to follow the appropriate directions for adding the pectin to the fruit.

The second thing to understand in working with Pomona’s is that it must be dissolved in a low-sugar environment because it cannot fully dissolve in a high-sugar environment. The sugar and honey ranges in our recipes give you a low-sugar environment. Always stir the pectin into an amount of dry sweetener that is no more than ½ the amount of mashed fruit or juice. Always stir the pectin into an amount of liquid sweetener that is no more than ¼ the amount of mashed fruit or juice. Add any remaining sweetener after the pectin is dissolved.

Thirdly, Pomona’s Pectin must be dispersed into enough sweetener to prevent the pectin grains from clumping together when added to the hot fruit mixture. The table below gives you the minimum amount of sweetener required for adequate disbursement of the pectin.

1 teaspoon (or less) pectin = 2 Tablespoons sugar or honey
2 teaspoons pectin = ¼ cup sugar or honey
3 teaspoons pectin = 3/8 cup sugar or honey
4 teaspoons pectin = ½ cup sugar or honey
5 teaspoons pectin = 5/8 cup sugar or honey
6 teaspoons pectin = ¾ cup sugar or honey
7 or 8 teaspoons pectin = 1 cup sugar or honey

Finally, for safe water bath canning, make sure to add lemon or lime juice when required as Pomona's Pectin does not have any acid added to it.

If you want to add some dried spice to your jam or jelly, you can add up to 1 teaspoon per 4 cups of mashed fruit or juice.

If you want to add some alcohol to your jam or jelly, our general guideline is to add ¼ cup alcohol per 4 cups mashed fruit or juice AND to reduce the amount of mashed fruit or juice by ¼ cup.

For example, if you are making Peach Jam with 4 cups of mashed peach and you want to add some alcohol, that translates to ¼ cup alcohol and 3¾ cups mashed peach. This amount of alcohol should give you the flavor without affecting the consistency or the canning safety of the recipe.

With this knowledge and understanding, and using the ingredient amounts listed below for different types of fruit, feel free to get creative. And, we're always interested to hear about your results. Good luck and happy jamming!

JAM: Strawberry, Kiwi, Currant, Raspberry, Gooseberry, Sour Blackberry, Sour Cherry, Sour Plum, Pineapple
Pomona’s Pectin: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Calcium Water: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Lemon Juice Not Required: if desired for flavor, use up to 1 Tablespoon per cup of mashed fruit.

JAM: Blueberry, Sweet Blackberry, Mulberry, Elderberry, Ripe Quince, Apple
Pomona’s Pectin: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Calcium Water: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Lemon or Lime Juice Required: 1 Tablespoon per cup of mashed fruit.

JAM: Sweet Cherry, Sweet Plum, Peach, Apricot, Pear, Fig, Mango, Sweet Guava
Pomona’s Pectin: ¾ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Calcium Water: 1 teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
Lemon or Lime Juice Required: 1 Tablespoon per cup of mashed fruit.

JELLY: Tart Apple, Crab Apple, Sour Blackberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Sour Cherry, Currant, Concord Grape, Sour Plum, Sour Guava
Pomona’s Pectin: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Calcium Water: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of juice.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of juice.
Lemon Juice Not Required: if desired for flavor, use up to 1 Tablespoon per cup of juice.

JELLY: Sweet Apple , Ripe Quince, Sweet Blackberry, Elderberry, Sweet Grape, Sweet Plum, Peach, Sweet Guava
Pomona’s Pectin: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Calcium Water: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of juice.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of juice.
Lemon or Lime Juice Required: 1 Tablespoon per cup of juice.

JELLY: Pomegranate
Pomona’s Pectin: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Calcium Water: 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.
Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of juice.
Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of juice.
Lemon Juice Not Required: if desired for flavor, use 1 teaspoon per cup of juice.

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144 Responses

  1. Stephanie
    | Reply

    Hi, do you have a recipe for sweet and sour sauce? I’m looking to replace store bought with a safe canning alternative. Is it safe to add Pomona’s to a recipe like this one? There is no fruit so how would I know how much pectin to add?https://www.bernardin.ca/recipes/en/thai-hot-and-sweet-dipping-sauce.htm?Lang=EN-US

    • Sara Wolters
      | Reply

      Hi Stephanie, thanks for your question. We do not have a sweet and sour sauce recipe, but it sounds intriguing. The recipe you linked looks like it doesn’t need pectin in order to make it, but feel free to experiment with the pectin in order to add viscosity if you’d like. You would mix the pectin with the dry sugar before adding to the hot liquid other ingredients. Happy experimenting!

  2. C. Brooks
    | Reply

    My Mom and I will be taking full advantage of the otherwise dreary experience of living in the Midwest and will be making SO MUCH jam this coming week. Many of our fruits are at the height of ripeness, but I was also wanting to do a batch with bagged, frozen fruit. I guess my question is two-fold: First, can you give me a basic guideline about how to use frozen fruit for jam and also, when using very juicy fruits (canning peaches, height of the season), do I need additional juice? In fact, do I need additional (canned) juice for these recipes in general? I’d like to not have to use anything but my local honey, and am hoping to be able to get away with just dissolving the pectin in that without the addition of any canned juices.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes, you can certainly use frozen fruit. The fruit will just need to be thawed before mashed and measured. It should resemble fresh fruit as much as possible. If there seems to be too much liquid, you can pour a bit off, but most of the time it is best to just thaw, mash and measure.
      You should not need any additional juice.

      Happy jamming!

  3. Paul
    | Reply

    LOQUAT JAM – Just used the product for the first time, looking forward to more batches / less sugar! I’m an experienced canner but first time with Pomona’s, so followed the recipe exactly. I used the peach/nectarine/apricot etc recipe. The result was quite stiff. I then read somewhere that loquats have natural pectin so perhaps should adjust ratios? Comments welcome.

  4. Lucinda Coombs
    | Reply

    Bernardin’s Pectin has a recipe for garlic scape jelly–how can I convert that to use Pomona?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We have a wonderful Garlic Jelly HERE on our website. Happy jamming!

  5. […] If you'd like to use less sugar, here is a conversion guide from Pomona's Pectin. […]

  6. Amy
    | Reply

    Hello! I want to make this rose petal jam. I know you have one for jelly, but I would like to make jam instead. I was not sure if this was safe, so I wanted to check. I was also not sure of how to convert this recipe for Pomona pectin and if you even recommend doing this for safety. If you do recommend, then help me know what to do as far as sugar and the right amounts of calcium water and pectin, if possible.
    https://joybileefarm.com/easy-rose-jam/

    Thanks so much!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Amy, we do not have a developed recipe for Rose Petal Jam yet. Our Rose Petal Jelly would be your best bet in terms of safety.

      If you wanted to freeze your jam for storage, you could use Pomona’s Pectin and make a Rose Petal Jam this would be our best guess:
      4 cups rose petals, cleaned
      2 cups cold water
      Juice of 2 lemons or 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
      3 teaspoons calcium water
      1-2 cups sugar
      3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin

      Instructions
      Before you begin, prepare calcium water.
      To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.
      Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

      Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.

      Measure 4 cups of rose petals and water into a sauce pan.

      Add calcium water and lemon juice, and mix well.

      Measure sugar into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sugar. Set aside.

      Bring mixture in sauce pan to a full boil.

      Gradually add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

      Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Allow jars to come to room temperature before labeling and placing in freezer.

      Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

  7. Kristen Swartz
    | Reply

    I have a recipe for carrot cake Jan that I would like to covert over. Any conversion tips? Here is the recipe:
    2 cups finely shredded carrots
    1 cup finely chopped, peeled pear
    1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple (juice pack), undrained
    2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1.75-ounce package regular
    fruit pectin 4 cups granulated sugar
    2 cups packed brown sugar
    ½ cup flaked coconut or raisins
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Our friends over at Little House Big Alaska has a wonderful Carrot Cake Jam recipe using our pectin that our customers have LOVED!

      You can find it HERE on their website. We would love to hear what you think, if you decide to give it a go! If you like a softer set, feel free to use only 3 teaspoons of Pomona’s Pectin.

      Happy jamming!

  8. Brooke
    | Reply

    Hi, I am a relative jam novice but yours is the only pectin I’ve ever used (and I’m still trying to figure it out). Thankfully, I just ordered your recipe book to help me!

    This year I tried making white grape jam (skin on, small late harvest, super sweet, homegrown) and used your pectin. My jam is not setting/thickening, so I put it in the fridge for the night. Any recommendations for how to add additional pectin to thicken (I won’t be able to add it to dry sugar now that the fruit has been cooked)? Or do I need to discard all of my hard work. 🙁

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Brooke,

      You should be able to fix up your jam using Fix B from our troubleshooting page, HERE.

  9. Pat
    | Reply

    Would you have a recipe for pumpkin jam using Pomona Pectin. I have seen recipes elsewhere using the canned pumpkin and wondered if you could suggest anything?

    Signed Pomona’s #1 Fan

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Thank you so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin, for reaching out to us and for sharing all the Pomona’s love!!

      Pomona’s Pectin’s creator has made pumpkin butter with Pomona’s as follows, though she has not ever canned it…she has only used it right away or frozen it.

      What we understand from all the things we’ve read is that the USDA hasn’t tested it and they are worried about both the thickness of the butter and the acidity, since pumpkins seem to vary so much. We have a feeling there won’t ever be a tested and approved recipe for non-commercial, low sugar canned pumpkin products.

      Pumpkin Butter Ingredients:
      4 cups pureed pumpkin
      4 teaspoons calcium water
      1/2 cup lemon juice
      [ Spices as you wish ]
      1/2 cup up to 1 cup honey or 3/4 cup up to 2 cups sugar
      3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder

      Pumpkin Butter Directions
      Follow directions for Cooked Jam — Low Sugar or Honey from our direction sheet that comes with the pectin. Then use immediately or freeze for up to 1 year.

      Hope this helps, happy jamming!

  10. Gary Bishop
    | Reply

    I’m loving playing with Pomona pectin to make 1-cup batches of jelly using juice. In 15 minutes I can make a cup and clean up. I just put it in the fridge and enjoy eating it. If it isn’t good (all so far have been great) I’m only out 1 cup of juice, a tsp of pectin, and a little sugar. Good fun.

    I really like tart jelly and I think grapefruit would be good. I’d use the “Simply Grapefruit” juice. Maybe 1 C grapefruit juice + 3/4 t calcium water + 1 t pectin + 1/4 C sugar.

    What do you think? Will I need 1 T of lemon juice? I’m thinking the grapefruit juice is already quite acidic.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Wonderful! If you are just making one jar and consuming it within a couple weeks, you do not need the lemon juice…though if you’d like it, 1T would be great.

  11. Sierra Mills
    | Reply

    Hi,
    I am hoping to make a lingonberry jam. Do you have a recipe for that?
    Thank you,
    Sierra

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Sierra,

      Thanks so much for reaching out! We do not know a ton about the lingonberry, but from what we understand it is quite tart/acidic. Our best guess would be to follow the directions for sour cherries on our direction sheet. Happy jamming!

      • Kori
        | Reply

        Hello. I’m using a recipe that calls for Pomona, but my friend doesn’t want to use it. How do we substitute the pomona for say Certo. ? I have used the Pomona before and think it’s better, but I can’t convince her.

        • Shelby Collings
          | Reply

          Hello Kori,
          Thanks for trying to convince your friend to use the good stuff! 😊 We do not know how you should convert our recipes to use Certo. Maybe check out their instructions and they will have a similar developed recipe you can use.

  12. Judy Ellis
    | Reply

    Hello,I have a recipe for ginger blueberry jam I want to try.It calls for 3 c. blueberries, 4 c. sugar, 1 and one half tsp lemon juice 1 pouch of liquid fruit pectin, 2 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger. one half tsp ground ginger 1 Tbsp.pomegranite juice. Could you tell me how to convert to your universal pectin? Thank you

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yum! You can follow our recipe, HERE for blueberry jam and simply add your 2 TBSP minced crystalized ginger.

  13. Elizabeth
    | Reply

    I’d like to make corn cob jelly, but not sure how to convert it for use with Pomona pectin. It calls for 3.5 cups corn cob “tea”, 3.5 cups sugar, 1 box pectin, and 1 TBSP lemon juice. Any chance you could help me out?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Good Morning Elizabeth,

      After doing some research and going through our archives, we have found that this recipe is not safe for water-bath canning, as the pH level of the jelly would be unsafe. So we would suggest to either follow these directions and then freeze your jelly or make a small enough amount that you can refrigerate it and consume within 1-2 weeks.

      Best-Guess, Low Sugar Corn Cob Jelly Recipe:
      4 cups of corn cob liquid
      4 t Calcium water
      1/4 C lemon juice
      ¼ cup up to ½ cup honey or ½ cup up to 1 cup sugar, or up to 2 cups sugar if you like it quite sweet!
      4-5 t pectin

      If you decide to give this a try, we would love to hear how it turns out!

      Happy jamming!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  14. Eleanore
    | Reply

    Hello, I just got hold of some frozen açaí berry juice. Is there a recipe you can recommend using Pomona’s pectin?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Eleanore,

      It looks like you can follow the recipe for Blueberry Jelly, and have some lovely Acai Jelly by substituting the blueberry juice with acai juice.
      Happy jamming!

  15. MaryAnne Jarvin
    | Reply

    I can’t find a recipe for sour cherry jam. Do you have instructions for that?

  16. Warren Hartz
    | Reply

    Can you tell me the minimum amount of lemon juice needed to safely can jam with the usual hot water bath method? I just made blackberry fig jam, with 10 cups figs, 6 cups tart blackberry juice (after straining out the seeds), 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup sucanat, and 1 Tbsp Pomona’s pectin mixed with 1/2 cup honey. Then I read your recipes which call for 1 Tbsp lemon juice per cup fruit, about 3 times more than I used. I’ve made this jam for 3 years now and it’s one of my favorites, but I want to be sure it’s safe.

  17. Jamilah
    | Reply

    Hi 👋🏾

    Trying Pomonas for the first time.

    I want to use it for a stabilizer for watermelon lime mint sorbet and pineapple lemonade sorbet. I don’t want to cook the fruit and honey. Is there a way to make the pectin and blend it into the fruit purée after its set? If not, can u recommend a method?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Jamilah,

      Welcome to the Pomona’s family! We are so happy you’ve found us over here.

      We would recommend using liquid pectin, that way you can mix it into your mixtures. We are guessing you will need about 1 cup of boiling liquid with 4 tsp pectin for every 8 cups of sorbet…though we really aren’t certain. If you sorbet does not have calcium in it, you will want to add 4 tsp of that too, once your liquid pectin sorbet are mixed together.

      You will be making liquid pectin using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender in order to add more pectin. You can make liquid pectin with boiling water, boiling unsweetened fruit juice, or boiling mashed fruit.

      Make liquid pectin by measuring the correct amount of water or unsweetened fruit juice into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Put boiling liquid in cup for immersion blender, or in food processor, or in blender. Add pectin. It is very important to vent the lid (if there is one) to let steam out. Don’t use an enclosed blender that can’t be vented. Blend for 10 seconds, then stop and scrape down the sides so all pectin clumps are in or on the liquid. Blend for a full minute until all powder is totally dissolved.

  18. Shelby Collings
    | Reply

    Hello Carol,

    Our response was too long for this space, so we sent you an email!

  19. Carol Noel
    | Reply

    I was wondering if I could make a zucchini marmalade? I know the zucchini isn’t acid enough on its own, but wondered if I used lemon juice and lemon peel if the acidity would be raised enough?

  20. kathyo
    | Reply

    I made Blubarb jam using the “Preserving with Pomona” page 57 recipe. It is wonderfully flavored but more firm than we like our jams. How would I adjust to make consistency more like a fruit spread or preserves?
    Thank You!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello there,

      We have directions HERE on our website that will help you get the set you prefer.

      Happy jamming!

  21. LinnAnne
    | Reply

    Hi!

    I love using Pomana’s pecton!

    Can I make jelly using ghost peppers and rose wine?

    not rose the flower but a rose wine.

    Thank you!

    LinnAnne

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello LinnAnne,

      That should be just fine! The jelly will need vinegar or lemon juice to make sure the pH level is safe for canning. You can try and adapt this RECIPE and replace the jalapenos with ghost peppers, and maybe replace half the vinegar with rose.

      If you decide to give it a go, we would love to hear how your creation turns out!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  22. Claire
    | Reply

    I would like to make a orange jelly and and add orange fruit to it .is there any way way you can tell me the amounts to use thanks

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Claire,

      You can follow our Orange Jelly, HERE. And just add some orange “meat” to it.

  23. Claire
    | Reply

    I am trying to make orange jam and would like a receipt if there is one can’t deside myself what to use for amounts

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We have an Orange Jam, HERE

      Happy Jamming!

  24. Lorraine Sanders
    | Reply

    Hi! I’m making a tomato-pineapple relish and I want a soft set rather than a jell. I see the pineapple numbers for pectin and calcium water, but what about the tomato? Do I not consider that a fruit, and just base the quantities on the pineapple? I’m using 3 cups of cooked tomato and a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. Thanks!

  25. Jodi Braun
    | Reply

    Hi there,
    What would be the pectin, calcium water, sweetener and acid recommendations for rhubarb? In the spring I’m up to my ears in rhubarb. I’d like to make some jams, jelly and maybe some pie fillings.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Jodi,

      We have two delicious rhubarb recipes for jam and jelly on our website, enjoy!

      Rhubarb Jelly
      Rhubarb Jam

      • Jodi Braun
        | Reply

        Thank you, Shelby!

  26. Kelley Serl
    | Reply

    My husband wants to make banana jam. Do you have a recipe or is that not safe to can?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Kelley,

      We have a delicious Strawberry-Banana Jam, but we do not have a straight Banana Jam due to the acidity of the bananas.

  27. Holly B.
    | Reply

    Hi, I noticed on your fig jam recipe you increased the amount of lemon juice to 1/2 C instead of 1/4 C. I want to make a fig and pear jam, so following these directions I should add 1/4 C? Would adding 1/2 C instead effect the safety?

    Thanks!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Holly,

      Yes, we would recommend using 1/2 cup of lemon juice in your Fig-Pear Jam.

      Happy jamming!

  28. charlene tobin
    | Reply

    For Huckleberry jam would I use the raspberry or blueberry the huckleberries are more tart than a blueberry

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Charlene,

      Thanks so much for reaching out! Yes, you can follow the recipe that includes blueberry, sweet blackberry etc. However, if your huckleberries are tart rather than sweet like blueberries or sweet blackberries, then you won’t need the lemon juice. If the huckleberries are somewhat tart and somewhat sweet, you could do 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice for 4 cups of mashed huckleberries.

      Happy jamming!

  29. Irene
    | Reply

    Thank you for providing so many recipes! For the mango jam here, I’m wondering if it’s OK to puree (like in the lilikoi-mango recipe) or finely chop them instead of mashing. Or would that affect the heat transfer?

    Also, do you have instructions that could be used for loquats? I saw that the NCHFP has a recipe for jelly, but with a lot of sugar, and I was having a hard time finding anything that looked as reliable for jam.

  30. DAVID READ
    | Reply

    Hi! The usual recipe that I use for making jellies has too much sugar and I have just become aware of your no sugar Pomona Pectin so I am going to try using your product. I pick the berries as they come ripe then freeze them until I have time in the winter to make my jellies.
    So I need a recipe to make jellies from the following berries which I grow in my back yard
    1. Elderberries; 2. Black currants; 3. Red Currants; 4. Wild Grape; 5 Haskap; 6. Choke Cherries;
    Hope you can help

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello David,
      Welcome to Pomona’s Pectin, we are so happy you found us!

      1. Elderberries
      JAM: Blueberry, Sweet Blackberry, Mulberry, Elderberry, Ripe Quince, Apple
      Pomona’s Pectin: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
      Calcium Water: ½ teaspoon per cup of mashed fruit.
      Sugar: scant ¼ cup up to ½ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
      Honey: 2 Tablespoons up to ¼ cup per cup of mashed fruit.
      Lemon or Lime Juice Required: 1 Tablespoon per cup of mashed fruit.

      2. Black currants (you’ll follow the, below, “Red Currant Jelly” Recipe and add 1/4 cup lemon juice for 4 cups of mashed fruit)

      3. Red Currants

      4. Wild Grape (if your Wild Grapes are sweet, you’ll need to add 1/4 cup of lemon juice to the recipe to balance out the pH of your jam and make it safe for canning)

      5 Haskap (You’ll follow our recipe for Blueberry Jam, that is on our direction sheet)

      6. Choke Cherries

      Happy jamming!!

      • David Read
        | Reply

        Thanks for the great info, instructions are very clear and the jellies are fantastic, Dave Read, Ottawa, Canada

  31. t
    | Reply

    I love using Pomona’s Pectin because I think most traditional jams and jellies are too sweet. I was wondering if you have any suggestions for making pumpkin preserves with your pectin. Most of the recipes I’ve seen on the internet use no pectin but a ridiculous amount of sugar…

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello there,
      Thanks so much for all the Pomona’s love! Unfortunately we do not have any developed Pumpkin Preserve recipes at this time, though I wish we did! Keep an eye out, we may have one developed soon!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  32. Tansy Brooks
    | Reply

    Hello! I love your pectin, it is great to be able to make jam that tastes more like fruit than sugar.
    I am about to be awash in cactus fruit (prickly pear or something like it), and I would like to try to make it into jam. Do you think I could use the Sam quantities of pectin and calcium and honey as the amounts for guava? Could I get away with less sweetener, and do you know if agave syrup would work?

    Thanks lots for any and all answers!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Tansy,

      Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s, we are So glad you love the product as much as we do! Here is our developed Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly, is that what you are looking for?

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • Tansy Brooks
        | Reply

        Thank you Shelby, this looks perfect! It looks like I should be able to use agave syrup as my sweetener based on your comments too, although I am going to check and make sure it’s not a problem to heat the syrup.
        I was happy to see some other suggestions for making the juice from the fruit, as my method is rather more trouble (but does a good job of keeping all the pulp).

        Thanks again!

  33. Sherry
    | Reply

    Hello, I’m trying to decide if carrot cake jam is safe to use the water-bath method of canning. Along with carrots it has added pineapple and lemon juice. I made some already and loved it, but I have some in jars in my pantry and now since I’ve learned a bit more about low acid foods I’m thinking about dumping them! Maybe better safe than sorry?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Sherry,

      I can’t say for sure that your Carrot Cake Jam is safe for canning, but we do have one that is developed with Pomona’s for water-bath canning. You can find our Sunrise Marmalade recipe here.
      As for your jars in the pantry, it is better to be safe than sorry, but if the color looks good and it does not have an odd smell, you may be okay to give it a try!

      Have a wonderful day!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • Sherry
        | Reply

        Hi Shelby,
        Thanks so much for your response, answering my questions. Also thanks for the recipe, I’ll give it a try!

        Sherry

        • Deb
          | Reply

          Hi, Sherry! What recipe did you use for your carrot cake jam? I made it last year and actually just opened up a new jar this morning. It’s still so delish! I think the pineapple and lemon is enough acid–oh, there’s a pear in the recipe too. I didn’t have Pomona’s Pectin for that recipe. I’d love to make it with Pomona’s Pectin. I’m going to have to figure out the conversion.The recipe I used was from a Better Homes & Gardens Canning Magazine, Page 53.

  34. :D
    | Reply

    Can you use the pectin for ice cream or ice pops?

  35. Barbara
    | Reply

    Is there any adjustments I need to make to add some minced jalapeno to your lime jelly or jam? Thanks!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Barbara,

      You should be able to add a bit of minced jalapeno to our Lime Jelly recipe, though we have never done it ourselves. If you decide to give it a try, let us know how you like it!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • Barbara
        | Reply

        I am absolutely going to do it…..as soon as your low sugar pectin arrives!! I’ll let you know.

  36. Karen McDonald
    | Reply

    I love using your Pectin to make low sugar jams. I always have quite a bit more calcium powder than is called for (I currently have 2 unused pkts). Am I doing something wrong? It always turns out fine. Are there other uses for the leftover calcium powder? I hate to throw it away

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Karen,

      There is nothing wrong with having left over calcium powder- it just means you follow our directions carefully and use up all your made calcium water vs. throwing it out often…hooray for you!!
      The calcium powder will keep indefinitely so you are welcome to hold on to it as long as you’d like.

      Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s- we appreciate you!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  37. Jen
    | Reply

    Do you have any suggestions for using fresh herbs in jam? I’d like to experiment with strawberry basil and strawberry mint, but I’m not sure if I should steep them in the mashed fruit and remove before/after boiling or if it’s ok to leave them in. I’m less concerned with the appearance of the jam and more wondering about maintaining the proper acidity for canning. (I made my first small batch of strawberry jam with just a bit of honey yesterday and it came out great! I’m really excited to make more!)

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Jen!
      Great question! You can either steep them in the mashed fruit then remove them or leave them in. Woody herbs (think rosemary, sage and thyme, rather than parsley and cilantro) stand up to the cooking process without becoming wilted and soggy. You also have the freedom to add the fresh herbs in your batch just before canning. It is good practice to not add more than 1 tsp. herbs to your batch (4 cups mashed fruit…).
      Happy jamming!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  38. Laura S. Clark
    | Reply

    Hi.. I have found an unnamed recipe that I want to try. The recipe calls for 5 bananas, 1/4 cup flaked coconut, a 20oz can of crushed pineapple (not drained), 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 cups of sugar. There isn’t any pectin listed. I only use Pomona’s Pectin. Do you have a similar recipe or is this recipe safe? Thanks!!!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      That recipe does sounds delicious, but I am not sure it will work with Pomona’s, the 3 cups of sugar would be too much for our pectin to be able to activate.

      HERE we have a recipe for a Strawberry-Banana Jam.

      You could substitute a combination of mashed pineapple and 1/4 cup flaked coconut to equal the 2 3/4 cups of strawberries.

      And you could use 1/2-1 cups of sugar instead of the honey of you preferred.

      Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with!

      Have a wonderful day!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

      • Stephanie
        | Reply

        Hi Shelby,

        So if I reading this correctly–and I hope I am, because it sounds DELICIOUS!–this pineapple-coconut-banana jam would read as follows:

        2 1/2 cups mashed/crushed pineapple
        1/4 cup shredded coconut
        1¼ cups mashed bananas
        ¼ cup lemon juice
        3 teaspoons calcium water
        ½ cup honey
        3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder

        Could I add a splash of coconut rum to it (no more then say 2 Tbs)? And it would be safe to can?

        Thanks.

        Cordially,
        Stephanie

        • Shelby Collings
          | Reply

          Hello Stephanie,

          Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin! Your jam recipe looks great, though we have not tested it for the proper pH, it does look like it should be just fine. Though you may want to test the pH level, just to be safe.

          If you decide to give the recipe a go, we would love to hear how it turns out!

          Happy jamming!

    • Odette Ching
      | Reply

      Hi Laura,
      Did you ever make your Monkey jam, per Pomona’s recommended recipes changes? I’ve been eyeing the very same recipe and would love to know if it’s shelf save (vs refrigerator).
      Thanks!
      Odette

  39. Tamara Yakaboski
    | Reply

    I’m interested in making honeysuckle jelly with Pomona. Basically I will have 2 cups or 4 cups of infused water/juice. Any thoughts on other ratios needed to create a recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Tamara,

      I am assuming that for honeysuckle jelly you will be steeping the honeysuckle in hot water and then using the “tea” to make the jam? If this is the case, click here for our violet jelly recipe, and simply replace the violets with your lovely honeysuckles.

      Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with!

      Have a wonderful day!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  40. Mary
    | Reply

    Hi! I am VERY new to jam/jelly making and canning. I would really like to make my recipes with Pomona’s because of being able to use less sugar. Am I able to make the Pepper Jelly recipe with all sweet red bell peppers, or is there a reason for using the accompanying hot peppers (such as acid levels)? Thank you for such an informative, well-researched site! I look forward to utilizing many of your recipes in the future.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Mary,
      That is a great question, and already shows you have done your research for safe canning and jamming- well done!
      You will be just fine using the sweet red peppers in your recipe, you can even use a variety of the red, yellow and orange sweet peppers for a lovely color variation.

      Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with!

      Have a wonderful day!

      Kindly,
      Shelby

  41. Andrew P
    | Reply

    I’m curious if I can use this product with mustard to make a mustard jelly. How would I go about that? I’m open to using sugar if I need to.

    • Sara Wolters
      | Reply

      Hello,

      I have never made jelly or jam with mustard…in fact, I am not sure it has ever been done, but I think it has great potential!

      Now since I have never canned with mustard, and couldn’t find a base recipe to go off of, we are kind of on our own here. I’m not sure how sweet of a jelly you’re okay with, or how savory you are hoping for it to be. This is my best attempt at a very basic Mustard Jelly Recipe, having never made anything like it before ☺

      Best of luck and we look forward to hearing how it turns out!

      Mustard Jelly Ingredients
      1 1/2 cups mustard of choice
      2 Tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
      1 cup water
      2 teaspoons calcium water
      1/2-1 cup sugar
      2 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin powder

      Mustard Jelly Directions

      1. Add 1 cup water to vinegar and mustard and stir to combine. Set aside.

      2. Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use

      3. Put mustard/water combination into a sauce pan.

      4. Add calcium water to sauce pan and mix well.

      5. Measure 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sugar. Set aside.

      6. Bring mustard mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

      7. Once pectin is dissolved, add the additional 1/2 cup sugar (if desired) and stir well while the jelly comes back up to a boil. Once the jelly returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

      8. Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

  42. Kim
    | Reply

    Hi I was wondering if you had a recipe for red pepper jelly?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Kim,
      You can use our standard Hot Pepper Jelly recipe on this website to make red pepper jelly. You can use finely chopped red bell peppers and whatever hot pepper you like.

      If you read through the recipe to the end, you’ll find options and other recipe possibilities you may like.

      I hope this answers your question. Happy Jamming!

  43. […] sugary recipe and use it for a pectin that’s designed to be used with low sugar. I found some great information on Pomona’s website about adopting another recipe for use with Pomona’s pectin, and I […]

  44. Lois Stone
    | Reply

    I would like to make Carrot Cake Jam. Is there a way to do this with your pectin? The recipes have way too much sugar.

  45. Robin
    | Reply

    I would love to make some Concord grape jelly from Welch’s grape juice but do not have the time to can. Can I place the completed jars of jelly using the recipe provided in the freezer?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Robin,
      You can make jelly with Pomona’s Pectin with bottled juice but the juice must be unsweetened, no sugar or sweetener added to it except what you add when you make the jelly. The Concord Grape Jelly recipe is on the direction and recipe sheet that comes with the pectin.

      And yes, you can make cooked jam or jelly and then freeze it for long-term storage. Just leave 1/2″ of head space in each jar instead of the 1/4″ for canning. The extra head space allows for expansion when frozen without cracking the jar.

      I hope this helps. Thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin, and happy jamming!

    • Naseem Tarmohamed
      | Reply

      Hi there, wondering if you all have a recipe for monkey jam or something similar, or any suggestions on how to convert a recipe-it contains canned crushed pineapple, shredded coconut and bananas.

      Additionally, can you tell me how long calcium water is good for once mixed and stored in the fridge? Thank you.

      • Shelby Collings
        | Reply

        Thank you so much for reaching out to us!

        The calcium water can be stored in the fridge for several months (will just need to be tossed if it has any floating bits or smell or color). It can also be stored in the freezer and will keep indefinitely, and will just need to be thawed before use. We also highly recommend labeling your jar of calcium water, as it seems to be the first item tossed when cleaning the fridge/freezer 😉.

        Monkey Jam sounds delicious! We have never made this recipe, and here is our best guess:

        Monkey Jam

        Ingredients
        2 cups mashed/crushed pineapple
        1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened preferably). *Our other customer also added 1/4 cup coconut rum and said it was delicious!
        1 1/4 cups mashed bananas
        1/2 cup lemon juice or lime juice
        3 teaspoons calcium water
        ½ cup honey or 1 cup sugar
        3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder

        Directions
        1) Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.

        4) Measure out 2 cups of mashed pineapple. (If you have extra, simply use for something else.) Pour the measured amount of pineapple in a large saucepan, then set aside.

        5) Peel the bananas and discard the peels. Place bananas in a mixing bowl and mash well. A fork works well for this.

        6) Measure out 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 1¼ cups of mashed banana. (If you have extra, simply use for something else.) Pour the measured amount of coconut and bananas into the large saucepan with the strawberries. Add lemon juice and calcium water, then stir to combine.

        7) In a separate bowl, combine the honey or sugar with the pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.

        8) Bring the pineapple-coconut-banana mixture up to rolling boil over high heat. Add sweetener-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return jam to a boil, then remove from heat.

        9) Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).

        10) Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)

        11) Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.

        12) Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then, confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.

        If you decide to give this recipe a go, we would love to hear how it turns out!

        Happy jamming 😊

  46. Lola
    | Reply

    I am trying to convert a mixed citrus marmalade recipe that I love for use with Pomona’s pectin, which I also now love. I see lots of tips for conversion and for making my own recipe, but they’re for jams and jellies, not marmalades, and no citrus fruits are listed. The all-citrus marmalade recipes you have on your website call for a ratio of roughly 1 cup of fruit pulp to 3 cups of water, plus peels. My recipe is quite different, and uses 4 cups of fruit pulp and juice, plus 1 cup of peels and another roughly 1 cup of diluted juice. Obviously, acid is not a problem with an all-citrus marmalade. I have made it in the past with one box of low-sugar pectin, but I am trying to switch over all my recipes to Pomona’s, and I hate to just experiment. 12 oranges, 4 grapefruits, 4 lemons and two hours of prep time are a lot to lose if it doesn’t gel, or or if it ends up really stiff. Any thoughts?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Lola,
      The key to converting a recipe like you are talking about is measuring the fruit after simmering. Once you measure how many cups of cooked fruit you have, then, for marmalade, you would use:

      1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pectin per cup of cooked fruit
      1/2 teaspoon calcium water per cup of cooked fruit
      up to 1/2 cup sugar per cup of cooked fruit

      We agree that your 4 lemons should be sufficient added lemon for safe canning.

      If the marmalade needs more sugar than the 1/2 cup per cup of cooked fruit, you could add more after the pectin is dissolved.

      Our standard recipe is 3/4 teaspoon pectin per cup of cooked fruit for marmalade.The reason we say 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pectin per cup of cooked fruit is because you are using less water/juice so you would have to decide, based on knowing how much water/juice you used compared to our basic recipe. If using less, the smaller amount of pectin could be fine.

      I hope this helps. Would be great to hear back from you how it works out. Thanks so much for switching over to Pomona’s — and Happy Jamming!

  47. Donna
    | Reply

    How do I make plum butter using Pomona’s Pectin? I just ordered your book cannot wait for it to arrive.

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Donna,
      Fruit butters traditionally do not use added pectin. They are cooked down until they become thick. So we don’t have a tested recipe for Plum Butter.

      Here is a link to a Mother Earth News article online that may be helpful to you: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/fresh-fruit-butters-zbcz1408.aspx

      That’s wonderful that you ordered the book. We are very happy with how the book came out. I hope you like it too!

      Happy Jamming!

  48. Erin
    | Reply

    I have a honeysuckle jelly recipe that calls for pectin in a pouch (and a whole lot of sugar), but I’d much rather use Pomona’s Pectin. Do you have a recipe or could you advise me as to which recipe you have that I can replace the juice with honeysuckle juice?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Erin,
      First a question for you: When you say Honeysuckle Juice, are you talking about an infusion made with honeysuckle flowers and boiling water?

      If so, then you can use the recipe on our website for Herb Jelly, made with water. You would need to use the 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice called for in the recipe if the infusion is water based.

      If you’re talking about something other than an infusion, please write back and let us know more about the origins of the honeysuckle juice.

      I hope this helps — and thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin.

      • Erin
        | Reply

        Perfect! Thank you, Mary Lou.

        Yes, I’m talking about a water-based infusion.

        Blessings…

  49. Kathy Hunter
    | Reply

    I want to make candy of sweet cherry juice and there is no mention of sweet cherry in the jelly section of the directions. Is there a reason for this?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Kathy,
      Here is a recipe that is on our website in the Miscellaneous Recipes section for Jelled Fruit Candy.

      You are correct that sweet cherry juice is not listed in our fruit list for jelly. That is because most people make jelly from sour cherries and jam from sweet cherries. Sweet cherries are in the same category/recipe for jelly as sweet apple, sweet blackberry, sweet plum, etc. The important difference is adding the lemon juice for the sweet fruits — 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of juice.

  50. Virginia
    | Reply

    Hi there. I got a big jug of TJ Cherry Cider and wanted to make some cherry jelly. Can I use this pre-made juice? It is made with apple, pineapple, plum and cherry juice concentrate and has 29g of sugar per 8 fl oz, which comes from the concentrate and is not an added ingredient. I’m not sure how much sugar and Pomona’s Pectin I should use?
    Thanks!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Virginia,
      All of our recipes for jelly (made from juice) are essentially the same —

      1 teaspoon of Pomona’s Pectin powder per cup of juice
      1 teaspoon of calcium water per cup of juice

      If the juice has been bottled in a sealed jar (ie, the lid pops when you open it) and if it has citric acid added to it, you don’t need to add lemon juice for safe water bath canning. If no citric acid has been added, we would want you to add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of juice in order to be sure it is safe for water bath canning.

      The sugar amount would be the same as our standard range:

      1/2 cup up to 1 cup honey per 4 cups of juice
      3/4 cup up to 2 cups sugar per 4 cups of juice

      Since it sounds like this juice may be on the sweet side, you might want to start with the lower amount of sweetener for stirring the pectin into and then taste after the pectin is dissolved and see if you want to add more sweetener at that point. If you do, add and stir well while bringing mixture back to a full boil before removing from the heat and jarring.

      This is all assuming there is NO added sugar or other sweetener in the juice.

      I hope this helps. Thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin and happy jamming!

  51. Mary Morden
    | Reply

    I want to make various fruit ice cream sauces. Do you have any recipes for sauces using Pomoma’s pectin to give a slight thickness?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Mary,
      We do have instructions for making fruit syrup on our website, which can be made from either mashed fruit or juice and uses 1/4 of the amount of pectin called for in the jam or jelly recipe for that fruit. All of the other ingredient amounts are the same as in the jam or jelly recipe.

      For a fruit sauce, you would want to use mashed fruit and 1/3 up to 1/2 of the amount of pectin called for in the jam recipe for that fruit. All of the other ingredient amounts are the same as in the jam recipe.

      You might want to do a test batch with 1/3 of the amount of pectin and see if that is the consistency you’re looking for or if you might want to add a little more pectin than that, up to 1/2 the amount.

      I hope this helps. And thanks for using Pomona’s Pectin.

      • Mary Morden
        | Reply

        I tried making sauces as you recommended and they were wonderful. A Blackberry Marsala, Ginger Peach , and a Blush Peach -with strawberries and peaches. I’m continuing with Strawberry Rhubarb.

        • Mary Lou Sumberg
          | Reply

          Hi Mary,
          Thanks so much for writing about your success with your sauces. The flavors you are making sound wonderful. If you ever feel like sharing any of your recipes, we’d love to know just what ingredients you have used, amount of pectin, etc.

          Potentially we could put some sauce recipes on our website, crediting you as the creator.

  52. emily pelletier
    | Reply

    Hello! I’d like to make a peach hot pepper jam or jelly and am wondering if I could just add peaches to the pepper jelly listed on the instructions? I’ve only found recipes using liquid pectin–but I only ever use Pomona’s! Thanks for your help!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Emily,
      Yes, you could put the hot pepper jelly and the peach jam recipes together to make a peach hot pepper jam.

      Following the hot pepper jelly recipe, after you simmer the peppers in the vinegar for 5 minutes, you would add the 4 cups of mashed peach to the sauce pan. You would then add the amount of calcium water for both the peaches and the jelly – 6 teaspoons. Since there is so much vinegar in the pepper jelly recipe, you don’t need to add the lemon juice for the peaches.

      You would stir the amount of pectin for both the peaches and the pepper jelly – 3 teaspoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons = 4-1/2 teaspoons pectin into 1 cup of sugar or 1 cup of honey.

      You would add the remaining sweetener as in the hot pepper jelly recipe, after the pectin is dissolved.

      If you’re using sugar, you would add an additional 2-1/3 cups sugar (the original 1 cup of sugar is the right amount for the peaches; the 2-1/3 is the right amount for the peppers). If you taste and that is not enough, you can add more sugar as needed for taste.

      If you’re using honey, you would add an additional 1 cup honey (the original 1 cup of honey is 1/2 cup for the peaches and 1/2 cup for the peppers; a total of 2 cups of honey should be the right amount). If you taste and that is not enough, a small amount more honey could be added, but not unlimited, or you could affect the jell.

      I hope this helps.

  53. Tangela
    | Reply

    I am wanting to make a fig-strawberry jam. I see the fruits have different requirements for pectin/sugar/calcium water, etc. Do I use a measurement in between the two posted amounts or use the highest recommended amounts – which would be the amounts listed for the fig? Thanks! LOVE the pectin!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Tangela,
      To make Fig-Strawberry Jam, you would use the amounts of pectin, calcium water, and lemon juice required for the measured amounts of each fruit. The honey/sugar amounts are the same range for all of the fruits.

      So, for example, if you are doing 2 cups of mashed strawberry and 2 cups of mashed fig, you would need 1 teaspoon pectin and 1 teaspoon calcium water (lemon juice not required, but can be used) for the mashed strawberry; and 1-3/4 teaspoons pectin and 2 teaspoons calcium water and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice for the mashed fig.

      You just do the math for the proportion of each type of fruit you are using. I hope this makes sense. Glad you found Pomona’s — and love it. So do we!

  54. Kathy Enders
    | Reply

    When I’ve made jam in the past with other pectins, I’ve made a combo of half crushed berries and half plain juice (sieved berries), but your jelly requires more sugar, pectin, and calcium water than the jam. Is there a way do do it or should I just make either jam or jelly?

    Thanks
    Kathy

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Kathy,
      Just to be clear, our jelly recipes use the same sweetener range as our jam recipes, so you don’t need to change anything regarding the sweetener when combining fruit and juice.

      When you say juice, do you mean pure juice or do you mean sieved berries? In our experience, sieved berries result in a different product (pulpy juice) than pure juice, like you get when you strain the fruit through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. Pulpy juice has fruit pulp in it and doesn’t usually require as much pectin to jell as does pure juice.

      That being said, you can combine both the crushed berries and pure juice. We would suggest that you use the amount of pectin and calcium water required per cup of mashed berries plus the amount required per cup of juice. So you need to do the math on that, according to the ratio you are using. It might take some experimentation on your part to get the exact jell you want.

      If you are combining crushed berries and pulpy juice, you could use the same amount of pectin as for crushed berries. It may not jell quite as well. You could also increase the amount of pectin. So, for example, 4 cups of crushed raspberries takes 2 teaspoons of pectin. If you were doing 2 cups of crushed raspberries and 2 cups of pulpy juice, you could increase that to 2-1/2 teaspoons of pectin. You wouldn’t need to increase the amount of calcium water when combining crushed berries and pulpy juice.

      It might take a little experimentation on a small batch to get the result you want.

      I hope this helps and would love to hear how it turns out.

  55. Victoria
    | Reply

    I have an abundance of cantaloupes, and have only found cantaloupe jam recipes out there when I would rather make jelly. I am not sure exactly how much natural pectin there is in cantaloupe, just assuming it’s pretty low. Is there a fruit you would compare it to on the recipe sheet?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Victoria,
      We don’t have a tested recipe that we know is safe for water bath canning for Cantaloupe Jelly or Jam. Cantaloupe is a lower acid fruit (pH = 6.13 – 6.58) so lemon juice needs to be added to make it safe for water bath canning. We think you would need to add at least 1/2 cup lemon juice for each 4 cups of cantaloupe juice or pulp. But we can’t guarantee that would lower the pH enough since we haven’t tested it.

      For canning purposes, foods that have a pH of 4.6 or below are considered safe for water bath canning, but we are most comfortable with a pH below 4 since Pomona’s Pectin (unlike other pectins) does not have any acid added to it.

      Unless you have a pH meter and can test the final product, you would need to freeze the jam or jelly to preserve it, not water bath can it. Some day we may get to testing this ourselves, but no guarantees when that might happen.

      So, Cooked Jellies — Low Sugar or Honey made with Pomona’s Pectin generally take 4 teaspoons of pectin powder and 4 teaspoons of calcium water for each 4 cups of juice. We haven’t made Cantaloupe Jelly ourselves, so can’t guarantee if that would work for cantaloupe juice or if you might need a little more pectin.

      You would use our usual sweetener range of 1/2 cup to 1 cup honey or 3/4 cup up to 2 cups sugar per 4 cups of juice.

      Follow the directions on our recipe sheet for Cooked Jam, Jelly — Low Sugar or Honey (Steps 1 thru 6).

      Below is our recipe for Cantaloupe Jam in case you are interested in that also. This recipe also has not been tested for a safe pH for water bath canning and would need to be frozen for preserving it.

      Cantaloupe Jam
      3 Cups pureed melon
      1/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
      3/4 C up to 1 1/2 Cups sugar OR 3/8 C up to 3/4 C honey
      3 tsp calcium water
      2 1/4 tsp pectin

      Follow the COOKED DIRECTIONS LOW SUGAR OR HONEY (STEPS 1 THRU 6) on the recipe sheet that comes with the Pomona Pectin.

      If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks for using Pomona’s — and happy jamming!”

  56. Sierra Malnove
    | Reply

    I would like to make a star fruit (carambola) jelly and a beautyberry jelly. What are the amounts of calcium and pectin to use for each? South Florida Fruit is ready to be jellied! I have already used your passion fruit and mango recipes with much success. So happy to have found your pectin last week at whole foods! THANK YOU!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Sierra,
      Connie has tried to make start fruit jam and jelly and it didn’t jell well. Someone else has told us they did make star fruit jam or jelly (don’t remember which) and it did jell. Since we don’t know what the issue is as to why Connie’s didn’t jell, we haven’t developed a reliable recipe.

      We have no experience with beautyberry. Can you tell me what it is? Is it sweet? tart? What berry is it like? Sweet berries require lemon juice for safe water bath canning — 1/4 cup per 4 cups of juice or mashed fruit, which is 1 Tablespoon per cup.

      If you are talking about jelly (made from juice only, not mashed fruit), our general recipe for jelly is 4 teaspoons of pectin powder and 4 cups of calcium water per 4 cups of juice. If you want to experiment, that would be the place to start.

      If you do try it, we’d love to know your results!

      • Linda
        | Reply

        Beauty berry is a Piney herby tasting beautifully colored little berry with many many tiny seeds sort of like a mini blueberry but really not enough flavor to make it again

  57. Linda Frucchione
    | Reply

    I found your hot pepper jelly instructions on the sheet that comes with the pectin, but I want to make pepper jelly using JUST jalapenos. Would I just use 1 1/2 Cups of jalapenos?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Linda,
      You can substitute 1 1/3 cups of chopped jalapeno for the 1 cup of chopped bell pepper and 1/3 cup chopped jalapeno in our recipe. I would expect it to be a very hot jelly! You can do any ratio of peppers that you want as long as you don’t exceed 1 1/3 cups of chopped peppers when following that recipe.

      After you have stirred the pectin into the 1/2 cup sugar or honey and dissolved the pectin in the boiling pepper-vinegar mixture, you can add whatever amount of additional sugar or honey you want to. You don’t have to stay within the amount of sugar in the recipe if the jelly is super hot and needs more sugar. Just be sure you stir the pectin into the 1/2 cup of sweetener and only add the remaining sweetener after the pectin is dissolved.

      I hope this helps — and happy jamming!

  58. Belmari Bauer
    | Reply

    I want to make Sweet Guava Jelly. Do you by any chance have a recipe . Also how should I treat the pulp. Should I add more water to the pulp or strain it. Thanks.

    By the way your pectin is GREAT!!!

  59. Tracy
    | Reply

    Hello i canned a lot of mulberry juice and want to make jelly,but only see the jam recipie .can you help.?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Tracy,
      For Mulberry Jelly, you can use the same recipe as the recipe on our instruction sheet for Sweet Blackberry Jelly. The important thing for Mulberry (like Sweet Blackberry) is that you need to add the 1/4 cup lemon juice for every 4 cups of Mulberry juice. This is necessary in order to be sure the jelly is acid enough for safe water bath canning.

      I hope this answers your question. Thanks for using Pomona’s and happy jamming!

  60. Beth Flynn
    | Reply

    I wish to make a no sugar version of wine jelly for my diabetic sister. I am confused as to the steps involved in converting this to stevia…can you help?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Beth,
      I have just added our recipes for Red Wine Jelly and White Wine Jelly to our website in the Jelly section of the recipes page. You should find them there.

      You can use one of these recipes, but you also have to use the directions that come with the pectin (you can find the latest revision of the colored directions on our website: https://www.pomonapectin.com/directions/).

      If you are using cup-for-cup stevia, you can just follow the directions given in the recipe, substituting cup-for-cup stevia for the sugar.

      If you are using stevia concentrate, you want to look for the section (on what we call the back side of our colored directions) — Directions for Cooked Jam, Jelly, Jello — Stevia Concentrate or No Sweetener.

      Follow Steps 1, 2 & 3 as written in the wine jelly recipe. You will not be able to do Steps 4 & 5 if you are using a concentrated stevia so you will be following Steps 4 & 5 from the colored directions in the aforementioned section — Directions for Cooked Jam, Jelly, Jello — Stevia Concentrate or No Sweetener. In Step 4 you will be using 1 cup of your measured wine from the sauce pan. When you have completed Step 4, follow Step 5. You will go back to the Wine Jelly recipe for Step 6.

      Thanks so much for using Pomona’s — and happy jamming!

  61. mary
    | Reply

    I have been given muscadine grapes! I would love to make a low sugar jam/jelly using Pomonas but I cant find a recipe to follow. Can anyone help?
    Thank you!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Mary,
      You can make what we call Grape Butter with Muscadine Grapes by following the recipe on our website for Concord Grape Butter. (https://www.pomonapectin.com/recipes/concord-grape-butter/) It is not necessary to include the cinnamon and cloves unless you want to. We call this recipe grape butter because the skins are not included but you are working with a thick pulpy juice, not a pure juice.

      When making grape butter, jam, or jelly, lemon juice is required (1 Tablespoon per cup of mashed fruit or juice) for proper acidity for water bath canning if the grapes are sweet. Concord Grapes are an acidic grape and lemon juice is not required. Our understanding is that Muscadine Grapes can be sweet or tart.

      If your Muscadine Grapes are sweet, you would need to add the lemon juice as stated above for grape butter, jam, or jelly. You need to determine the sweetness or tartness of your grapes. You can always add the lemon juice to be on the safe side.

      We call it Grape Jam if you are using seedless grapes and want to include the skins. To make grape jam, follow the same recipe as Strawberry in the Cooked Recipes – Low Sugar or Honey section of our recipe sheet. You should put the grapes through a food processor to chop up the skins so they cook nicely into the jam. Remember to add the lemon juice as stated above if your grapes are sweet, or just to be on the safe side if you aren’t sure.

      You can make Muscadine Grape Jelly by following our standard jelly recipe for the amounts of pectin, calcium water, and sweetener, and adding the lemon juice as above.

      I hope this helps — let us know if you have more questions. And thanks for using Pomona’s!

  62. Gorm2
    | Reply

    I would like to make jellied cranberry sauce. I understand that cranberries have a lot of pectin, but I have also read that it is recommended to use some pectin to be sure the sauce will set properly. As always, Pomona is my only choice! How much (and calcium water) would you suggest I use per cup of fruit?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      We have just posted recipes on the website for Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Jelly. Look on the Recipes page, under the Jelly category and under the Miscellaneous category.

  63. nancy
    | Reply

    I love your pectin in all of my jams and jellies. My family really loves to taste the flavor of fruit rather than sugar. Being able to make low sugar recipes is a wonderful thing.

    Now I would like to make pate de fruit (fruit jellies candy). Any suggestions on amount of pectin increase so that I might have a more solid form of jell? I would be using various fruits, though probably one fruit in each flavor, i.e., raspberry or peach, or any other fruit. Thank you so much!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Dear Nancy,
      Thanks so much for using Pomona’s, and glad you like it.

      The instructions for making jelled fruit candy are on the FAQ page of our website, in the section “How to Use Pomona’s.” I have copied them in below. I need to get those instructions into the recipe section! Maybe this week . . .

      To make jelled fruit candy, go to the COOKED RECIPES LOW SUGAR OR HONEY section of the directions and recipe sheet that came with your box of Pomona’s Pectin. If you are making fruit candy from mashed fruit, find the jam recipe for that fruit. If you are making fruit candy from juice, find the jelly recipe for that fruit. Double the amount of pectin in the recipe. All of the other ingredients in the recipe stay the same. Follow the COOKED DIRECTIONS LOW SUGAR OR HONEY (STEPS 1 THRU 5). For Step 6, put the mixture in a shallow pan, allow to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator until firm. When the mixture is firm, cut into pieces and coat the pieces in something like powdered sugar and cornstarch to take away the sticky feel.

  64. Debrah
    | Reply

    I am looking to make hawthorne apple jelly. Any idea how to use this pectin with it?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Debrah,
      Haven’t made anything with hawthorn apples, but our understanding is that they are a tart fruit, so you can use the same recipe as crab apple jelly, which means you don’t need to add the lemon juice.

      If your hawthorn apples are sweet, you would add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of fruit juice, as the recipe for sweet apple jelly says.

  65. Kathy
    | Reply

    Raspberry peach jam is a family favorite. I noticed that the pectin amounts are different for raspberries vs peaches. Should I use the greater amount which is required for peaches and if so will that still be okay for the raspberries which require less? Thanks.

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hi Kathy,
      To make raspberry peach jam, you would use the amounts of pectin and calcium water for each type of fruit based on the number of cups of mashed fruit of each type that you are making the jam with.

      You would also need to add the correct amount of lemon juice for the number of cups of mashed peaches.

      For example, raspberries take 1/2 teaspoon each of pectin and calcium water per cup of mashed raspberries. Peaches take 3/4 teaspoon of pectin and 1 teaspoon calcium water per cup of mashed peaches. So if you do 2 cups of mashed raspberry and 2 cups of mashed peach, that would be 2 1/2 teaspoons of pectin and 3 teaspoons of calcium water.

      Plus you need 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of mashed peach. so you would use 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice.

      You need to do the math for whatever ratio of fruit you will use.

      I hope this is clear — good luck and would love to know your results!

  66. Lynne
    | Reply

    Hi there, I’m trying to make a red pepper jelly with Pomona’s Pectin. Is there a recipe to make this with honey? None of the directions seem to say anything about peppers. Thanks!

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hello Lynne,
      If you look on the instruction sheet that comes with Pomona’s under Cooked Recipes you will see at the bottom of the jelly section, a recipe for Hot Pepper Jelly using either sugar or honey. You can find the instruction sheet here.

      You can put whatever type of peppers you wish, but since peppers are not an acid fruit, you don’t want to vary the amount of peppers in relation to the amount of vinegar or the recipe won’t be safe for canning.

      • Ann
        | Reply

        Thanks for the pepper jelly help. I had the same question!

  67. Debbie
    | Reply

    I am trying to find a recipe to make a sugar substitute garlic jelly. Can anyone help?

    • Mary Lou Sumberg
      | Reply

      Hello Debbie,
      We actually have a recipe for Garlic Jelly on the website. Go to the Recipes page and scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Recipe Card #1. Garlic Jelly is the third recipe listed. The recipe is made with sugar, but you can use any sugar substitute that measures like sugar. If you are using a liquid sweetener like honey, you can use 1/3 cup up to 1/2 cup honey to stir the pectin into. Once the pectin is dissolved, you can taste and add more sweetener at that point if it is needed.

      Be sure to follow the Directions on our instruction sheet that comes with the pectin for Cooked Jam or Jelly.

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