In March 2013, I was alerted to a campaign by Clippy Mckenna, with the support of MEP, Arlene McCarthy to change the permitted, total sugar content in Jam from 60% per 100g to 55 or 50%. If successful, their campaign would mean the product we all know as jam could become unrecognisable to the consumer.
In their Guidance Notes for “The Jam and Similar Products Regulations 2003, The Food Standards Agency states “ The Regulations require as a general rule that jam, extra jam, jelly, extra jelly. marmalade, jelly marmalade and sweetened chestnut purée have a sugars content ( expressed as soluble dry matter content) of at least 60%.”
Definition
Traditional jams are a mixture of cooked fruit and sugar without chemical additives. The quality of jam is determined by the proportions of sugar, pectin and acid in the preserve. With a 60% total sugar content, the colours of jams are bright and characteristic of the fruit used in the preserve.
By reducing the percentages of total sugar content, the characteristic gel in the consistency is lost. If the percentage is less than 60% the jam may ferment, unless chemical additives are added to preserve it. Significantly higher percentages of total sugar content may cause crystallisation in the jam.
Alternatives to sugar, such as honey, upset the true fruit flavour of the jam. Glucose and glycerine do not replicate the taste of sugar. Jam with less than 60% is either a hom*ogenised spreadable substance or a gloopy product bearing no resemblance to jam.
Calculating Sugar Content
Total sugar content is the percentage by weight of sugar in the jam as a proportion of the yield, i.e. the weight of finished jam. For example, a recipe with 1.4kg (3lb) sugar and fruit which makes 2.25kg (5lb) of jam has a sugar content of around 60% from the sugar in the recipe, after allowing for a little wastage . Adding to that the sugar in the fruit, generally 5-10%, the overall total will be around 65%. When you are calculating these percentages, remember to include in the weight of finished jam an estimate of the amount wasted as scum etc., as this will of course include some of the sugar.
Recipes
There is a misunderstanding that the percentage refers to the weight of sugar in the recipe. In recent years, many authors of books about preserving claim their recipes use less sugar to improve the fruit flavour and reduce the sweetness of jams. However, although the weight of sugar has been reduced in the ingredients lists, the total sugar content in the jams of many are higher than 60%.
My review of recently published preserving books and online recipes has thrown up an alarming number of recipes with excessive percentages, or recipes without specified yields making it impossible to calculate the total sugar percentage, until after you have made it and potentially wasted good ingredients.
Some Examples
A Plum Jam with 900g sugar with a predicted yield of 1.2kg, will have a total sugar content of approximately 80%.
A Fig and Pomegranate Jam with a predicted yield of 500g and sugar of 400g, will have a sugar content well over 80%. A similar recipe has been published, with a predicted yield of 810g, which should result in a sugar content of around 60%.
An Apricot Jam with 900g sugar with a predicted yield of 1.3kg, will have a sugar content over 75%
A Damson Jam with 700g of sugar, 1kg of damsons and a predicted yield of 775g, has a very high sugar content, over 90% until you make an allowance for the amount of sugar that will be wasted when the stones and scum is removed. However for the sugar content to be as low as 65% approximately a third of the sugar must be wasted.
It is possible that high percentage recipes have incorrect yields, suggesting they were either not tested rigorously or because the recipes are unbalanced in pectin, fruit and acid, they may need a long boil time to get a “set” with a low yield. Prolonged boiling darkens the colour of the jam and affects the flavour and consistency.
Competitions
As a judge, I have noticed an increase in the number of jams in competitions falling short of the definition of jam. The number of traditional jams are becoming the minority exhibit on the show bench.
Many Artisans and Homemakers are developing or using recipes which do not show case their talents as preservers. Uncooked fruit, slack, not gelled consistencies and weak fruit flavoured jams have their origins in poor quality recipes. Too often entrants have taken their inspiration from the plethora of unscientific recipes.
Elsewhere on this website and in my books, I promote traditional recipes as these make real jam. As the campaign to reduce the total sugar percentage continues to have a voice, I continue to make and write about traditional jams, jellies and marmalades. Join my campaign and keep real preserves alive.
My ebook First Preserves: Jams contains many recipes and one of my favourite videos.
FAQs
Glucose and glycerine do not replicate the taste of sugar. Jam with less than 60% is either a hom*ogenised spreadable substance or a gloopy product bearing no resemblance to jam.
What is the saucer test for jam? ›
Spoon a little of the hot conserve onto the cold saucer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes or until chilled. Touch the conserve. If it wrinkles and feels gel-like, it's ready to bottle.
What is the wrinkle test in jam making? ›
You can also let the spoonful of jam sit on the cold plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your spoon or finger. If it wrinkles up, you've reached your setting point. TIP: Use a white plate so you can see the jam clearly. A darker plate or patterned plate may give you the impression your jam is set when it is not.
What's the difference between jam and conserve? ›
Conserves, commonly referred to as 'posh jam' because of the high fruit content are a cooked mix of fruit, sugar, nuts, raisins, dried fruit and spices. A conserve will have a similar texture to jam, firm but spreadable. The most common conserves will contain a mix of more than one fruit along with some citrus.
What makes a jam a jam? ›
Jam is made from fruit, sugar, pectin, and acid (such as lemon or other fruit juice). Most often, the fruit used to make jam is chopped or crushed and then slowly cooked with sugar until it thickens. Jam is regulated by the FDA; it must come from a single fruit and contain at least 45% fruit and 55% sugar.
What is the flake test for jam? ›
* Sheet or Flake test:
In this case a small portion of the jelly is taken with a large spoon or wooden ladle and allowed to cool for a few seconds and let it drop. If the jelly drops like syrup, it requires further concentration but if it falls in the form of flakes or sheet the end point has reached.
What is the metal spoon test for jam? ›
Use a spoon, also called the "sheeting" test:
Raise the spoon out of the steam, about 12 inches above the pan. Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that flow together and form a sheet that hangs off the edge of the spoon as seen in the last drawing.
What happens if you overcook jam? ›
If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.
How do you test strawberry jam? ›
The easiest way to test your jam is by using a sugar thermometer, bring the jam to 105C. For an alternate method, put your plate in the freezer for about fifteen minutes before taking it out to test a spoonful of hot jam. Take the jam off the heat while testing.
Why won t my jam wrinkle? ›
If the surface of the jam looks shiny and fluid still and doesn't wrinkle, it's likely not boiled enough and too loose to hold its shape. If the jam fails the frozen plate test, put the pot of jam back on the burner and continue boiling. Keep testing until you've achieved the right set.
A popular dessert in Britain is a bowl of “jelly.” However, in America, “jelly” is something you put on bread — or what the British call “jam.” The American-English name for the dessert is “jello.”
Is marmalade a jam? ›
Jams are made from one type of fruit or vegetable, whereas marmalade must use a citrus fruit in its preparation. Jams use the entire fruit by crushing, pureeing and cooking, whereas marmalades consist of the citrus peel, pulp and the juice (not the whole fruit).
Is Cherry Conserve the same as jam? ›
Jams made from a mixture of various fruits are called conserves. Basically, all conserves are jams, but not all jams are conserves. Make sense? Conserves usually contain fruit mixed together with sugar and sometimes nuts and dried fruits.
What is jam slang for? ›
Slang. something that one particularly likes, enjoys, or does well: Since math is not my jam, I'll let y'all figure out the rest.
Why add vinegar to jam? ›
Cider vinegar is a fairly mild vinegar and is used mainly to offset the sweetness of the sugar. The acid in the vinegar also helps the pectin in the jam sugar to set.
Why put vinegar in jelly? ›
Vinegar: is used to help the jelly set and the acid in the vinegar helps make it safe for canning and long term storing.
What is the spoon test for strawberry jam? ›
Place the spoon back in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove it and tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam, jelly or marmalade runs. If it runs slowly, and if it has thickened to a jammy consistency, it is done.
What is the test used for judging the end point of jam and jelly? ›
The end point can be judged by sheet test, drop test, refractometry, thermometer, and by weighing the boiling mass. Methods like sheet test, drop test, and weighing of the boiling mass can be done in the similar way as in the case of jam preparation.
How do you test for doneness of jam and jelly? ›
Sheet or Spoon Test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon about 12 inches above the pan (out of steam). Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that flow together and sheet or hang off the edge of the spoon.
How to tell if homemade jam is bad? ›
Regardless of the type of jam or jelly you have on hand, it's important to know the signs of spoilage. According to Lee, this may include yeasty off-odors, fermented alcohol-like flavors, and mold growth, which may appear as white fuzzy patches inside the jar or on the product itself.
