Learning how to stay safe with canning homemade jam and jelly is extremely important. While I love canning and Mason jars, I want to make sure the recipes I'm using are safe, and I want the same for you.
I've been getting a lot of questions lately and though this was the perfect time to address them.
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Can I use any fruit to make jam or jelly?
In order for a food to be safe for water bath canning, it must fall on the ph scale at 4.6 or lower (the lower the number the more acidic). The reason for this is because botulism can't grow in an acidic environment. Most fruits are acidic and safe for canning with the exception of bananas, figs, melons, dates, and papayas.
However, some fruits can be borderline, especially when ripe or overripe (use 1/4 of under ripe fruit for higher levels of pectin) so you'll need to add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of fruit.
For a list of fruits with both their pectin and PH level get our Jam & Jelly Troubleshooting Guide and charts here–> Free Old-Fashioned Jam & Jelly Guide
Can I make the jam or jelly into freezer jam?
Yes, you can take any canning recipe and instead of processing it via the hot water bath, simply jar and freeze.
However, you cannot take any freezer jam recipe and turn it into a canning recipe. Canning recipes must have the proper acidity level and no added ingredients like chia seeds that don't have tested recipes and times for canning safety.
What is the role of sugar in home canned jam and jelly?
Sugar doesn't make a canning recipe safe, refer back to the acidity level. But sugar does act as a preservative in the jam or jelly.
Sounds like a contradiction doesn't it? The sugar acts as a preservative in two ways.
The first way is it helps the jam/jelly or fruit retain its color while it's on the shelf.
The second way is sugar has an osmotic effect, meaning it reduces the amount of liquid thereby inhibiting bacteria growth. Your opened jars of jams and jelly with sugar in them will last longer in the fridge than those without or lower amounts.
For this reason I usually don't can most of my jams and jellies in anything larger than a jelly jar so we're sure to go through it in a few weeks once it's opened. This will depend upon the size of your family.
Can I use honey to can with?
Yes, you can use honey, but I don't because I can all of my jam and jelly to leave room in my freezer for our beef, pork and chicken (all raised here on our homestead). I use raw honey and the heat to make the jam and jelly and process it destroys the benefits of the raw honey.
What if I want to make sugar free jam or jelly?
You'll need to use a pectin source like Pomona's Pectin that has calcium water to help with the set instead of sugar.
Why do I need to process my jam or jelly in a hot water bath when I get a seal with out doing that?
Processing your jam or jelly in a hot water bath helps make sure there aren't bacteria or mold spores in your jam or jelly. You went through all that work to make a homemade product why wouldn't you take the extra 10 minutes to make sure it's safe and shelf stable according to tested science and research?
A seal doesn't mean your product is safe, it simply means a vacuum was created.
Want to make sure you're home canning is safe?
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Learn how canning safety, how to can homemade pie fillings, how to know if your pickle brine recipe is safe, how to can tomatoes with proper acid & my number #1 trick to knock hours off prepping your tomatoes for sauce, canning homemade broth, meat and more! Learn more here
Why don't you use commercial pectin?
Personally, I don't use any commercial pectin except Pomona's Pectin occasionally for a three reasons.
- It's an extra expense, enough said.
- Commercial pectin is processed and I prefer the least amount of processing as possible. A lemon, lime, green apple, or crab apple is much cheaper and unprocessed.
- Commercial pectin contains dextrose, which is made from corn…. aka, one of the highest GMO crops.
I love all of the information that you give out and look forward to your next book. A question I have about home canned goods is how long is the shelf life? I have tomatoes that are now two years old. Are they still okay or should everything be thrown out after a year?
Mandy, general guidelines say one year for the best flavor and nutrients, they start to go down after the one year mark. As long as it was canned properly and stored out of sunlight and extreme temperatures, I’ve used 2 year-old canned goods no problem.
Melissa, I have to comment on your canning article I just read, I loved it, and all of the tips reminded me of how my Mom used to walk me through the canning process. I have wanted to can tomatoes for years since she passed away, I think after reading your wonderful article I’m going to follow your directions and try!! Thank you so much!!
I recently opened up some jelly that I had canned several years ago, only to find the sugars had crystalized. Is there a simple was to fix this?
You could try slowly heating it in a pan with water like you do honey, but I’m not sure how it will work as I’ve not had that happen.
not a jam or jelly question.
about 2 years ago i canned a concoction of sliced eggplant (with skin) sweet red peppers and sliced garlic. it was like an antipasto type thing. to top off each jar some olive oil was added before water bath. i really didn’t care for it, it was a new recipe i had found. some time this past spring i started making baked sandwiches with capacola, salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese. i used the mix in the sandwiches- first using the liquid from the jar on the bread and then adding the mix as a layer on the sandwich. it was delicious. now i’d like to make more, but in my records i failed to jot down where i got the recipe. i have checked all of my books and can’t find the recipe. can you help? thanks.
…very encouraging and motivating… enjoyed the canning tips… I plan to use some stevia in lieu of sugar… will see what happens.
Thanks
Frank
Let me know how the stevia goes!
Unfortunately, if it didn’t have added acid to it, that is not a safe water bath recipe. I don’t have anything like that one.
HI, Melissa. Ive been canning for 35 years and never had this issue.
So,I’d like your opinion. I processed stringbeans at 10 pounds for 25 minutes with 1 teaspoon of canning and pickling salt. ok not an issue so far. BUT i saw little white “things” floating in the jar. LOL I had added long grain rice to my salt shaker. I forgot and used that shaker when I added salt to my jars.
Do you think that will cause a problem? Ive recently ordered your book MADE FROM SCRATCH LIFE.Ive enjoyed it and made jelly. Oh, I’m also a Jesus follower. 🙂
Hi Jeanne, I hope you enjoy the book! Make sure to grab your bonuses here if you haven’t, http://madefromscratchlife.com/bonuses/ How many pieces of rice per jar, was it in all the jars? Rice is one of the things considered not safe to can….. usually that’s for soups where you’d have a significant amount of rice per jar. That’s a hard call, perhaps call your local county extension office.
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