How to Fix Freezer Jam that Won't Set, Without Adding More Sure-Jell

#fixrunnyjam #fixrunnyfreezerjam #craftingforalmosteveryone
Below you'll find complete instructions and products used...
I made two batches of freezer jam using Sure Jell, and neither batch got thick, so I found this solution .
Using corn starch as the thickening agent....
I used: 3 cups of runny jam
2 Tablespoon corn starch liquefied in 2 Tablespoon cold water-- I try to use any runny jam left in the freezer containers to replace the water, as it's flavor that is left behind after dumping the jam into your measuring bowl. Mix with a fork to ensure you've removed all lumps...and make sure you only use COLD water, as warm water causes issues.
Note: I started with 2 tablespoons of corn starch, because you don't want to start with too much, as the amount needed may vary based on how humid it is where you are, and how hot. I didn't want to ruin anyone else's jam, so as I do this, I continue to add corn starch and cold water until it thickens to the degree I want. My jam didn't get thick enough with the initial corn starch, so I added another 1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch and the same amount of cold water. Even with the additional corn starch, your jam still isn't thick enough, add another small amount of corn starch mixed in cold water until you get to the desired consistency (once it's boiling--corn starch doesn't get to it's full potential until it's boiled...)
Note: I started with two batches of jam with Sure Jell in them, and combined them into four or five batches when adding corn starch, as it was a lot easier to boil in smaller batches. I used a 2 qt sauce pan on medium heat, stirring constantly..Once it starts to boil, add the corn starch mixture and continue stirring. If you don't notice it getting thick once it's at a full rolling boil (boiling even while you are stirring), you'll want to add more corn starch/cold water. Take your pan off of the heat while you're preparing more corn starch. Put the pan back on the heat and add your corn starch mixture. I always use a fork to make sure I get rid any lumps, and you must use COLD water, as warm water will give you lumps too..
After adding corn starch, if you have a batch that's overly thick, remove about 1/3 of the thick jam from its freezer container, and put that back into your sauce pan, and when that batch gets a little thick, take your ladle and add the 1/3 back to your freezer container, mixing it in so the whole container is the same thickness.
I use a wood spurtle to stir the jam (I recommend any material that's not metal for the utensil you use to stir with--metal gets hot) a ladle to skim any foam off and a small bowl to put the foam in a plate to house my utensils while stirring the hot jam (as this can make a big mess and the plate will hold any jam left on your ladle a funnel used in canning Freezer safe containers for the hot jam...don't wait until your jam is cool to put it into freezer safe containers, as it will difficult (or in frank terms, a nightmare) to remove once it's cooled.
After putting the jam in freezer containers, wait until it has reached room temperature, then put into the freezer. I put one container in my refrigerator and showed the results after about 10 days...Here are the notes I thought you might want to consider before trying corn starch to thicken your freezer jam.
End results to consider:
1. I found my jam to be nice and thick, but had a slight "skin" on top of some of the containers. It's easy to stir the skin into the jam and it doesn't cause any issues by leaving it there, but I wanted to make sure you knew it might happen to your jam.
2. The jam has a more starchy consistency and taste. It's not significant, but I wanted to make sure I noted it.
3. My jam seems like it's more tart once I added the corn starch, and if you don't like a tart jam, you might want to add more sugar when you are heating it (and before you add the corn starch), as the sugar needs to be completely dissolved before adding the corn starch.
I'm happy with the end result, and if you think you can handle the three points I mention above, you might want to try this remedy for runny freezer jam...
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[@bevp7838]

I have never made freezer jam before. Good to know there are solutions if I ever do try and have problems! Thank you. You are a woman of many talents.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Clearly, Bev, I'm a woman who can screw up jam that supposedly is fool proof....Apparently not fool proof enough for me...haha...I was just glad I figured out how to save it. If you normally make the jam you cook, you should try freezer jam as it is SO much easier...You only cook the SureJell and water....the berries and sugar aren't boiled (if it works the way it should.) And then you mix the heated SureJell and water mixture with the berries and sugar and put it in freezer safe containers and that's it...So much easier than the old way of cooking jam....Again, if it works the way it should...unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky....haha.....Glad you liked the solution. sandy

[@UR22NOZ]

Great idea!

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

I was SO frustrated when neither batch got thick...and in the end, happy I persevered...

[@nancyphipps5996]

This worked perfectly to fix a batch of peach freezer jam that did not set up correctly. I've made so many batches of different kinds of freezer jam and rarely have one that does not set. This method made the peach jam so much richer in color and my husband said it tastes great. Thank you for sharing this method!

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

So glad I could help you. When it happened to me, I'd made 2-3 batches and none of them set, so I couldn't find any good ideas online, and gave this a try and luckily it worked...Glad it helped you too.

[@dollbc2007]

Thank you! Life saver! 🥰

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

If you do this, I'd also add more sugar, as my jam wasn't as sweet after adding the corn starch...sure hope it works well for you..Sandy

[@dollbc2007]

@@craftingforalmosteveryone it worked. Thanks again.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

@@dollbc2007 YAY!! So glad it worked for you too. I know how frustrated I was when it happened to me, and didn't want anyone else to suffer through buying more SureJell....Sandy

[@FoxyPassionOutdoors]

I was making Freezer Jam today and even went through more pectin and it still wouldn’t set up. So glad I stumbled across your video! Definitely will be giving a shout out. If it wasn’t for your cornstarch suggestion, I would of went and spent more money 💵 Thanks again!

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

I'm really glad this helped you like it helped me. I looked all over the internet and basically, the only thing I found were people telling me to buy more pectin and try again, and that seemed expensive and wrong...so I tried this. I figured it works to make gravy so it should work for jam and it worked great....

[@hopeperry1474]

Thank you oh so much. Made mine yesterday and it’s super runny so I am going to do this tonight and hopefully save my jam. Haha

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

The only other thing you can do is use it as it is for syrup on pancakes, waffles, etc. This does change the consistency and hopefully the little change in taste....a little more starchy, I guess I'd say, is OK with you. If you've made gravy with corn starch, then you know the change the corn starch makes in the taste..it's minimal...but wanted to make sure if I didn't mention it in the video (as I made it years ago), that you know what to expect.

[@hopeperry1474]

@@craftingforalmosteveryone it worked!!! Thank you so much!!

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

I'm so glad. I worry that others won't like the results, and it's why I sent you the note...I hated it when mine didn't get thick and knew others would too, and I looked all over the internet and couldn't find a solution, so made this up myself. I'm thrilled you're happy with the results. sandy

[@tomhamp2915]

Wonderful…thanks so much! Tom in The Hat

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Glad to help. It made me so mad when my jam didn't set up and since it works for gravy, I decided corn starch would work for jam...It does change the texture a little bit, but it's better than buying all new product to thicken it.

[@georgesgentry5835]

Never heard of freezer jam, but looks yummy. Thanks for tips Sandy. Cooking and Crsfting For Almost Everyone! 💚🍓 Hugs from gg. Hope you guys are hanging in ok . Be well.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Freezer jam (I think) originated, when women didn't want to go to all of the effort it takes to make traditional jam that requires "canning." I'm one of those women....Here's the recipe if you want to try it. Seriously, it only takes about 30 minutes from beginning to end. www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/050137/30-minutes-homemade-surejell-strawberry-freezer-jam I shared this because I figured there had to be others out there that have had this happen to them, and I couldn't find any solutions online that didn't involve buying more Sure-Jell. And since it didn't work the first time, why would I think it would work if I added more...

[@georgesgentry5835]

@@craftingforalmosteveryone Thanks Sandy.

[@shelliclarke5563]

Cool video. Now I'm hungry for toast with jam. Why doesn't Honey like you to do anything in the kitchen? 😆

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Come on down and we'll have toast and I'll give you a container of jam for the road....Honey hates when her routine is altered, and me being in the kitchen alters her schedule...poor thing...Did you hear her whine in the video? It's right after I mention you might hear her.

[@peggythomas2103]

I had same issue yesterday. I used two boxes and still did nothing.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

It's so frustrating when that happens..Is it possible your boxes were out of date? Mine were and I had just bought them the week before making the jam, never thinking to check the date on the box.

[@anne-marieheng-scott7599]

Great idea! Not sure about the amount of corn starch is it 1 1/2 tbl for 3 cups of preserve

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Below the video I put complete instructions, 2 Tablespoon corn starch liquefied in 2 Tablespoon cold water and also recommend you add more sugar, as the sugar seems to cook off when it set...You'd want to add sugar to your taste..

[@carolannfeltus220]

thank you for sharing your jam thickening tip. I might have left 1 batch runny to use over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, cheese cake, you get my drift as I don't always like maple syrup on stuff. I've got to get your recipe for freezer jam or can I find it on google?

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

The recipe is on the Sure Jell insert, but here's a link to it as well. www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/050137/30-minutes-homemade-surejell-strawberry-freezer-jam It's really simple, doesn't require boiling, like the molten lava I used, after mine didn't set, and even better, fast. I really like making freezer jam and have made it several times with no issues. I thought about using it for the ideas you suggested, and still can do so, just by adding water to make it runny. Once I made the batches and they didn't set, I was so mad, and wasn't going to let that jam beat me, haha.....

[@louisevad6091]

Wow .I just dumped it all together and heated it up then added corn starch then thickened it the let it cool

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Hope you like it...I hated wasting it when the jam didn't set, so was relieved this worked. It does have a different consistency than jam from Sure Jell, but that didn't bother me...

[@chakrasooths8430]

Just a suggestion…why it give the cornstarch measurements up front. Because is someone didn’t watch the whole video they would’ve missed that you added another 1 1/2 teaspoons later.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Thanks for the suggestion, but if you read the info below the video, you'll get the complete instructions and won't have to watch it at all if you don't want.

[@katzbaugh9806]

Hi Sandy! I haven’t made jam since I was a teenager, but we made it the hard way! 🙃 I also haven’t seen sure jell in the store so I’m going to have to research where I can get some. I think it would be fun to make some with my youngest two boys. Can you let me know what the paddle like spatula that you used. I couldn’t determine what you explained it to be. I appreciate that Honey let’s you know how you’re messin’ with her day. LOL. I have a cat who howls at me until I sit on my bed and hold him on my chest while pettin/scratchin’ under his chin. I’ve had him for almost three years. I adopted him from the humane society after he had surgery to remove his back leg. He’d been hit by a car. When I first held him he out his face right into my neck and I fell in love with him and he with me. He’s the most affectionate animal I have ever owned. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

You should be able to find Sure Jell in the baking section of your supermarket. The tool I used is called a spurtle...and I love them. They were originally made to stir oatmeal (in Ireland, I think) and I've only ever seen them on QVC. Here's the link. I have the wood ones and the silicone ones and love them both. They're great for stirring anything..www.qvc.com/catalog/search.html?keyword=spurtle Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but your comment dropped to "possible spam" for some reason, and I didn't see it there...Geez.... Your relationship with your cat seems like it was destiny. Honey came from a puppy mill and had (has) so many issues from it. It took us a year to potty train her. She'd go outside, pee, come back inside, and pee again...The vet said the damage inflicted from lack of attention to these puppies will cause emotional issues that might never go away, and some of hers (like her anxiety) haven't. I tried to turn the puppy mill in to our Humane Society, but we didn't have anyone at that time to handle mills, and now we do. I made sure to find the officer and have a talk with her and she said she's had her eye on the place Honey came from. My girlfriend got a dog from there in the last couple of years and they've changed a lot of their bad habits, but still, they shouldn't be allowed to breed dogs after the damage they've caused.

[@katzbaugh9806]

I really want to get the spaddle from HSN!! Good deal for all the utensils! I will look for the sure jell! totally agree they should loose their license! My whole family have bred dogs for a long time! We never bred a dog more than once a year, always socialized our puppies from 2 weeks on. We trained the puppies right along with their parents. They were always 12 weeks when they went home so they’d be completely vaccinated and have clean bill of health from our vet. I bred Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for 5 years before the crash of 2008. I sold them with their AKC papers after they showed that they had been spayed or neutered. I believed that some were being bred anyway in a mill kind of situation so I completely stopped my breeding program. I miss my Cavies. I love the mutts I have now tho’ just as much! All of mine are rescues!

[@katzbaugh9806]

Oops it’s called a spurtle not a spaddle!! 🙃😂🤪

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

@@katzbaugh9806 I hope you like the spurtles as much as I do. I love Cavalier King Charles...so pretty, but I'd bet there's a lot of grooming with them...The puppy mill Honey came from, advertised in our local newspaper. Bella came from an Amish puppy mill (not nearly as bad as Honey's), so I wanted to do some due diligence before I fell in love with her. I called them and asked a bunch of questions, and they told me they were only doing this one litter to help their daughter with medical costs related to cancer. Good story, not true. They sent me photos of the girl puppies and we both fell in love with Honey with one look. Said she was AKC, also a lie. I tried getting AKC to take action since the puppy mill people were using their name fraudulently, but AKC didn't want to get involved...What good are they? When we got there, it was a farm with cheap wood boxes for each golden (I'm sure female) retriever. Probably 8-10 of them..They had the puppies in a small shed with a window in the back where you could see they were breeding a black lab, a coon hound (big hunting area here) and St Bernards. The puppies were so afraid of people, they huddled together in a corner. We picked out Honey as soon as we saw her and picked her up, she didn't move. She was like that for a few days. Wouldn't interact with our other dogs or us. The vet thought there was something wrong with her as she'd never seen a puppy act like her. She was simply terrified. Everything was new. She ate food like she'd never see another meal and we had to buy a special bowl to slow it down, as she threw up from eating so fast. She drank water the same way. She had a parasite, mites (weird,, the vet said cats must have huddled in the barn with the puppies to stay warm), fleas, a heart murmur and all but the murmur were attributable to dirty conditions...I called the puppy mill and of course they'd never had anyone complain about their puppies before...So I asked for their vets name and they wouldn't give it to me....I know a lot of people say you should never buy a dog from a puppy mill, but if you don't buy the females, they'll be bred to death.

[@katzbaugh9806]

Sandy, I hate to hear of things like this! It’s such a shame that this is the underbelly of the breeding world! I believe it’s becoming more prevalent now, as it seems to be becoming the norm! These people have no conscience! I adopted a cat from my husband from our Animal Care and Control after a Persian cat of mine needed to be euthanized. She was 16 years old and had a severe auto immune disease that was taking her life. John was the liaison for most of the rescues in our County. He could tell you some stories about raids they have done at puppy mills. Fortunately, some of the breeders do hand over their animals without incident. Most take a lot of convincing and some even go to jail based on the conditions of the locations. I really want to thank you so much for catching up with me! I so enjoy “ chatting and typing with you!

[@rogerhays9962]

Added the slurry to the hot jam and it went off like a volcano. Foam all over the place. What a mess.

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Huh, I didn't have anything like that happen and I'm so sorry it happened to you. I tried to show exactly what I did.

[@Bizeecentral]

Corn starch is more sugar xx

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

Huh...had no idea.

[@mandisimcox7595]

That amount of corn starch for 3 cups of freezer jam

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

That's what I used. You can try less if it works for you, or more.

[@maeganhunter9638]

DO NOT DO THIS! IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!

[@craftingforalmosteveryone]

It definitely worked for me, not sure why it didn't work for you.