‘Sweethearts’ Strawberry Jam Biscuit Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I use to thicken strawberry jam? ›

If you need to make jam soft in order for it to spread easier, then try using the following tip. Take your jar of jam out of the fridge or cupboard and place it in a jug of hot water for approx 10 minutes. For plastic jam, pots reduce the temperature to very warm rather than hot.

Cornflour (or cornstarch) combined with lemon juice is a great alternative to pectin. It thickens up jam really well, combined with the sugar and heat.

Making apricot jam without pectin is possible by using a combination of sugar and lemon juice to help the jam thicken.

The secret ingredient to making jam without pectin is time. The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. A long, slow boil drives the moisture out of the fruit, helping to preserve and thicken it at the same time. Fruit varies in water content as well, and some fruits may take longer to jam up.

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

Make sure to not overcook the fruit. Stir on and off for five minutes before putting the jam into jars, and make sure to follow the recipe exactly. If jam comes out too stiff, it is often caused by overcooking fruit or the fruit spread having too much pectin.

If you don't boil it long enough the pectin network will not form properly. Boil it too long you risk not only losing the fresh flavour and colour of the jam but having a jam with the texture of set honey.

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

Other fruits must have pectin added. You can add pectin to any jam to speed the thickening process. To get a thick jam, I add pectin (powdered for fruit jams, liquid for pepper jellies), and cook the heck out of it.

What to do when jam doesn t set? ›

If your jam didn't set, it might need more pectin which can be bought in some stores. If you can't find pectin, consider adding some lemon juice with grated zest (rind) and/or some cooking apples which you should first boil in a (very) little water until the flesh softens.

You can boil it down on the stove to thicken it up a bit... maybe add in some gelatin too. Also, to make it easier on you, you can spread the jam filling thin on a baking sheet and freeze it and then put it on the cake while it's frozen so it'll go on as one sheet.

Pectin is often used as a thickener in cooking and baking. It is a natural polysaccharide (starch) product extracted from fruits and is commonly used as a natural thickening and setting/gelling agent that shouldn't affect the taste or smell of your recipes.

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used. Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot.