Jelly or Jam does not set:
Is the recipe your using a proven recipe? If so than you must ask yourself, did I follow the instructions correctly? Most failures occur with proven recipes when we deviate from either the amounts called for in the recipe or cooking instructions. If the recipe is not a proven one, I would suggest doing some research and find a proven recipe that will work. Your other option is to click on our technical page and find our recipe building section. This will give you some general rules about building jam and jelly recipes.

Jelly weeps:  
Weeping jelly is most often caused by too much acid in the fruit or recipe in general. A low pH gel is very brittle and will squeeze water out giving you a liquid layer between the jelly and the glass. Solution, Raise the pH. This can be accomplished by either omitting or reducing acidic ingredients or adding a buffer like Sodium Citrate. In some cases going from our Pacific Pectin Mix to our Pacific Pectin Mix no Acid will solve the problem as well.

Sugar crystals form on my jelly:  
This problem is caused by either cooking to long or having to much sugar in the recipe. Solution, Shorten cook time or take some sugar out of the recipe. I would suggest making small changes. More than likely it will not take much change to bring the recipe back into balance. See technical section on sugar content for recipes.

Light color jams turn dark: 
This is generally caused by oxidation. Our Pacific fruit Freshener will retard this process keeping your jams looking brilliant much longer than normal.

Mold on jelly:
This problem can be caused by a couple of issues. Jar lid’s not completely sealed. Inspect lid for bad glue ring and inspect glass surface for imperfections. Second issue revolves around fill temperature. Are you filling at a minimum of 190 degrees F ? Have your jars and lids been cleaned thoroughly? I recommend using our Pacific LM-O pectin at sugar levels below 40%.

Mold on jelly grows quickly after being opened and in the refrigerator:
This is usually caused by too low sugar content in jelly and recipe. The lowest I recommend doing is 40% sugar 60% Fruit. If you want to use less than 40% sugar I recommend our Pacific LM-O Pectin which incorporates preservatives that will lengthen shelf life after opening.

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