Jam 201: Fixing a bad batch

Hi,
I made jam last summer and it tuned out excellent. I have done the same thing this year and they are all watery. An old lady in the grocery store said to NEVER make jam on humid days (and yes it was humid the day I picked and made the jam) Is there anyway to fix this jam?

In a Jam
Heather says:
Personally, I would chalk it up to a learning experience, but there are ways to fix soft jams and jellies.
You must work with it in small batches of no more than 4 – 6 cups. For every 4 cups of jam or jelly you will need:

• 4 tsp powdered pectin
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix the listed ingredients and bring to a boil, stir in the runny jam, and return to a full boil for at least 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Skim off the foam and place in sterile jars. You will need to reprocess the jam (with new wax lids!) in a water bath canner for 5 minutes below 1,000ft above sea level, 10 minutes for 1,000 – 6,000 feet, and 15 minutes for over 6,000 feet above sea level. These times are for half and full pint jars only.

In the future, test your jam before processing by dribbling a small amount on a plate and placing in the freezer. It should gel quickly. If you only have a small amount of jam and don’t want the hassle of re-canning. Consider using it as topping for ice cream, filling for a poke cake, or even as a base for sauce for chicken or pork.

Good luck and don’t let one bad batch discourage you from future efforts! I have had a few jars that were runnier than I liked, but it still spread on toast and tasted fine. I kept them for home use rather than as gifts.

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