Doubling a jam recipe

I am new to preserving. My first batch of Meyer lemon marmalade was a success. I have a ton of lemons so I doubled the recipe which turns out to be more like lemonade. (I have since learned from the internet that I should not do this). Is there anything that I can do to save this batch?

JasMWood
  • Posted by: JasMWood
  • November 20, 2014
  • 11725 views
  • 9 Comments

9 Comments

Joe H.
Joe H. November 23, 2014
Process just like jam and call it syrup. I did that one year with wild Texas plums and everyone loved it.
 
jamcook
jamcook November 22, 2014
I double and triple all the time , but then you have tone patient , as these bigger batches take longer to cook down and set up. Lemon marmalade probably just needs more
Cooking. The peels and juice have a lot of natural pectin.
When I make a bigger batch, I use a bigger pot, with a lot more surface space. I have a 16 quart stainless steel pot with a wide bottom that works very well. Good luck
 
JasMWood
JasMWood November 22, 2014
Thanks for the tip! For now I won't be quite as adventuresome and will stay conservative until I get the hang of it
 
ChezHenry
ChezHenry November 21, 2014
You probably just needed to boil it longer and reduce the water content so it would jell. Remember you only have so much volume of marmalade exposed to the surface-thus how much water can evaporate? Bigger batches require more time. Different lemons may require different times. Check out the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook. It's awesome. Every recipe starts with this advice: Take 4-5 spoons, and put them on a plate in the freezer. The reason is that you start checking the batch for it's jelling properties. If it was easy to time, the author wouldn't be prompting you to have 4-5 "test" spoons! Jam is science and art-fruits from batch to batch are very very different in composition. So be prepared to test. It's really a fantastic book-she's a master at small batch jams.
 
ChezHenry
ChezHenry November 21, 2014
To be clear-the idea is that if you take a bit of the jam/marmalade you're making and put it on a very chilled spoon-it should set. If it doesn't set, keep cooking and pull out the next spoon to check again, and again, and again if necessary.
 
JasMWood
JasMWood November 22, 2014
Thanks for the great tip. I'll look for it in my bookstore.
 
Bevi
Bevi November 21, 2014
In the future, stagger your production. You can have a batch of sliced lemons sitting in water for the 24-hour soak while you cook up a batch of marmalade. It is time consuming, but the results will be better. I often do this around holiday time when I give gifts of marmalade.
 
Diana B.
Diana B. November 21, 2014
Luckily, you can usually rescue a batch that hasn't set up: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/remake_soft_jelly.html
 
JasMWood
JasMWood November 22, 2014
Thanks so very much - worked like a charm and just in time for gifts for Thanksgiving. This was a great learning lesson and the link you provided was very useful.
 
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