Did Your Jam Set Too Hard? How to Fix Overcooked Jam

Can you overcook jam? If your homemade jam is too thick and almost like candy, there are a few options to salvage it.

Reader Contribution by Renee Pottle and Seed To Pantry
article image
by Pixabay
Can you overcook jam? If your homemade jam set too hard and is almost like candy, there are a few options to salvage it.

It’s frustrating. You spend time, money, and energy to lovingly make a batch of beautiful jam. You have visions of tucking it into Christmas presents or serving it on top of homemade biscuits. Your family is impressed by the sheer variety of creative jam combinations: apricot-raspberry, apple-pear, cherry-lime — combinations you won’t find on any grocery shelves. And then you open a jar and find that it is thick. Not just thick, but gooey — impossible to spread with a knife, almost gummy candy, gooey. Ahhhhhh!

You are in good company. Most of us who make pectin-free jams and other spreads overcook a batch or two every year. I personally have no problems making peach jam, apricot jam or plum anything, but have great difficulties with berry or cherry jams. I know people who are the exact opposite and struggle with stone fruit spreads.

There are some ways to salvage overcooked jam. You usually don’t have to toss the whole thing, unless it is scorched. If the jam tastes burnt, you might as well face facts and just get it out of your sight and into the garbage. There is no way to rehabilitate scorched jam.

  • Updated on Jun 9, 2022
  • Originally Published on Aug 30, 2016
Tagged with: canning, homemade jam, jams, jellies, Reader Contributions, Renee Pottle, Washington
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368