Jam

Preparation

1. Runny

   If your homemade jam won’t set up no matter what you do, it will still be the best syrup you ever put on your ice cream. But if you’re determined to get it to gel, try this: for each cup of jam, in a saucepan, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered pectin and 1 tablespoon water and bring to a boil, stirring. Add 2 tablespoons sugar plus your runny jam, still stirring. Bring back to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and process as planned. Some fruits, such as cherries, blueberries, and apricots, are low in natural pectin. Next time you use these fruits, you may want to start out using some pectin. Or mix in a high-pectin fruit like grapes, plums, or apples. Also, less-ripe examples of your chosen fruit will have more pectin than the fully ripe stuff.