Did your homemade jam come out with a softer set than you’d like? Follow the steps in this post to save runny jam!
A while back, I wrote a piece all about how to ensure that your jam sets. However, even when you keep all those tips in mind, there’s still a chance that you’ll wind up with a poor set. Here’s what you can do to salvage that jam.
Before Reopening Those Jars
If you don’t want to invest any additional work in that jam, the best choice to make is to change your expectations. If the finished product is just sort of runny, call it preserves (they can be great stirred into oatmeal or yogurt, or spooned over waffles). If it’s totally sloshy, label it syrup and stir it into sparkling water.
How to Save Runny Jam
However, if you’re committed to getting a nice, firm, jammy set, there is still hope. Just follow these steps.
First, you wait. Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set).
If it still hasn’t set, it’s time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don’t want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.
For every 4 cups of jam that needs to be remade, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon powdered pectin.
Pour the jam into a low, wide pan and add the sugar and pectin combo. Stir until the sugar and pectin has dissolved. At this point, prepare your canning pot. Clean the jars and prep new lids.
Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring the jam to a boil.
Cook vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Look for signs of thickening.
Test set using plate or sheeting test (both described here).
When jam has reached the desired thickness, remove pot from heat.
Pour jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply brand new lids and screw on the same old bands.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for the amount of time requested in the recipe.
When processing time is up, remove jars from bath. Let jars cool and then test seals.
That’s it!
Note: I have closed comments on this post because I am not able to offer jam set solutions on an individual basis. The instructions above should resolve most underset jams. For more on the topic of underset jams, read this post.
So how many times can you retry to thicken jam. I made tomato jam and did a trial batch of only one cup of jam and it set up perfectly. Then I tried exactly the same thing but with 8 cups and I’m afraid it’s not working. When I did the one cup trial it immediately started to thicken. The 8 cups aren’t acting the same, I guess I still need to wait 24 hours?
The more you put in the pot, the more you need to cook it. But do give it a little time before remaking it.
I made blackberry jam for the first time but I don’t like the seeds in it so I used a strainer to remove them leaving just the juice I used liquid pectin and it did not set should I use liquid pectin again during my process to get it to set
You could add a bit more pectin and cook it longer. Did you use the full amount of sugar? If you reduced it at all, that could also impact the set.
Can I simply put the jars back into a water bath & process longer?
No. That won’t do anything for the consistency.
As a chef I should be able to make jam I’ve made strawberry/rhubarb with no problem and beet jelly no problem, this darn black raspberry that is given me grief thanks for the help
Black raspberries are tough! Glad this helped a little.
I have 2 week old homemade jam. Is it too late to can?
You’d need to put the jam back in a saucepan, heat it up, and proceed as you normally would when canning any high acid food.
Does this method work if I didn’t use pectin at all the first time. I tried a no pectin recipe and it didn’t turn out.
It should still work, even if you didn’t use pectin the first time through.
What about freezer jam that is not boiled
Freezer jam is a different beast entirely. Were you sure that you used freezer jam pectin? You can’t swap in regular pectin in freezer jam and expect it to set up.
I made jelly today and it did not get thick. Can I just put the jars back in a water bath and reheat two seconds or do I have to dump them out and start all over
If you want it to thicken, you need to open up the jars and recook the jelly. Redoing the water bath won’t do it.
Is their a quick fix for runny strawberry freezer jam? It is partially set but not enough to my liking. Fixes I have seen call for boiling & adding more sugar & pectin. I made 4 batches & they are in my freezer & I really do not want to go to all that work – 2 of my boxes of sure gel were older so I’m not sure all of my jam is runny until I open them
You could do something like stir in a little cornstarch upon defrosting, and then heat it until it thickens. You could do this for each container just before using, so that it doesn’t feel like a ton of work all at once.
I have never had the problem of “NO SET” in the past, however when I make strawberry jam in AZ at a higher elevation, I have had each batch fail to set. The elavation is about 400′ and 1200′. The 400 ‘ does not have a problem. Is this part of the failure reason? We have a water softener on our house in AZ, does the small amount of salt that might be left on the bottles or in the mix cause the set issue?
Dwayne
The water softener shouldn’t be an issue. I would probably extend the cooking time a bit to compensate for the slight elevation.
I made muscadine jelly and after I put them in jars I realized I didn’t add pectin to it. What can I do to remake it with pectin? Can you please give instructions. Thanks
Pour the liquid back into the pot, add the pectin and reboil. There’s not much more to it than that.
Thank you. I made 3 batches of apple juice jelly the batch with the dry pectin set awesome, the 2 with the liquid pectin is runny yet. I will wait the full 48 hours before, I try this. I did follow the directions for the dry vs liquid pectin use.
I find that these days, liquid pectin is nearly useless. I suspect it will not set.
I made jalapeño pepper jelly on Saturday and today is Monday. It is runny. I pour all back in potbrought to a boil
Added 2 tablespoons of corn starch to 4 cups of juice I had. 8 cups of juice or runny jelly so I used 4 tablespoon of cornstarch brought to a boil put in jars and did a water bath it still looks runny. I have another batch to do and I used sure jell in both to start with so should next batch I get some liquid pectin and try.
Cornstarch isn’t heat stable, so it’s not a good tool to use to get jams to set. Even if it does get to your desired consistency, it will soften again over time.
Thank you!!! This is great information! My first attempt at a jam was with Autumn Olive and I tried to do the ‘Apple for pectin’ method, but only had 1 instead of the required 2. Big mistake.
And then I was going to ask how long after canning you can wait, but saw your previous comment.
Thank you!!!
I hope it works out!
Concord Grape Jam without Pectin: So first time in trying to make old fashioned grape jam. I used grapes from my own vines. Recipe I found online was to use Grapes, Sugar and Lemon juice. I did a batch of 30 cups of grapes juice, 15 cups sugar and just over a cup of Lemon juice. I boiled to 220 temp for about 2mins, using a thermometer that is used to check meats. I used mason jars, made 10 pints and let sit for 48hrs. Did not see any jar setting up. I tried putting in the frig, still no setting. Did some more reading online and looks like I took to long to bring up to temp as I was not sure what setting the oven top needed to be. So took a while to get to temp.
I next bought new lid seals, a new candy thermometer and re-boiled with temp set much higher, only took about 20mins to reach temp the second time around and the pints decreased from 10 to 9.5. I let sit over night on counter to cool off and then back into frig. It has now been 3 days and still not setting. Not sure what to do at this point. Any suggestion? thank you
I wonder if your thermometer is properly calibrated. It should set up when it reaches 220F. But if you decide to recook it again, look for other signs of set. Watch how it runs off the spatula and use the plate test. https://foodinjars.com/blog/check-set-plate-test/
Can a grape juice concentrate be added , plus the sugar and more pectin to help it set. My grapes weren’t totally ripe as much as I would have liked.
It sounds almost like you’re making an entirely new product. You can try, but I can’t guarantee your outcome.
Please make this printable, thank you
What kind of pectin do you use when you make jam and how do you know how much to use for each recipe? I’ve never used any other pectin but sure jell and I was thinking that it was my fault for the jam not turning out right. Thanks for telling me about the changed formula!
For these steps, I use conventional fruit pectin (I like the Ball brand one in the canister).
What kind of pectin are you using when reboiling?
I like the powdered fruit pectin. I typically buy the Ball brand because the canister makes it easy to use just what is needed.
My recipe didn’t call boiling water bath.
It’s always recommended that you process jams in a boiling water bath canner.
Thank you. I just remade a batch of strawberry jam that didn’t set, (even though I am an experienced jam maker!) and this time, using your directions, it came out perfect. I really didn’t want to waste it all as I picked the berries myself. Thanks again.
I’m so glad this post helped you save your jam! Those u-pick berries are precious!
Made. no cook freezer jam, not thick after setting. Can I fix it by adding pectin or do I have to cook it?? Or will cooking rui it?
Did you use freezer jam? Or just conventional pectin? If you used freezer pectin, cooking it might make it weird. But if you used conventional pectin, cooking it should be fine.
I made apple Jelly with unflavored gelatin and processed in water bath. after they were done I realized that the process was for the recipe on the previous page. Is it safe to consume?
It said do not process or freeze. I did not realize until after I had all ready done it.
If it is unsafe to consume I will through away but want to know for sure.
If it’s been 24 hours or less since you processed it, it should be fine. Otherwise, I would probably discard.
I made jalapeño jelly for the first time yesterday. The jelly congealed and is thick and sticky like honey. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like you overcooked it. You can always heat it with a little water before serving to help thin it out.
Thank you so much for the advise about Sure Jell’s artifical sweetner! That makes sense why my Jams were runny!
I didn’t want a real sweet jam so I wasn’t putting in enough sugar.
I did order Pomona’s Universal Pectin from Amazon, Just ordered 3 pks to try!
Thank you for your great advice to a first time canner!
I will WB my jams in my new Nesco for the first time too,
Margie Davis
What if it’s been longer than 24-48 hours. Is there a time limit on how long it can be to reprocess the Jam or jellies?
Thsnk you for responding to me.
Elsie from Ohio
As long as they are properly processed, you can remake a jam or jelly even a month or more after it was made.
I just made 8 jars of grape jam. I hope they will set by tomorrow morning but it was encouraging to hear they should be given 24-48hrs.
I’m glad to hear that I’ve given you some hope. Fingers crossed that they’ve set by now.
Strawberry jam too runny! What can I do?
Follow the steps laid out in this blog post.
WOW this is like magic. All I had on hands was light certo pectin powder and it did a wonderful job. Thank you thank you. Before everything was floating on top of the jar. Now it’s all mixed in and darker color. I love it. Thanks.
Hooray!
Can i add more pectin after i boil the pectin water ratio and redo it to make it thicken or if i put it in the freezer will it thicken?
I’m not sure what you mean by the pectin water ratio.
I made a receipt that did not require sugar, could I just add more of the pectin to make it more congealed?
No. Pectin and sugar work in concert to create a set. Just using pectin won’t do anything.
I made jalapeno jam and after I put it in my jars the amount that didn’t fit in the jars set but my water bath was not boiling so I waited till it boiled then put my jars in for 10 minutes and it has been 17 hours and it is still runny. What do you suggest I do I would like it thicker.
Follow the steps laid out in this blog post.
Found your site- love it ! A lot of great information! And I love ur sense of humor!
My daughter and I just made our first batch of red/green/yellow jalapeño jelly- last night- 4 cans set, 8 kinda loose- we will give it another 48-72 hrs. And then as you mention reconsider if it’s preserves or syrup! Hahahha!
I attempted to make jalapeño jelly that hasn’t set. It’s my first time in a long while to make the jelly and I used a different recipe. I also substituted 3/4c agave for each 1c sugar that the recipe called for and used liquid pectin. Could the agave be the issue? Thanks for your help!
I am sure that the agave is the issue. It’s a liquid sweetener, which means you altered the liquid to pectin ratio in the recipe.
I have made two lots of strawberry jam . One is too stiff the other too runny. It has been suggested that I put them both together back in the pan and heat it to even them up.What do you suggest?
I made watermelon jelly that has not set up. Its been 24 hrs and still runny. I will give it another 24 hrs but just in case it doesn’t…I used 6 cups of watermelon juice, 1 cup of lemon juice and 10 cups sugar. I used 2 boxes (4 pouches) of certo. If it doesn’t set how much more certo to I need to add? Also actually i had one box of certo left and 1 box of liquid ball pectin. Could it fail if i used 2 different brands of pectin? and if I have to reboil can I use a box of powdered fruit pectin or do I have to stick to liquid pectin?
Please help. SOS. I’ve been trying to make apricot jam for 4 years from my tree. Every time I try (Every year) it comes out the same. I try everybody’s suggestions on getting the jam thicker, nothing seems to work. I’m at my whitts end. Does anybody have any idea’s? Please.
Are you using a recipe? Pectin? What’s the ratio of sugar to fruit? I need more detail to be helpful.
My apricot jam didn’t set. I want to make more can I add more pectin when making a new batch. I use sure jell less sugar. When I remake my jam do I measure using a liquid measuring cup or dry cup
I made some peach jam and let it set over night and it did not set right, still a little runny. I want to pour it back in the pot and redo it, how much more pectin should I add and should I add any more sugar or lemon juice to get it to set right? Also when I reset the lids and rings back on how long should I boil the jars ?
Audra, I just rewrote the instructions in that post to be more clear. It now tells you exactly how much pectin to use for every 4 cups of jam that needs to be remade. Once the jam is remade, you proceed as if it is a new batch. New lids and the same water bath process that you did the first time.
Hi Marie! I just wanted to Thank You for all the answers you provided everyone! Must take up a tonne of time, you are appreciated!
You’re welcome! I do my best!
I have the same problem as Trudy Hoffman, comment #167. I made mustang grape jam and it jelled on the plate and spoon. After the water bath, the jars sealed perfectly but the jam is now very liquidy. I plan on redoing it, but why would it turn back to liquid from the water bath?
I made cherry jam according to recipe in the Ball Blue Book. I added my sugar to the cherries and got that boiling and then realized I had powdered pectin, not liquid. Looked online to see if I could substitute and got the conversion raster, but it said powered had to be added to sugar from the beginning. Now my jam is mostly liquid with cherries floating on top and not gelling at all. It’s only been about 10 hours so I know I need to let it set but I’ve got a feeling nothing is going to happen. Can I start all over again? I have no need for cherry syrup!
Try these instructions for remaking jam: http://www.pickyourown.org/how_to_fix_runny_jam.htm
I made a double batch of strawberry jam last night and only after processing realized I did not double my sugar. The jam is predictably runny. I DID double the pectin appropriately. When I redo, do I add the full amount of sugar that was missing? Do I add even more pectin even though the amount already included was technically right?
Please help!!
I picked 5.5lbs of strawberries on Saturday (06/23/2018), cut them up, crushed them and used them in a jam recipe (7 C sugar, .5 Tbl lemon juice, 5 C crushed strawberries, 1 packet liquid pectin). They aren’t setting. They aren’t like WATER, but they definitely move easily in the jars when tilted. I called CERTO (Kraft, really), and the guy told me to add 3 Tbl sugar per C of jam plus 1.5 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1.5 tsp pectin. That is a LOT of sugar.
First: can I just put all the jam back into a pot and re-boil, adding powdered pectin until it starts firming up?
Second: can I re-use the lids, or must I buy all new ones?
Third: thanks much in advance, hopefully someone can let me know ASAP.
Barbara, you will need to put all the jam back in the pot and bring it back to a boil. I would use more pectin and some additional sugar to prevent the pectin from clumping.
You do need to use new lids.
Thank you Marisa! Must I re-boil the jars, or just the new lids? I’ve already got the jam in a big pot, will add a bit more sugar (probably 1/4 C) but the glass jars haven’t been re-boiled. I hope that’s okay!
You have to do the entire canning process again. Boil jar, warm jars, wash new lids, and proceed.
Can you just boil the jars in a pot on stove for better thickness if I didn’t do that yet.
No. The increased thickness comes from evaporating water out of the jam. If you boil the closed jars, no evaporation is occurring.
When I made Apple jelly, it gelled on the spoon and the pan, but it did not set in the jars, I had a smidge left over and put in fridge, still syrup.
On May 31 I made strawberry jam and used liquid pectin (Certo). I wasn’t careful and realized that I had twice the amount of fruit and sugar than the recipe for 1 package of liquid Certo called for. To save the jam … After I dump all the fluid back into a pot — Do I add 1 teaspoon at a time until it thickens or do I add the 2 packages of liquid pectin that the recipe called for?
After 24 hours the jam has not set and the test product in the fridge is firmer, but still not set.
If you used double the fruit, you need to use double the pectin. I’d just add in the total amount needed and boil until you see signs of thickening.
Okay, I made a lot (about 40 8oz jars) of strawberry jam using liquid pectin (Certo). I doubled the first batch, but the rest of the batches were about 6 cups each (of fruit). None of the jam set properly. I set some aside to use as syrup, and reprocessed following the directions on another website. I did not add more sugar, as I was using liquid pectin, but I did add lemon juice. After about 72 hours, it still did not set. Can I reprocess a third time, and use powdered pectin? Do I have to add more sugar? Or can I just pour the jars into the pot and boil the jam longer? Please help!!
This is my third batch of strawberry jame and the only one that didn’t set. I used 6 cups of strawberry purée instead of 5 cups (I didn’t want to waste them) is this why it didn’t set? Can I do the thing where I add it all back in and add more pectin?
Adding more fruit could definitely the be the cause.
Is there any way to fix it if mine is done but runny because I used too many strawberries?
If you used more strawberries than the recipe suggested, you can open up all the jars and cook it down some more. Or you can embrace it as it is and call it strawberry sauce.
I made two batches of dandelion jelly and one did not set, even after giving it a week. Looked all over for help on getting it to set and found your post and immediately tried it. I think the second batch didn’t set because I used a tall, narrower pot. Your fix worked like magic. Thanks so much!
So glad that I could be of help!