Jam and Jelly Making Education and Training

Learn how to safely make jam and jelly your customers will delight in

If you're in the food business, you may be tempted to contact a jam manufacturer, jelly distributor or several jams and jelly wholesalers--and there's certainly nothing wrong with that--but if you want to truly impress your customers, find yourself some jam and jelly making education and training. Once you learn the basics, you can make your own gourmet jams and jellies.

Although familiar jam and jelly brands are delicious, there's nothing quite so tempting and delicious as an excellent, fresh jam spread over toast or a favorite pastry. Fortunately, it's easy to delight your customers with fruit jam or fruit jelly. It takes very little in the way of special equipment, and you can create it in a relatively short amount of time. But before you begin your business adventure into fruit preserves, be sure to:

1. Research the basics of making jams and jellies,

2. Study safety guidelines for making gourmet jams and jellies,

3. And find reliable, safe recipes for jams and jellies to serve your customers.

 

Understand the basics of gourmet jams and jellies

Before you add your name to the list of jam and jelly companies in the United States, be sure to brush up on your knowledge of jam and jelly making. There are several different ways to create jams and jellies; you may make them with or without added pectin (a type of sugar), and you may make them for long-term storage or simply store them in the freezer or refrigerator. But in most cases, you'll be sterilizing canning jars, mixing up fruit, placing it inside the jars and then sealing those jars.
Try: For a great introduction to the basic steps used in canning jams and jellies, complete with photos, see "A Canning Primer" at Joe Pastry. PickYourOwn.org also offers a good introduction to making jellies and jams.

Be safe when making jam and jelly

When you become your own jam manufacturer, safety must be paramount. If canned incorrectly, your product may become contaminated with harmful bacteria that could make your customers ill--and could even be life-threatening. Using the boiling bath canning method is best for most jams and jellies, but water should cover the jar lids by 2 to 3 inches and a rack must be used.
Try: The Virginia Cooperative Extension provides full details on safety while canning, including specific canning and re-canning techniques for jams and how to deal with spoilt canned goods. Weckcanning.com also offers excellent safety tips for canning.

Try recipes for fruit jam and fruit jelly

Whether you simply want to make jam for your own restaurant or wish to become a jam distributor, there are a vast array of sources for appropriate jam and jelly recipes. Still, caution is in order. Old recipe books or family recipes may not take into consideration modern safety measures. To make a safe product, always choose a reliable source for your recipes.
Try: For a long list of reliable recipes, try the National Center for Home Food Preservation; you'll find recipes for a wide variety of jams and jellies (with and without pectin), conserves, preserves, marmalades and more. "Blue Ribbon Preserves" by Linda J. Amendt is the bible of jam and jelly recipes and is available from Cooking.com.

 

• For the best quality, make sure your canned jam and jelly sells before a year has passed. In the meantime, store your jars in a dark, cool place.

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