ASK COOK’S COUNTRY
Mar 09, 2021
4 minutes
by Matthew Fairman, Cecelia Jenkins, and Amanda Luchtel
The Main Squeeze
Why do jam and jelly recipes often call for using bottled lemon juice as opposed to fresh? Wouldn’t they taste better with fresh?
–Nan Fredericks, Milwaukee, Wis.
The acidity level (measured as pH) in a canned jam or jelly has to be right in order for it to be safe. Additionally, acidity plays a key role in the gelling ability of pectin; without a consistent pH, it can be difficult to predict how a jam or jelly will set. The acidity of fresh lemon juice varies too much to consistently predict
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