The Real Reason You Need To Add Lemon To Homemade Strawberry Jam - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What does adding lemon to jam do? ›

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

Replace the lemon juice with an equal quantity of another acid, such as balsamic vinegar, lime juice, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar.

When producing strawberry jam, citric acid in the form of a food additive or lemon juice is often added. The main purpose of this is to lower the pH, to assist in the hardening of jam by pectin. Pectin is an important factor in jam quality, and affects color and palatability, as well as physical properties.

The flavour of the strawberries is enhanced by the lemon juice. Naturally, the same applies for raspberries and all soft fruits.

If your recipe called for lemon juice and you forgot to put it in, your mixture will not be acid enough for safe canning. You have to open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan. (If you made the jam or jelly recently and you carefully remove the lids without damaging them, you can re-use the same lids.)

To set, jam needs the right balance of acid and pectin. High-acid fruits include citrus, cherries, green apples, pineapple, raspberries and plums. If you're using low-acid fruits, such as rhubarb, apricots, peaches and strawberries, you need to add lemon juice.

This gives an additional pop of pectin but also some acidity that balances the sweetness of the jam. Citric acid provides very consistent results, which is why I like to use it. If using lemon juice, I would recommend Real Lemon lemon juice as this will provide more consistent results than fresh lemon juice.

Cider vinegar is a fairly mild vinegar and is used mainly to offset the sweetness of the sugar. The acid in the vinegar also helps the pectin in the jam sugar to set.

One option is to balance out the acidity by adding a sweetener such as sugar or honey. Another option is to dilute the lemon juice by adding more of the other ingredients in the recipe. Adjusting the seasoning and adding additional ingredients can also help to mellow out the excess lemon flavor.

The propOl'tion of tartaric acid to be used is 1 level tea- spoonful, or the juice of 1 large lime or 2 lemons to every 3-4 lb. of fruit. The acid also improves the flavour and brightens the colour of the jam. Add the acid at tlle commencement, in order to break down the cell-walls and to set the pectin free.

Can I use raw sugar when making jam? ›

Whole Fruit Jam: Save the Sugar

Besides, replacing white sugar with brown sugar is only a relative improvement. Whole or raw sugar (evaporated juice from sugar cane) would be a better substitute, but its strong flavor often masks the taste of the fruit.

Pectin usually requires sugar to create the proper chemical reaction to thicken whatever it is added to. Citric acid is also an important element for this 'chemical magic' to happen. This explains why you see one or both ingredients listed on commercial jam. Well, over here at welovejam.com we shun added thickeners.

It's Not Only About Pectin

There's another reason why lemon juice is added to most jam recipes: for safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria. Bringing the pH level down means jars can be sealed in a regular boiling water bath in a reasonable amount of time (sometimes as little as 10 minutes).

Supplies a healthy dose of vitamin C

Juice half a lemon into your water and you'll add a mere 6 calories to your diet. Plus you'll get more than a sixth of your daily vitamin C, which is needed to protect us from cell damage and repair injury.

They make everything taste better! This is because, like salt, the acidity makes your mouth water. And saliva acts as a solvent for taste substances, which allows your taste buds to pick up more flavor.

Acidic Ingredients

Acidic ingredients, such as pineapple, kiwi, or fresh lemon juice, can interfere with the setting process of gelatin. The enzymes present in these fruits can prevent gelatin from firming up properly, leaving you with a jelly-like consistency instead of a solid dessert.

Adding the recommended amount of bottled lemon juice or citric acid lowers the pH of all tested varieties enough to allow for the safe process of water bath canning.

By using bottled juice, you ensure that your preserves have a consistent level of acidity, which makes them safe for canning. And when making jams or jellies, the degree of acidity in any citrus juice added affects the natural fruit pectin's ability to gel.