Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Use fruits naturally rich in pectin. Apples, grapes and gooseberries are high in pectin, while strawberries, cherries and blueberries are low. Combine low-pectin fruits with high-pectin fruits to achieve a good gel.
2

Crush fruit rather than pureeing it in a food processor. Pureeing will alter the amount of acids in the mixture, which can weaken the gel.
3

Use ordinary white granulated sugar. Sugar alternatives such as honey, agave syrup, brown rice syrup and sucralose will prevent the jam from jelling properly. Do not add more or less sugar than the recipe specifies.
4

Avoid overcooking. Overcooked jam will not thicken properly. Instead, follow recipe instructions for gauging when the jam is fully cooked. For instance, in the spoon test, you observe whether jam runs off a spoon in drops or in sheets. Jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
5

Boil fruit pulp for longer periods of time to create a low-sugar or sugar-free jam. This won't work with all fruits, but you'll have no trouble finding low-sugar, pectin-free apple butter and peach spread recipes.