So far multiple strainings through coffee filters hasn't worked, letting it sit in the fridge overnight hasn't, and even last night I took the linen tea towel (scalded), poured the pot liquor through it into a pan, put the apples in it, twisted up the ends and hung it on a wooden clotheshanger with metal clips (the kind for pants) and let it drip about 5 hrs. Still cloudy.

What are jelly bags made of that makes them special? I've seen some complaints about flimsy stands so figured I might as well make my own from available fabric (I have a large stash).

BTW, any special way to wash the bags? I just put them in regular wash (this AM threw some bleach in since I did them with socks and underwear, but I always do 2 rinses with bleach). I figured that would be OK, as long as I was sure the detergent rinsed out, no fabric softener, and I pour boiling water through the fabric b4 I put juice/fruit into it.

Does using cores make the juice cloudy? Should I just use the flesh (peeled, cored fruit) only?

Thanks

I've used various fabrics over the years: pillow case, muslin napkins etc. But I've never owned a jelly bag. After cooking up the fruit I tip it into the cloth of the moment and hang it from the four feet of an upturned kitchen stool with the bowl on the underside of the seat. Then I leave it to drip completely undisturbed over night. ie at least 12 hours and usually more. If I don't manage to make the jelly the next day I freeze the juice. The worst disaster was hanging it from the handle of the wall-mounted coffee grinder. It fell off in the night and we had redcurrant stains up the walls for months.

I figured that the clear stuff would come out first? And if I didn't see it dripping any more that not much more would come out?

Or is there something magical that happens overnight? I just didn't feel comfortable leaving it after I went to bed (in fact, left my colander in the pan under it just in case it slipped).

If the juice isn't clear now, will straining it again (now that I have clean fabric again) help? Heat it up first or "cold filter" it like beer LOL?

I made the quince juice on Wed, stuck it in the fridge in covered (nonsterilized) clean jars. Is it still good?

I figured that the clear stuff would come out first?

Not necessarily.

And if I didn't see it dripping any more that not much more would come out?

No, not true.

Or is there something magical that happens overnight?

It isn't that it is "overnight" or magical, it is just that sufficient time must be allowed. As mentioned by several 12-24 hours is normal straining time.

If the juice isn't clear now, will straining it again (now that I have clean fabric again) help?

Yes. Double straining improves the clarity. Reheat and then restrain.

I made the quince juice on Wed, stuck it in the fridge in covered (nonsterilized) clean jars. Is it still good?

Personally I'm not comfortable with letting juice sit that long as it begins to degrade and I doubt that it will clear up now but technically yes it is still safe to use as long as it was refrigerated and is reheated as it should be.

Dave's wife via Dave ;)

Get a steam juicer ! They are really wonderful things.
I have some beautiful looking jellies. Especially the crabapple.

Each fruit is going to react differently but basically it's a matter of patience and accepting the waste that comes with clarity.

In other words, you just have to keep straining (each time getting a lower yield) until the juice is clear, however many times that takes. I have been known to strain three times with successively finer mediums.

I don't use the jelly bags. I think they're too coarse. (I'm speaking of those flimsy nylon net ones that come on a stand, not the UK muslin bags with handles.) I use a fine-grade cheesecloth or muslin tea towel followed by coffee filters.

Most cheesecloth available in the stores is too coarse but if you visit dairy supply or cheesemaking websites you will find cheescloth available by the yard in grades by tightness of weave.

And of course undyed muslin is available in any fabric department.

It's also a function of time. When filtering I normally allow 24 hours. I have no concerns about leaving juice out for that time. It's going to be boiled with lots of sugar so I don't worry about it.

I agree with Linda Lou that the steam juicer really helps. The juice is beautiful. It still requires straining but much less.

I don't know that there are any tricks, just time and patience.

Carol

Thanks - I did combine the quince and the apple, strained through a colander into a preserving pan covered with linen towel. Then strained again through same towel, then took unused edges of towel and folded together, used a rubber band to secure to top of quart jar, strained through multiple thicknesses. Got 3C, cooked it with 1C sugar and 1T lemon juice, very thick and bubbly (and syrup stuck to pan and all over stove), got 1 1/2 - 1 3/4C out of it so processed 1 jar, strained the rest, got app 5C, added 2C sugar and 2 T lemon juice, didn't cook quite as thick but still got a soft set on a cold saucer, got 4 1/4 - 4 1/2C out of that (processed 4 jars and added the rest to the jar in the fridge, I know that will make it cloudy but I don't care), it's a lighter color than the one that cooked longer but still not crystal-clear. How long for it to set? I don't know if it's possible to strain all the pectin out?

Tastes wonderful - I wasn't going to add clear vanilla but it doesn't need it. Worst case we have it on pancakes, but I wanted to give jelly to the neighbor who gave me the fruit.

Steam juicer is not in the budget/picture. I still have to justify the Foodsaver to DH!

Jelly typically is lower-pectin than other preserves due to the lack of pulp. Without commercial pectin it is a more "fragile" product and it is easy to break the jell with over-cooking or over-processing. So it does get a bit tricky.

I'm guessing the pectin stock by its nature may be cloudy. The threads that form tend to be viscous and not-clear. In something like a pepper jelly that requires added pectin it might be difficult to achieve the absolute clarity you get with a commercial pectin. Just a thought.

Of course other jellies like raspberry or apple can be quite clear, but they have sufficient natural pectin to form a jell just with the juice, albeit a more delicate one.

Carol

I should have tested the pectin after the final straining. It did seem less viscous, but that may just have been b/c it was warming up after being out of the fridge for hours. It still hasn't set (neither has the Pepper Lime Jelly from 5 days ago). I really need an instant-read thermometer. I was afraid I'd overcooked the first batch today (reduced the strained juice by half), so I under-cooked the second batch (not reduced much at all).

The kids don't mind - DD had some from the fridge dripped onto a graham cracker, she declared it the best! Too delicate for PBJ sandwiches, but perfect for pancakes, pound cake, angel food cake, etc. I may even make snow cones with it if it doesn't set by next summer LOL.

A steam juicer... in my dreams, yes, in my budget... no!
I fiddled around though and came up with this alternative and although it's rather putzy, I've gotten some nice juice from grapes and raspberries. Lovely clear jellies also.

I have a very large old ceramic turkey roaster and a large stainless steel strainer. I line the strainer with two doubled layers of dampened cheesecloth, criss-crossed, for a total of four layers. I put my fruit in the strainer, the strainer in the roaster and the roaster in the oven. I also put about a cup or so of water in there as well, to get the steam started. The fruit releases its juice which then drains from the strainer into the roaster. As long as there is a tight cover, the steam stays inside and the juice stays "juicy".

Unfortunately, my strainer is a wee bit too large for the cover to stay on tightly, so I end up leaving the roaster cover off and just covering it all up tightly with aluminum foil. Let it cool a bit before removing the cover or foil or you'll lose some of that precious steam liquid. ;) Then, I can drain off that juice and if I still want or need more, I put a pie plate in the strainer and use a pitcher of water as a weight, letting that press out any more juice.

It sounds like a lot of work I suppose, but while it's time consuming, mostly it's prep work and I can use the stovetop for other things or be off doing other projects while the fruit is in the oven or being pressed.

Of course, I have then strained juice through a coffee filter as well to get a really clear juice, but either way, this juice is providing some of the clearest jellies I've ever made.

berrybusy - have you tried that with hard fruits like apples and quinces? I don't have a covered roaster, I'd have to use foil too. What temperature do you set the oven to, and for how long (hard fruit might take longer)?

Yeah! My Pepper-Lime jelly (1 jar at least) is starting to gel! Clear fluid on the bottom, tiny bubble-filled jelly above. The other jars (even the 4 oz jars, this one is an 8-oz) haven't shown any signs yet. So maybe there's hope, not only for the pepper jelly, but for the apple-quince?

I saw some Stonewall Kitchen pepper jelly in the store, it was filled with tiny bubbles and I thought they must have not released them, but my jars were very fluid and clear when I filled them, it's just the gelled part of the one that's bubbly. Is this just the nature of the beast? I'm sure Stonewall used commercial pectin so it set sooner (in the pan?), but will no-added-pectin jellies always have these tiny bubbles, or is there something I can do to avoid them?

I just tried it with apples last week. It works. Of course, you'll have plenty of pulp left, but you will get juice. I was able to get enough juice from a strainer full of apples for a batch of jelly. However, I would say try adding an extra cup of water at the beginning.

As for temperature, I would say a slow oven is better. Maybe 200-225 deg. F. I have already had the oven at 350 deg. F., but you may run into your juice beginning to gel slightly if it bakes too long at a higher temperature. It's not the end of the world, just something I noticed.

The time in the oven varies with the fruit. Yes, as you guessed, the apples took longer. I usually use the "sniff" test - when you can smell the fruit it usually means it's all cooked through.

Oh... and I tried this with some ripe tasty cling stone peaches that were not cooperating with any of my other attempts. I ended up with what turned into some very nice peach syrup. I know peaches don't normally "juice" but get pureed for nectar, but like I mentioned, they REALLY weren't cooperating... At least this way I got SOMETHING from them.

I had the same problem as you, ajsmama. My juice looked like it had been mixed with cornflour! But I decided to give it a go anyway, and lo and behold, it cleared when I heated it with the lemon juice and sugar! :) Reading one of the other posts on here, I think my juice was just particularly high in pectin. This is supported by the fact that I had to skim a lot of scum from the pan and my jelly set incredibly well too. So don't despair :)

Thanks - I've been making the natural jellies for 4 years now and use an old pillowcase, they come out nice and clear with no problems (except for last year's grape jelly that didn't want to set - grrr!).

Welcome to the forum!