What's the trick? I have apple juice and quince juice (threw a few apple cores in the pot with the quince) in the fridge, and more quinces to cook. I'd really like to make this batch(es) clear and not cloudy like my apple pectin and pepper-lime jelly turned out. Though the pepper/lime is clearer than the pectin (strained limes through muslin, apple pectin through coffee filters).

And as Carol said in your other post on jelly, double staining of the jelly is often needed for best clarity - that and allowing adequate time for draining rather than trying to rush it.

Quality of the fruit used also plays a BIG role in clarity. Ideal fruit yields ideal results but borderline quality fruit doesn't.

Dave

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

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?

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 ;)

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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?

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.

Welcome to the forum!