Thin Jelly

[randy savage]

My first time making elderberry jelly. I followed the recipe to a "T", and let it sit for 2 weeks and it is real thin like a syrup. What happened and is there anything I can use this for or thicken it for a jelly. I used surejell and sugar.

[Kelly Barclay]

Maybe the surejell was old.  This happened to my daughter once.  I wasn't present during the making but I think she mixed up the steps.

We use our elderberry "syrup" on icecream, waffles and pancakes.  It's delicious on buttered biscuits also. 

Don't give up!!

[Kathy Boser]

The same thing happened to me this year, which was also my first attempt. I reprocessed my with new surejell and found the second attempt to be successful, but a little too thick. We still like the flavor though.

[randy savage]

Thanks Kelly and Kathy for responding. Kelly, I don't know if it was old surejell, I just grabbed it off the supermarket shelf but definitely something for me to keep in mind next time. I think I will be using some for waffles as a syrup and also take Kathy's advice and try to reprocess some.

 

[Joe Wilson]

Elderberries have a very low acid level which makes it difficult to jell.  I understand adding some lemon juice helps.

[Kathy Boser]

Joe, Thanks for the tip, I'll keep this in mind for this next year.

[randy savage]

Yes Joe, Thank you for the informational tip.

 

[Mark T]

I add lemon juice to cut the tannicity of the elderberries. Even so I almost always get a batch that just doesn't *take* most every year. Oh well... syrup for colds if nothing else!!!!

[Rkw]

The exact thing happened to me attempting t  make jelly this Fall.

It is still delicious on pancakes and in smoothies, but I wonder what I can do next time to get it to turn out right-like jam?

[Mark T]

Well...apparently Elderberry doesn't help much with pneumonia :/

[Kathy Boser]

Sorry to hear about the pneumonia. I've been using the special syrup recipe I found on-line each time I've felt like a cold was coming on and so far so good. I feel fortunate since the grandkids all had strep and the flu and so far (knock on wood) so good for avoiding it all.

[Joe Wilson]

I have started bottling and selling my elderberry juice as a supplement.  I am selling mostly to natural food stores.  If you know a store that you think would be interested, please let me know.  

[Mark T]

Kathy Boser said:

Sorry to hear about the pneumonia. I've been using the special syrup recipe I found on-line each time I've felt like a cold was coming on and so far so good. I feel fortunate since the grandkids all had strep and the flu and so far (knock on wood) so good for avoiding it all.

Yeah...never really got a cold..just thought it was.  BUT no sneeze, no really stuffy head or runny nose. It started in chest, and I think it was pneumonia from the getgo, and that would explain why elder did nothing for me. Robitussin wasn't helping either, so after about a week I finally went to Dr and diagnosed with pneumonia.