FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you use sugar?

We do use sugar. Sugar is an essential component of jams, jellies, and marmalades. Sugar is the preservative, and its presence helps to ensure the fruit cooks hot enough to thicken and gel.

We use the minimum amount of sugar we can while still meeting food code standards and ensuring the jam is safe to eat. 

2. Do you use pectin?

We do not use pectin in our recipes. We’re fans of simple and easy, and we believe that a shorter ingredient list is better. Adding pectin means adding one more ingredient. Pectin is also an ingredient that someone else must manufacture, which creates one more place in the supply chain where a mistake could be made, a recall necessary.

Because our recipes don't use pectin, we use a long-cook process to ensure the fruit thickens and gels.

We believe that our short, pectin-free ingredient list and our whole-ingredient, long-cook approach yields a very special result that is not only delicious, but also worry free. 

3. Why is Jamboleo jam a little softer than what I buy from the grocery store?

This comes from not using pectin. Some of our products have a softer set. They won’t be as firm as a mass-produced jam from the grocery store. And their texture will be different from fruit to fruit because each type of fruit has a different amount of naturally occurring pectin. The less pectin, the less firm the jam or marmalade. They do tend to firm up in the refrigerator.

4. Why is lemon juice in the ingredients list for everything?

Lemon juice adds two essential elements: pectin and acidity. Lemon juice is acidic, and the pH of jams and marmalades must be low (acidic) to ensure the jam is stable at room temperature and safe to eat. Lemons also have a high amount of naturally occurring pectin, so adding lemon juice to the fruit while it is cooking helps the jam or marmalade to become firm (to set) and not be like syrup.

5. Are Jamboleo products gluten free?

We do not add any ingredients that contain gluten to our recipes, but we are not a certified gluten free kitchen.