How to Rebatch Jelly That Didn’t Set Properly

If you need to rebatch jelly because it didn’t set, you’re not alone! I’ve been there too—frustrated when my low-sugar grape jelly refused to gel.

All I wanted was a homemade jelly with less sugar, but it didn’t happen the first few times. Those kitchen mistakes, however, became a valuable lesson.

Now, I’m sharing exactly how to rebatch jelly that didn’t set so you can save your batch and avoid wasting ingredients.

For more jam and jelly tips, techniques, and recipes, check out our Jams and Jellies page—your go-to resource for all things homemade spreads.

This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but will help us to offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we are using and are items we would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support! Click ‘HERE’ for more info.

Why Your Jelly Didn’t Set Properly

So, if it’s so easy, why didn’t your jelly set? You either didn’t use enough pectin, or enough sugar, or didn’t let the mixture boil for long enough. If you don’t let your mixture boil long enough, the heat doesn’t have a chance to dissolve the sugar and activate the pectin. When you add pectin, it doesn’t take long for this chemical reaction to occur, so that probably wasn’t the problem if you used pectin in your recipe.

In my case, I was trying to use a low-sugar recipe with low-sugar pectin and probably didn’t add enough sugar to help activate the pectin. Unfortunately, when you rebatch, you add more sugar and pectin, so my lower sugar dream for my grape jelly did not come true 🤣. However, I am not complaining because I would still rather have homemade jelly over store-bought any day.

Too Much Sugar/Not Enough Sugar

If you add too much sugar to your jelly, it will become too thick or could crystallize because the sugar can’t all dissolve. No one wants to have gritty jelly on their morning toast. If you don’t add enough sugar to your jelly, it won’t set and will be runny (this is what happened to mine). Sugar also acts as a preservative for canned goods, so not adding enough sugar can result in your jelly developing mold even if it is sealed properly.

Too Much Pectin/Not Enough Pectin

Similar to sugar, if you add too much pectin to a jelly recipe, it will affect the texture, possibly making it bubble, uneven, or really thick. If you don’t add enough pectin, it will be runny because it can’t properly gel. Insufficient amounts of pectin can also make for a shorter shelf life.

Give me the Guide!

Time to Rebatch Jelly

First of all, rebatching simply means that you need to redo the jelly. It involves dumping your sealed jellies into a pot and adding more sugar and pectin, then reheating it.

What You’ll Need:

• runny jelly
• Sugar: I use organic raw sugar
• Regular pectin (not low sugar for rebatching): I usually get pectin from Walmart, Farm and Fleet, or Menards because it is generally cheaper than on Amazon
• lemon juice
• Half-pint jars: I don’t usually buy these from Amazon because they are a lot more expensive, so look for them at Walmart, Farm and Fleet, Menards, etc.
• Lids and rings for jars: It is recommended that you use new lids every time you can something new to make sure you get a proper seal.
• Canning tools: These tools make canning so much easier
• Water bath canner: Mine is similar to this one! There are also bundles where you can get your canner and the tools together and save a little bit.

Instructions for How to Rebatch Jelly that Didn’t Set

Don’t use more than 4-6 cups at a time when you need to rebatch jelly. You want to make sure the batches are small enough that everything works properly and gets to the right consistency. Measure the jelly that needs to be rebatched.

This recipe is for 4 cups at a time, but you can adjust to make it 5 or 6 if you have more than 4 half pints of jelly that need to be rebatched. If you have more than that, I would suggest just doing multiple batches.

Wash and sanitize your jars by boiling them, putting them in the oven, or running a sanitizing cycle on your dishwasher. Since these jellies are only going to be in the canner boiling for 5 minutes, they need to be sanitized. According to the University of Georgia’s National Center for Food Preservation, if something is being water bath canned for 10 minutes or longer, the jars don’t need to be sanitized.

Let’s get JAMMIN’ (or jellying…not quite the same ring 😂)

Fill sanitized jars to 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims and put the lids on. Rings should be finger-tip tight. Put water in your water bath canner and put it over medium heat to start heating the water. Add your jelly jars and bring the water to a boil.

Process in the water bath canner for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove from the canner and allow to cool for 12-24 hours. Check for proper seal and store in a cool, dry place with the rings off.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Rebatch Jelly

Why didn’t my jelly set?

As I mentioned above, jelly sometimes doesn’t set due to too much or not enough sugar or pectin. The time and temperature it is being cooked also play a huge part in the thickness.

How do I know if my rebatch jelly has set?

There are several ways to tell if jelly has set. The spoon test is where you let some jelly fall off a spoon. If it comes off in individual drops, it is not ready; when it comes off as a sheet, it is set. When the temperature of your jelly reaches 220ºF, it should be set.

The plate test can also be helpful in knowing if your jelly has set. Put a small plate in the freezer when you start making your jelly. When you’re ready to test it, put a small amount of jelly on the plate and wait a few seconds. Press it with your finger, and if it wrinkles, it is ready to come off the heat. If your finger slides right through it, keep cooking.

Can I use the microwave to reheat the jelly?

It isn’t recommended to use the microwave because you don’t have as much control. Using the stove allows you to keep a close eye on your jelly to make sure it is boiling for the proper amount of time.

How long will rebatch jelly last?

Rebatched jelly should last as long as any other properly canned jelly; about 1 year stored in a cool, dark place. Once it has been opened, it should be eaten within a couple of weeks.

What’s the best way to store jelly?

It is best to store home-canned goods in a cool, dark place. Do not stack jars on top of each other, and always store with the rings off.

Thanks for checking out this post! I hope you were able to rebatch jelly that might have failed you the first time. Let me know in the comments what kind of jelly you needed these instructions for.