There are several scenarios that can cause the pectin to clump together when it is added to the fruit mixture.
The pectin was stirred directly into the fruit mixture.
The pectin was stirred into an amount of sweetener below the low end of the sweetener range.
The pectin was not well mixed throughout the sweetener.
The pectin was stirred into a sugar with larger crystals, like turbinado sugar. The pectin may not mix well with these larger crystals.
The Fix: Turn off the heat and fish out the pectin clumps as much as you can. Put ¾ cup up to 1 cup of hot fruit mixture into a cup for immersion blender, or in food processor, or in blender. Add the pectin clumps that you fished out. It is very important to vent the lid (if there is one) to let steam out. Don’t use an enclosed blender that can’t be vented. Blend for a full minute until all clumps are totally dissolved.
Bring pan with fruit mixture back to a boil, add blended pectin-fruit, and stir well. Stir vigorously to break up any pectin clumps still in the fruit mixture. Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Jar and process according to the recipe sheet that comes with Pomona’s Pectin.
Note: For this fix to work, your fruit mixture needs to be a “low-sweetener mixture” — that is, the sweetener that is already mixed in with the fruit has to be within the sweetener ranges on our recipe sheet. The pectin clumps can only fully dissolve in a low-sweetener mixture.
If the sweetener in your mixture is above the sweetener range, turn off the heat and fish out the pectin clumps as much as you can. Put ¾ cup up to 1 cup of boiling water or boiling unsweetened fruit juice into a cup for immersion blender, or in food processor, or in blender. Add the pectin clumps that you fished out. It is very important to vent the lid (if there is one) to let steam out. Don’t use an enclosed blender that can’t be vented. Blend for a full minute until all clumps are totally dissolved.
Bring pan with fruit mixture back to a boil, add blended pectin, and stir well. Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Jar and process according to the recipe sheet that comes with Pomona’s Pectin.