We’ve explained why we avoid adding pectin earlier (the commercial stuff is so tart that the sugar often doubles in a recipe just to accommodate the thickener). I actually choose a runny jam which tastes more like berries than a thick jam which is closer to sugar.
Pectin is highest in the skin and seeds of fruit – take a look at the following list and mentally compare the type of skin and seed each of the fruit in one category has to another:
High-Pectin Fruits
tart apples, crab apples, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, concord, muscadine, and supernong grapes, lemons, loganberries, bitter oranges, damson and some tart plums and quinces.
Low-Pectin Fruits
apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, elderberries, figs, all other grapes, huckleberries, guavas, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, pomegranates, raspberries, rhubarb, sweet plums, strawberries.
Once you know what yo9u`re dealoing with, here`s a few tips on how to avoid using pectin:
- Don`t panic if your fruit is marked as low pectin. I have never used pectin with raspberries (marked as low on just about every list I`ve ever found) and Raspberry always sets firm. I`ve probably cursed this years batch
. - Do not use a recipe intended for pectin and modify (or vice-versa). The sugar contents are radically different and your results will be unpredictable – at best.
- The more ripe the fruit is, the less pectin it will contain. Buy just-ripe (or even a shade under-ripe) fruit will help keep your pectin content higher.
- Since the highest amounts of pectin is in the skins and seeds, consider using them. If you are preserving something seeded or peeled (peaches are both while cherries are typically just pitted), consider placing your discarded peels and seeds into a cheesecloth bag during the cooking process – you can pull the bag out before jarring.
- Overcooking is the number one cause of pectin degeneration. Cook slow and steady and follow your recipe closely.
- Don`t be afraid to remove the heat while testing for set. I love doing the quick-chill test (place a small amount of jam on a plate, place in freezer for 3 minutes and draw your finger through it. A firm-set will remain parted while a soft-set will slowly head back together. If you don`t take your pot off the heat, your jam may over-cook and your test will be invalid (you`ll be testing what the gel point was 3 minutes before).
- Perhaps this is an extreme recommendation but, for me, it`s worth considering: investigate alternative approaches. We`ve moved away from strawberry jam and preserve whole strawberries instead (in simple syrup; more on that tomorrow). We don`t have a thick-setting jam but we do get plenty of whole fruit and a great flavour-syrup which is much lower in sugar than a `perfect`jam.
- Know your options – combining fruits and finding recipes that do provide options that will let you add a lot of structure while maintaining a more moderate balance of added sugar.
Would love to know of any other tricks others are using out there..
good morning! great post! i’m in detroit on biz. waiting to get outta ‘dodge’ – thank god for iphones! reading all your berry links!
I have a book on preserving by Madelaine Bullwinkel (she runs a cooking school in Chicago) that uses an apple pectin stock made from Granny Smith apples to ensure a set when using low-pectin ingredients. Most of the wine jelly recipes in the book use the stock, and it works extremely well. The flavour is also demure enough not to overpower the other main ingredients.
It’s simple to make: 4 pounds of apples (chopped, including cores, seed, and skins) to 8 cups water. Simmer 30 minutes, strain very well, and reduce resulting strained juice to 3 cups total. This one recipe of 3 cups stock is generally used in one recipe of jelly/jam/preserves.
I learned the hard way trying to remove commercial pectin from recipes written with it as an ingredient, so I quite like having this stock option at the ready!
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