Learn about the origins of pectin and its definition and use in cooking

Pectin is a polysaccharide starch that is found in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables. In terms of food ingredients, pectin is a gelling agent.

It partially mimics the action of gelatin, but unlike gelatin from animals, pectin comes entirely from plants. Liquid pectin and dried pectin are found in a wide variety of foods, from homemade frozen jams to high-volume gummies.

Pectin can come from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Popular sources include:

apple

Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes all contribute to the manufacture of so-called citrus pectin)

turnip

apricot

plum

Blackberries

cherry

flail

The amount of pectin in fruits and vegetables can vary greatly. In general, the harder fruit pectin content is higher, while the softer fruit pectin content is lower. Ripe fruits also have lower pectin content than unripe fruits.

A wide variety of recipes use pectin.

Pectin is commonly used in jams, jams, and jellies because when it is cooked with acids and sugar at high temperatures, it produces a nice gelatinous texture.

Fruits with a high content of their own pectin usually require very little sugar and pectin to make jam. (In some cases, these jellies can be made without adding any sugar.) ）

However, fruits with lower pectin content usually require both. However, if you don't want to add too much sugar (for example, this is common in berry jams), you can add pectin without affecting the flavor.

Pectin is also used to make pies that require a strong, slightly gelatinous texture, or to make a transparent fruit glaze called napage.

Some types of medications also contain pectin, but these medications require much less pectin compared to dessert recipes.

Pectin is vegetarian. It does not contain animal products. Pectin is made from real fruit, and all its forms — from dried pectin to liquid pectin to mass-produced commercial pectin — come entirely from plants.

Gelatin is a more common ingredient than pectin, although both can provide a similar gel texture to food. However, there is a big difference between the two.

While gelatin is made from animal products (most notably collagen), pectin is vegetarian and vegan because it comes from fruit.

Pectin is available in liquid or powder form and is soluble in cold water. Pectin requires other ingredients to gel. Usually these ingredients are sugar or calcium.

There are also different types of pectin that can be used for different things. There are four main types.

HM pectin. High methoxy (HM) pectin is the most common type of pectin. It is usually labeled "Quick Setup" or "Slow Setup". Both types are extracted from citrus fruit peels and are essentially the same, the main difference being how much time and temperature they take. Fast-setting pectin requires higher temperatures and less time to solidify, while slow-setting pectin requires lower temperatures and more time. Fast-setting pectin is ideal for recipes containing suspensions, and is therefore more suitable for jams and preserves (suspensions are essentially hanging, suspended in sticky jams of fruit fragments). Slow-setting pectin is more suitable for recipes that do not contain any suspension, such as smooth jelly. HM pectin requires sugar and a very specific acid content to harden. That's why it's perfect for making fruit preserves, jams, and jellies.

LM pectin. Low-methoxy pectin (LM) also comes from citrus peel. It is commonly used in low-calorie jams and jellies because it relies on calcium rather than sugar to cure. It also works well for dairy recipes that don't require sugar. With the addition of calcium, LM pectin becomes stronger and stronger until it reaches the saturation point. At that point, the process reversed, it became less determined.

Apple pectin. Apple pectin is pectin extracted from apples and is usually sold in powder form. It can be used as a gelling agent and thickener, as well as a food stabilizer. It is also used in medicine, as a supplement, as a chewy throat sugar, or as an additive to laxatives because of its natural laxative properties. Apple pectin is rich in healthy carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sodium, manganese, copper and zinc.

Pectin NH. Pectin NH is a type of apple pectin commonly used in fruit glazes and fruit fillings. It is a modified LM pectin. Pectin NH requires calcium to gel, just like any other type of LM pectin, but it is less. It is also thermally reversible, meaning it can melt, solidify, remelt, and then reset again.

If you don't have dry or liquid pectin on hand, or can't find it on the market, there are several alternatives to choose from:

Citrus peel. Citrus peel – especially the white part or pulp – is naturally rich in pectin. If you are making fruit jam, citrus increases the content of pectin without increasing sugar.

cornstarch. Corn starch is a natural thickener that acts as a seamless alternative to pectin.

gelatin. Gelatin is a viable option for non-vegetarians or non-vegetarians.

Extra sugar. Finally, you can make jams and jellies the old-fashioned way: cook them for a few hours and add plenty of sugar. Of course, the only downside is that you cook a lot of natural nutrients and end up eating a lot of added sugar.