What is pectin?
Pectin is a soluble gel-like polysaccharide and, simply put, a soluble fiber found in plants. When combined with sugar, acid, and heat, pectin has a gelling effect, thickening and solidifying liquids. For example, imagine cooking fruit on the stove and sprinkling it with sugar. The longer it bubbles, the thicker the juice will be. This is pectin at work! Most fruits and vegetables contain pectin.
Types of pectin
Pectin occurs in natural sources (such as fruits and vegetables) and in commercially produced forms. Store-bought pectin comes in powdered and liquid forms, as well as instant pectin and low-sugar pectin. Most store-bought pectin comes from a naturally high pectin source: citrus peels.
It's best to use whatever type of pectin your recipe calls for, as it will affect the amount of sugar, cooking time, and other factors.
Choose the right pectin for your recipe
Some high-pectin fruits do not require the addition of pectin to form a gel. These include apples, quinces, cranberries, grapes and tangerines.
Low-pectin fruits like pears and strawberries need extra help thickening and gelling. Some recipes call for adding high-pectin fruits to help them set—for example, stir orange peel and seeds into rhubarb jam. But many home preservers turn to store-bought pectin because of its consistency and ease of use.
Store-bought pectin usually sets faster, reducing the time needed to cook the jam or jelly. Many reduced-sugar recipes call for store-bought pectin: Since sugar acts as a thickening agent in many preserves recipes, adding pectin helps gel the fruit with less sweetener.
What is pectin used for?
Pectin is most commonly used in cooking jams, jellies, and other preserves. It is also used to make fudge and as a stabilizing ingredient in commercial cooking and baking.
If you're not sure, here's the difference between jam, jelly, and preserves.
Pectin and gelatin
Pectin and gelatin are both commonly used thickening and stabilizing ingredients in cooking and baking. Fruit pectin is suitable for vegetarians. Gelatin is a protein derived from collagen, usually from animal sources, which means it is not vegan or vegetarian. Since pectin requires sugar and acid to set, it's mostly used in sweet recipes, while gelatin is commonly found in savory foods or foods that don't require cooking, like these Skittles.
How to use pectin
If you're new to cooking with pectin, try a simple jam recipe like this favorite strawberry jam. Since strawberries are a low-pectin fruit, the added pectin packets help thicken the fruit in just a few minutes. Cherry jam and blueberry jam also benefit from added pectin. Adding store-bought pectin can even help non-traditional ingredients like champagne jelly or sweet, mild corncob jelly gel and set.
