Hot to Make Your Own Pectin

What is pectin?

Pectin is a natural product that comes from apples and is the prime ingredient that allows jams and jellies to jell. The most popular brands of pectin found in supermarkets are Sure Jell and Ball Classic which range in price from $2.00 to $2.75. This is not a big investment if you're making a few pints of freezer jam. However, when you're looking at canning a whole bushel of fruit, and since jams and jellies must be made in small batches, you're going to need a lot of pectin.

All apples have high pectin content but sour apples contain the most. Therefore, when making your own pectin, choose sour apples such as Granny Smith or Winesap. Crabapples are ideal for making your own pectin but may be difficult to find since they are usually not found in the local supermarket.

Those who are fortunate enough to have crabapple trees or live in an area where crabapples can be easily obtained have a great source at hand for making pectin. Nevertheless, when crabapples are not an option, any sour apple will do.

How to make your own pectin

Wash and cut the apples into manageable pieces and put them into a stock pot with about two or three inches of water. Bring it to a boil and cook until apples are soft and mushy. Do not peel the apples. There is a lot of pectin in the peel and seeds.

How to extract the pectin

There are several methods of draining the apples depending on how many you are working with. The standard method is to strain them through cheese cloth but a clean white t-shirt stretched over a five gallon bucket works just fine. You can secure the t-shirt around the bucket with a cord then pour the cooked apples into it. The liquid that drains from the cooked apples is your pectin.

How to use your homemade pectin

As a general rule, 2 to 3 cups of homemade pectin equals 1 package of Sure jell. But since it is in a liquid form, add it to the fruit or juice after the sugar has been dissolved. The following is a typical jelly recipe.

• 5 cups of fruit juice
• 7 cups of sugar
• 1 package of Sure jell
• ¼ cup of lemon juice

Combine fruit juice, Sure Jell, and lemon juice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring it back to a boil. Boil hard one minute or until jelling point is reached.

When using homemade pectin you would combine fruit juice and lemon juice in a large pot and bring it to a boil then add the sugar and stir until dissolved. This is when you would add 2 to 3 cups of homemade pectin. Bring it back to a boil and boil hard one minute or until jelling point is reached.

How to store homemade pectin

Homemade pectin can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or so but freezing or canning is best for long-term storage. You can pour it into freezer containers or freezer-safe canning jars and store it in the freezer for a year or more.

Canning your homemade pectin is best for long-term storage as it will keep longer. Simply bring it to a boil and pour into hot, sterilized jars then process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

Conclusion

Making your own pectin can save lots of money if you do a lot of canning. It is also a convenience when the canning season rolls around and supermarkets are running low on Sure jell. It sounds like a lot of work but a few hours of work can stock your shelves and or freezer with enough pectin to last two full growing and canning seasons.

Before plunging into the task of making a huge batch of homemade pectin, make a small batch and experiment with it during the canning season. Learn how to use it. Some people swear by it while others say they have never had any success with homemade pectin.

If you choose sour apples and use the correct amount, homemade pectin works just as well as Sure Jell. However, it does take a fair amount of practice to get it right.