Homemade pectin

[sufficientforme]

I found this blog that only cans with homemade pectin, maybe there is information that will help you.
Using Homemade Pectin
As a general guide, 2/3 cup of liquid pectin is enough to set 4 cups of low-pectin prepared fruit or fruit juice.
Interesting how to test the strength of your pectin with rubbing alcohol, which was found in both these blogs.
http://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/07/10/jam-making-primer/

http://www.edibleportland.com/2007/03/homemade_pectin.html

Hope that helps at least a little, I think the biggest success you will have with this project is recording the recipes that are successful for future generations because I found very few printed recipes for using homemade pectin, but we all know that's how our Grandparent's and their parents made jams and jellies

 

[Hattie the Hen]

OK, inquiring minds want to know- how do you make pectin?? (Just what I need, another project. It is a disease, I tell you, a disease!)

Hi there!

Years ago I made my own pectin because I had a garden full of apple trees & a lot of windfalls. At the time I just guessed at the quantities, as I know different fruit/even varieties contain differing amounts. But I found these useful British articles on the subject. Hope they help....!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodandd...3289780/In-a-stew-making-your-own-pectin.html

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6550822_make-own-pectin-powder.html

http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/The_Forager/pectin.htm


Hattie

 

[valmom]

Thank you! Those links were great- I may try making pectin this fall when apples are in for next year's jams.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Thank you! Those links were great- I may try making pectin this fall when apples are in for next year's jams.

Hi valmom,

I think you will have problems if you wait till the apples are ripe as the green, unripe windfalls, or thinnings are what you need to use for pectin. That means that you can make use of all the fruit from what is called "the June drop" when the trees naturally thin out the surplus fruit they can't support & ripen.

Good luck & happy canning.


Hattie

 

[valmom]

Cool- I may go down to the apple orchard at the bottom of our street and see if I can pick up the drops.

 

[valmom]

I just thought. Isn't nature amazing? The drops that the trees can't support allow us to preserve fruit for later for ourselves.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Yesterday, I was given a very large box of oranges. I could barely carry it, so I know it was about 40 to 50 pounds or so. The oranges were valencias and were heavy with juice. I squeezed a large glass out of four of them!

I looked up marmalade recipes and only the one at PickYourOwn.org required the use of pectin. Some had a very complex procedure for extracting pectin from the membranes and skins.

I decided to try a hybrid. I used my zester on 15 oranges, and got about 1 1/2 cups of zest strips. Then I squeezed 8 cups of juice, matched it with sugar (kills me to do that), and added 8 ounces of my apple pectin. I read that the best thing about apple pectin is that you can add it at the beginning and add more if you think you need it along the way. So, that's what I am doing. And I am cooking it in the crock pot to boot. Just a test, I can crank it up later if this doesnt' work. Man, that was some awesome juice.

The oranges were a gift from one of my canning students. She works in a packing house and gets them free at the end of a run. She says they are starting tomatoes this next week, and she can bring by a lug or so for me to can ! What a blessing this is. Last week I received green beans and a ton of plums. This is a winderful, wonderful life. I hope I can give back even a small percentage of what I am receiving....

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Ldychef2k

Whoops.......!!!!.... I submitted this before I had barely started to type my message ---silly old thing that I am.....!!

Did you include all the pips from your oranges ( I put mine in a scrap of material) when you boiled everything up in your pot; they contain a lot of pectin. I wonder if you made a really powerful pot of pectin first if you could get a good set using less sugar. I too dislike using so much of the stuff. My raspberries look as if they are going to produce a bumper crop any day now & I have to thin out some apples on my trees as they are overloaded so maybe I will try it & see if it works.

It is great you are getting so much fruit & veg. to can & your dreams are being realised-- you deserve it: I read your blog & postings on SS all the time but I tend to lurk a lot. I only really post a lot on TEG because I really can't honestly say I am self sufficient or can ever hope to be at the age of 70......!! I just do what I can with the knowledge I have......!!

Good luck to you in your endeavors!


Hattie

 

[Ldychef2k]

Hi !

Did I miss something? I do that a lot.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi !

Did I miss something? I do that a lot.

Got myself sorted out .............................................................eventually....!!! Old age & too large a glass of wine!!!!!! See above post (#18) & apologies....Hrrrumph.....!!


Hattie