Homemade pectin

[Ldychef2k]

Oh, now I see it !

Pips. Are those seeds? These oranges were seedless. We grow a lot of citrus hereabouts, and these are Valencias which are primarily for juice. SO sweet !

I would like to use less sugar, that's for certain. I am diabetic and I do allow myself some sugar on occasion, so the less I use, the more frequent the occasion!

Not sure this pectin is very strong. I hope the marmalade sets up. I have made strawberry and plum jams this year, and neither set up hard. I didn't expect the strawberry to, but the plum ought to have, with all the natural pectin it has.

Excited for your berries!!! We had them growing up, both raspberries and boysenberries. Nothing like gathering a bowl before dinner, in anticipation of dessert.

I planted two raspberries this year. Hope I don't kill them !!! They were $10 per plant, so I am being somewhat protective of them.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Oh, now I see it !

Pips. Are those seeds? These oranges were seedless. We grow a lot of citrus hereabouts, and these are Valencias which are primarily for juice. SO sweet !

I would like to use less sugar, that's for certain. I am diabetic and I do allow myself some sugar on occasion, so the less I use, the more frequent the occasion!

Not sure this pectin is very strong. I hope the marmalade sets up. I have made strawberry and plum jams this year, and neither set up hard. I didn't expect the strawberry to, but the plum ought to have, with all the natural pectin it has.

Excited for your berries!!! We had them growing up, both raspberries and boysenberries. Nothing like gathering a bowl before dinner, in anticipation of dessert.

I planted two raspberries this year. Hope I don't kill them !!! They were $10 per plant, so I am being somewhat protective of them.

Yes, pips are seeds, it's another one of those differences in our common language.......!!

I wonder if the reason your pectin isn't strong is because the apples were too ripe. My pectin was made of the very under-ripe fruit that falls of the tree or that you thin out. If you can get a few crab apples it is even stronger. All jam is better for being made of slightly under-ripe fruit; berries especially. Both my grandmother & mother used to always add the juice of lemons to their jam & if they had very ripe fruit or berries they would add more of them. They always added the pips/seeds ina muslin bag or a scrap of material so they were easy to remove. I think you could add lemon juice & pips to your basic pectin recipe to make it stronger. It will also bring out the taste of your main fruit......it is a win-win solution.

I prefer softer set jams anyway.....I hate very stiff ones; they are more like the old-fashioned fruit "cheeses", which you cut with a knife. The French make delicious runny jams which are very fruity rather than tasting of the sugar....!! Maybe later today I can see if I can find some recipes. I used to have an ancient little book full of translated French recipes & those jams were the best I ever made -- unfortunately I haven't seen the book since I moved.........isn't that typical.

By the way it is really easy to take cuttings of raspberries. Just cut off 12" pieces from the top of the new shoots which appear after fruiting & poke them into the soil & they will take. I put mine into a deep paint bucket (with holes in the bottom for drainage. Keep them moist but not wet & if it is very hot & sunny I put a shade cloth over them. I had to move my entire bed of raspberries because the area was infested with nettles so I also increased the number of canes by taking cuttings. $10 per plant sounds very expensive to me. We buy them in bundles of twelve bare-rooted plants for just under 18 or 6 for 10. If you have friends with plants which are really tasty beg for some cuttings ( or the rogue plants that pop up everywhere around the area , they will usually be grateful that you offer to dig them up. Go over to TEG & see if there is anyone who lives near you or can send you some cuttings or surplus plants. You will find they are best done in the late Winter, early Spring.

Lots of Luck,

Hattie

 

[FarmerDenise]

I used to just add unripe apples to my jams, when I used to make them as a kid.
But your post is very timely, as DD's apple tree is loaded with apples and needs some thinning. I will have to make my own pectin as well.
I like my jams on the thinner side as well. Actually I made a lot of "sauces" last year, which are great in yogurt, smoothies, in and over ice cream and on cakes, on pancakes, on german oven pancakes or mixed with fresh fruit.
Thanks for all the good sites and advice Hattie.

 

[vfem]

My neighbor has a granny apple tree full of fruit, and they have apple scab. We've been discussing what to do. Here's my chance to try my hand at pectin... AND keep recipes for future generations of the family.

 

[sufficientforme]

Let us know how it turns out! Check out the links I posted one of the sites had 20 plus recipes using homemade pectin. They were unusual and different which I tend to find sells well