San Francisco-based Shakirah Simley, owner of Slow Jams, does not encourage the use of store-bought pectins. Ditch the synthetic stuff and make your own.
How to Make Homemade Pectin for Jam
POST A COMMENT |12
Comments
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Picnic Recipes Galore
Corner-Store Party Food on the Fly
9 Chili Recipes, Bison to Vegan
How to Choose the Best Strawberries
Sausage Recipes of the Month
San Francisco-based Shakirah Simley, owner of Slow Jams, does not encourage the use of store-bought pectins. Ditch the synthetic stuff and make your own.
@Shakirah_SlowJams
I'm all for homemade, sustainable, and eco-friendly food; in fact, fact my life revolves around it - I run a local non-for-profit catering company that's run off green energy, sources it's food locally, and creates everything from scratch. That being said, I'm also for presenting myself honestly and carefully. That's why I would like to draw your attention specifically to your...+READ
@Shakirah_SlowJams
I'm all for homemade, sustainable, and eco-friendly food; in fact, fact my life revolves around it - I run a local non-for-profit catering company that's run off green energy, sources it's food locally, and creates everything from scratch. That being said, I'm also for presenting myself honestly and carefully. That's why I would like to draw your attention specifically to your comment about commercial pectin being "crappy" and "synthetic".
Neither is commercial pectin crappy, in terms of its effectiveness, nor is it synthetic. Processed yes. Potentially treated with ammonia, yes. Contains preservatives, yes. Potentially harmful, maybe. I don't know. I can't find any studies on the subject and as far as I know there really haven't been any.
Let's start with the word "processed", which you used in your comment. It's thrown around too much in a pejorative way. The fact is, making jam is a process. You're taking something, cooking it, adding sugars, and a gelling agent, so technically all jams are processed foods whether they're made in a factory or not.
Secondly, just because food contains "preservatives" doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Salt is a preservative and is necessary for your continued life, as an example. And as far as sugar goes, I don't know how you're going to make jams without sugar, so the addition of sugar to pectins shouldn't really bother you all that much.
And thirdly: you might get scared by food being treated by ammonia, because that sounds like a scary chemical. But the fact is that the ammonia reacts with the pectin and what you're left with is not pectin and ammonia, but amidated pectin, something which doesn't necessarily bear any resemblance to ammonia. There's reason here to be weary of the product, but no evidence to boldly claim that it's detrimental to our health. That's a leap of logic that's unsupported.
As another example, hydrogen Peroxide sounds like a scary chemical, but when you apply honey topically as an antiseptic/antimicrobial agent (something that's been done for 1000's of years), it reacts with your bodily fluids to create this powerful agent.
There's lots of reasons to want to make pectin at home: it's green, it's more natural, it's crafty, and we have better grounds to believe that it's healthier. Let's focus on those substantiated things instead of slagging the commercial enterprises willy-nilly. It's overdone and way too easy to get away with, because after all, who wants to defend Goliath against David?-COLLAPSE
Hey folks, Shakirah again!
@MarbleFallsParadise Thanks! Apples are in season now, and thus more affordable, you can make several batches for relatively cheap. Good luck!
@youdonut I usually use about 8 ounces per 3 to 4 lbs of fruit, but it also depends on your desired texture for your preserves. I would say test, test, test until you get it right. Canning is always a process of discovery :)
...+READ
Hey folks, Shakirah again!
@MarbleFallsParadise Thanks! Apples are in season now, and thus more affordable, you can make several batches for relatively cheap. Good luck!
@youdonut I usually use about 8 ounces per 3 to 4 lbs of fruit, but it also depends on your desired texture for your preserves. I would say test, test, test until you get it right. Canning is always a process of discovery :)
@Torvum Commercial pectin is highly processed product, often treated with ammonia and mixed with added sugar and preservatives. Here's a helpful diagram: http://www.ippa.info/commercial_production_of_pectin.htm As a small business owner who prioritizes sustainable production processes, I always try to promote sharing alternative, easier, more affordable practices in preserving!-COLLAPSE
I'm going to try this. Thanks for posting the tip! I'm really curious to see how the cost would compare between the commercial vs. homemade pectin, and how much pectin I end up with after reducing. I also will have to think of something to do with the leftover apples.
First of all, pectin is pectin - if "synthetic" pectin existed, it would be indistinguishable from natural pectin, which brings me to my second point: pectin is not synthesized, it is extracted from citrus and apples.
I'm all for doing things at home, but large scale commercial distributors aren't necessarily poorer in quality simply because they're large scale commercial distributors. I...+READ
First of all, pectin is pectin - if "synthetic" pectin existed, it would be indistinguishable from natural pectin, which brings me to my second point: pectin is not synthesized, it is extracted from citrus and apples.
I'm all for doing things at home, but large scale commercial distributors aren't necessarily poorer in quality simply because they're large scale commercial distributors. I wouldn't be putting down their product until you have some evidence or solid reasoning to back up your argument.-COLLAPSE
how much of this home made pectin do you use compared to the powdered stuff, like if a recipe called for 2 tbl of powder how much fresh do you substitute.
Hi everyone, it's Shakirah! Thank you for your comments, I had a lot of fun filming these tips and I'm glad this information can be shared.
Saramonster77: I recommend storing your homemade pectin in the fridge for up to a week (or in the freezer for 4 to 6 months, if needed, but your pectin may become a bit diluted upon thawing). I would not can your pectin it as it contains no preserving...+READ
Hi everyone, it's Shakirah! Thank you for your comments, I had a lot of fun filming these tips and I'm glad this information can be shared.
Saramonster77: I recommend storing your homemade pectin in the fridge for up to a week (or in the freezer for 4 to 6 months, if needed, but your pectin may become a bit diluted upon thawing). I would not can your pectin it as it contains no preserving agents (like sugar) to keep it shelf stable.
SometimesOctavia: If it doesn't gel, it usually means that your apples were too ripe or you didn't reduce the concentrate (and thus the natural pectin) enough. Be sure to use tart, slightly underripe green apples with this recipe.
PLEASE NOTE: The rubbing alcohol is NOT added to the pectin, it's just a helpful way to test its strength and get an idea of how it will gel your jam/jelly.
DeesseTara: I haven't tried this recipe with quinces, they're often too expensive to make into pectin (but makes a great quince butter or membrillo). I would stick to green apples; crab apples are even better.
Maynekitty: Thanks for sharing your grandmother's method! She sounds amazing. I am familiar with Pomona's and would suggest it for folks who need a no-sugar solution and/or are diabetic.-COLLAPSE
Thanks for letting everyone know about homemade pectin! It is far better than purchased pectin & the difference in taste is remarkable. We used to help my Granny make pectin using green or immature apples. Once every so often, she quickened the process by starting it in the pressure cooker, then finishing it in a regular pot. Her recipe/technique was a bit different than yours but with the same...+READ
Thanks for letting everyone know about homemade pectin! It is far better than purchased pectin & the difference in taste is remarkable. We used to help my Granny make pectin using green or immature apples. Once every so often, she quickened the process by starting it in the pressure cooker, then finishing it in a regular pot. Her recipe/technique was a bit different than yours but with the same results. I sometimes make my own pectin or use Pomona Universal Pectin if I'm short on time. I use Pomona because my husband is a diabetic & I can drastically reduce the sugar/honey and still use BWB.-COLLAPSE
Can you use quinces?
What if it doesn't gel?
And, I'm assuming the rubbing alcohol isn't added TO the reduced apple liquid, but would like that clarified, please. :)
This is great! How do you store it? In the fridge or is it ok on the shelf? How long is it good for? Can it be canned? Thanks much!
Oooh, I think it was cores and all...my bad!
Hahahahahaha, that pronunciation of "horizontal" (I think that was it) is news to me.