Homemade pectin: perfect for your jams

Preparing homemade pectin is an excellent way to naturally self-produce healthy and genuine preserves.

Today we will reveal how to prepare a natural thickener for jams and marmalades using just two ingredients: apples and lemon juice . In fact, these are normally added to preserves to thicken them, thanks to the high pectin content, but not everyone knows that homemade pectin can also be prepared in a completely simple way.

What is pectin

Natural pectin is a fiber that is widely used in the food but also pharmaceutical sectors. It is in fact considered a powerful supplement , as well as a thickener, and can be consumed as such. Furthermore, it is excellent for promoting a sense of satiety in low-calorie diets. But we are interested in how to make natural pectin for jams.

How to make pectin recipe

1. To get natural pectin, get some organic fruit since we won't be removing the skin. Wash it well under running water and cut the apples into quarters and then each quarter in half, keeping the core, seeds and peel.
2. Place them in a large pot and sprinkle them with lemon juice .
3. Add water only to cover them, put the lid on and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes , until the contents of the pan have been reduced by about half.
4. Pour everything into a fine-mesh sieve (you can also cover it with a clean cloth) and let the liquid drain for 12 hours into a container, without forcing, i.e. without weights or anything else.
5. Pour the liquid obtained , i.e. your homemade pectin, into a sterilized glass jar and keep in the fridge for at least another 12 hours before using it. Alternatively , once the liquid has been collected, you can collect it in a saucepan and bring it to the boil, leaving it to simmer for about 10-20 minutes until it has thickened slightly. At this point, put the jars in jars, close the sterilized jars and turn them upside down to create a vacuum.

The pectin variant with only peels and cores

There are those who prepare pectin using only apple cores, seeds and peels combined with the juice of 1 lemon and covered with water.

The procedure is exactly identical to the previous one , you can decide to blend the "scraps" during cooking, or leave them intact and put them directly into the strainer. The liquid obtained will be much less than the recipe that uses pulp, but it should be more concentrated.

How much pectin to use for jam

To thicken approximately 500 g of fruit , 100 grams of pectin are enough, which however reacts with sugar and this is why, if you usually use less sugar than that indicated in the recipes, we advise you to gradually adjust the quantity during cooking. of pectin to use.

Before trying your hand at preparing homemade jams, take a look at some useful information: the saucer test and how to sterilize glass jars .

Conservation

Homemade pectin will keep in the refrigerator for a week . Alternatively you can freeze it, already portioned in glass jars or in the ice container.

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