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Article: Why? (jams, jellies and pectin)
- Article from:
- Sunset
- Article date:
- June 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Sunset Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Why does pectin make fruit juice jell? Why do jellies and jams need so much sugar? Why is jelly stiff sometimes, runny others?
At sunset, we know - to the minute - when summer jelly and jam making begins. The phone rings, and a panicky voice asks, "What did I do wrong? It's not jelling." Most often, the caller is using a commercial pectin, has almost, but not exactly, followed package instructions, and ends up in trouble.
True, you don't have to use commercial pectin to make jams and jellies, because pectin is present naturally in all fruit, particularly apples. But commercial pectins are popular, and because they are designed to work best with a specific ...