Pectin
A natural gelling fiber found in fruit, especially apples and citrus peel, that sets jams and jellies.
- Baking ingredients and additives
Also called: fruit pectin, apple pectin
Pectin forms a gel when it is heated with the right amounts of sugar and acid. Classic high-methoxyl pectin needs a lot of sugar to set; low-methoxyl pectin uses calcium instead and works in low-sugar jams.
Fruits like apples, quince, cranberries and citrus are high in pectin; strawberries, peaches and cherries are low and often need added pectin.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
Tools for this
Ball Wide Mouth Pint Mason JarsAirtight glass with room for whole beans to steep or rest.See it on Amazon
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONEReads in about a second, so you can hit sugar and chocolate temperatures exactly.See it on Amazon
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Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Making Jellies (Fact Sheet 9.303), Colorado State University Extension
- General Information on Canning Jams, Jellies, and Marmalades, National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)
- § 184.1588 Pectins, U.S. Government Publishing Office / eCFR (21 CFR 184.1588)
- Pectin (Q188154), Wikidata