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Mystery Pectin


Skwerl

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I haven't worked with pectin before, and I've found that some of my recipes call for specific types. I recently purchased a pound of pectin (I wish my name were Peter Piper), and there's no indication on the labeling as to what type of pectin it is. Is anyone familiar with a battery of sugar/acid tests I can run to determine what type of pectin I have blindly bought? Is price a good earmark of pectin type? It seems to be cheap stuff at $35 per pound. Thanks in advance for any suggestions, everyone.

Josh Usovsky

"Will Work For Sugar"

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I haven't worked with pectin before, and I've found that some of my recipes call for specific types.  I recently purchased a pound of pectin (I wish my name were Peter Piper), and there's no indication on the labeling as to what type of pectin it is.  Is anyone familiar with a battery of sugar/acid tests I can run to determine what type of pectin I have blindly bought?  Is price a good earmark of pectin type?  It seems to be cheap stuff at $35 per pound.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions, everyone.

Skwerl,

Chances are if you bought a sealed can of pectin from a bakery supply, it is mostly apple pectin.

Any numbers on the can like 440 or E440 ii?

I know this does not answer your question, but I will think more and look in my office if I have any testing methods..

pan

paninicakes.com

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What is your source and brand name.

Two commercial pectins I have used are modified citrus pectin and one was a product of Italy that used a combination of citrus and quince - extremely strong pectin 1 pound will jell 160 pounds of sugar.

Regular apple pectin is 1 pound to 100 pounds sugar.

Use too much and the resulting jelly can be bounced off the walls. I needed the higher jell because I was making candies like jujubes.

Somewhere around here I have a old copy of The Journal of Food Science That had a couple of briefs on testing sources and "shear strength" of commercial pectins.

I am on my way out and don't have time to do a search right now, but you might try.

One of the universities in either Washington or Oregon also published some articles about pectins and how they were produced both in the home and commercially.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Thanks for the suggestions! The label says "Golden Ruban" pectin. In searching for things similar to that on the web, I've found mention of "ruban" in a couple places in conjunction with apple pectin (though it's not necessarily conclusive), so tha's what I am betting it probably is. I'll go searching for those articles, andiesenji. Thank you!

Josh Usovsky

"Will Work For Sugar"

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