RE: [CH] Jelly recipe question

Marc Saegesser (Marc.Saegesser@apropos.com)
Fri, 4 Oct 2002 17:20:27 -0500

I'll have to look for that next time.

I've done a little more kitchen chemistry research on pectin and here's what
I found.  Basically, pectin is a gelling agent.

High methoxyl pectin (what I expect we're most all using) produces a gel in
the presence of sufficient sugar and a pH < 3.5 (hence the vinegar).  A low
methoxyl pectin produces a gel in the presence of Calcium ions (which will
also product a tighter gel in high methoxl pectin).  I stumbled across a low
methoxyl pectin at (http://www.permaculture.net/Pomona/).  

So, if a jelly doesn't set it would seem to indicate that either the pH
wasn't low enough or that there wasn't enough sugar.  I don' know (yet) what
would happen if the pH was too low or if there's too much sugar.  

Fun stuff and I get to eat the results!

Marc Saegesser 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: joemama [mailto:joemama@ticino.com]
> Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 4:40 PM
> To: CHILE-HEADS@globalgarden.com
> Subject: Re: [CH] Jelly recipe question
> 
> 
> I usually use 'jelly' sugar (already contains the right 
> amount of pectin).
> 
> Costs about the same as sugar+pectin.
> 
> Tom
> 
>