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
>
>