Subject: Getting pectin from apples?

From: [email-masked] (Paul Petty)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 11:40:33

I'm new here so I hope this is an apropriate question.  I've heard that apples 
contain a good amount of pectin, just under the peel.  Is there a way a home 
canner could extract the pectin to use in making jelly from other fruits and 
berries?

Thanks in advance,
Paul Petty

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From: <[email-masked]> (G. Cote)
Date: 25 Jun 1996 14:29:45 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>canner could extract the pectin to use in making jelly from other fruits 
and 

Actually, the entire apple is full of pectin.   Besides citrus peels, 
apples are probably the No. 1 commercial source of pectin.  Whistler & 
BeMiller give a good schematic for pectin extraction in their book 
"Industrial Gums", 3rd Ed. (Academic Press, 1993).  It involves about ten 
steps, entailing acid extractions, preciptations with divalent cations, 
deesterification, alcohol precipitation, milling, drying, etc.   Why not 
save yourself a lot of work and just buy it?  The producers can make it 
far more efficiently on a large scale than you could ever do at home.  If 
you do come up with a cheaper, more efficient method, patent it.
Of course, you could just make apple jelly (my favorite!).

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From: [email-masked] (Jim DeMont)
Date: 27 Jun 1996 02:47:26 GMT

Paul:

You are correct as far as I know. I used to run a modest preserve 
operation for a mail order company. We primarily used Sunkist pectin,
but there was a brand of Apple Pectin from Germany which was very 
good and I believe Motts of NY State apple fame used to (or do) 
market an apple pectin. Regardless, I believe that my grandmother
said that she used to boil apple peelings to extract the pectin
for home use with other fruits which have insufficient pectin to
make a gel. How much peel, how much water & for how long, I haven't
the foggiest. Be aware however, that a pectin gel depends on pectin,
acid (pH around 2.9 - 3.25) and sugar (soluble solids @ 65%). It
may be fun to get your own pectin and experiment, but if you want
consistent results at home, use Sure Gel or Certo & carefully 
follow the directions.

Good Luck

Jim DeMont