The jamming season is upon us and you feel like it’s time to preserve the fruit in jars, for the colder seasons. You should really try to make your homemade jam with pectin and we will tell you why!
Gone are the hot and sunny days of summer, when all you wanted was to stay outside and enjoy the great outdoors or the wonderful summer-y events in your city. Along with the slightly colder weather, you could really start to stock up your pantry. How about making some homemade jam with pectin? There are numerous benefits and… it’s all about the chemistry of your jam.
But first…
What exactly is pectin?
It’s a long chain of carbohydrates called polysaccharide. It helps give structure to plants and their parts, like stems, flowers, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The highest concentration of pectin can be found in the skins and cores of fruits. Apples and citrus have the highest concentration of pectin.
When used in jams, pectin is that one thing which helps keep them together, so you don’t find yourself in the possession of a cauldron of mushy, way too soft liquid. You especially need pectin when you’re making jam with riper fruits.
You can buy bulk pectin in shops and online, but you can also make your own, for the perfect homemade jam with pectin taste! Making pectin is pretty easy. Boil two pounds of tart green apples – pick them a bit under-ripe – with 4 cups of water and one tablespoon of lemon juice for half an hour. Strain the result and then boil the apples some more in order to reduce the volume by half.
6 reasons to make homemade jam with pectin
1. You save time
When you use pectin, the cooking time for the jam will be much shorter, which you can spend doing something more for yourself or well-being. Time is a precious commodity these days!
2. It’s healthy
If you make your own pectin, you make sure you know exactly what’s in it. Because some of the pectin you buy can have added sugars and other unhealthy ingredients.
3. You get more flavor
If you don’t use pectin, your homemade jam might turn out a bit overcooked, which means less flavor, taste, and freshness. For instance, strawberry jam without added pectin needs to be cooked up to four times longer.
4. More vibrant color
The longer you cook the jam, the darker its color gets. And if you use pectin, then your jam will have a much more vibrant color, close to the natural one.
5. Better texture
What sounds better? A mushier, thicker, stickier jam or a more spreadable, pleasant texture? The answer is obvious, we know. If you use pectin, your jam will feel lighter when spread on toast.
6. You get more jam
If you cook the fruit in less time, you won’t lose as much natural juice from the fruit. If you long boil, then you can actually have 50 percent less jam from the same amount of fruit. Which also means less work, less time spent, and more goodness for the same price!
