|
Post by themotherhen on Jun 8, 2015 20:43:57 GMT
I made my first batch of homemade pectin this weekend! It was really easy! I gathered a mixing bowl full of early apples, soaked and stemmed them, and put them in my crockpot. Covered with water, turned the crockpot on high, and let cook until soft and mushy, then used my immersion blender until it was like applesauce. I let the crock cool then put it into the fridge overnight. I strained the pulp through a clean white T-shirt for about 8 hours, then cooked down the liquid until it was halved. I then tested the syrup using rubbing alcohol and it worked, just like Grandma said!!!!!! It made 1 pint of pectin. I will be starting another batch tomorrow!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 21:33:11 GMT
Yep. What will you use it for, this early? One reason we like blackberry jam, jelly and syrup so much, doesn't need any pectin. We do use it for strawberry, raspberry and peach jams. We don't eat much, 1 batch of each. Peach and strawberry jam are frozen in 1/2 pints. We can a lot of juice so could make more jelly or syrup if needed, don't seem to need it....James
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 9, 2015 21:27:45 GMT
Post by ketoriverfarm on Jun 9, 2015 21:27:45 GMT
Thanks for the info. I will try it when my early apples are ready. Though I have just added apple juice to jelly to get it to set up.
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 9, 2015 21:41:07 GMT
Post by mogal on Jun 9, 2015 21:41:07 GMT
What size were your apples? My Golden Delicious is almost the size of golf balls, the others not so large.
Thanks.
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 10, 2015 2:18:30 GMT
Post by Callie on Jun 10, 2015 2:18:30 GMT
Are some varieties of apples better to use than others? I have a treefull of red delicious. Would they work?
|
|
|
Post by themotherhen on Jun 10, 2015 5:50:21 GMT
I think the trick is to use early apples, mine were golf ball sized. It is not the type of Apple, but the Unripe fruit. Grandma always gleaned and thinned apples in June to make pectin for jams and jellies later. She said that it "broke up the work a little bit" because by the time fruit is ready to can, the pectin content is reduced. If you use early fruit, that part of the process is done. She canned or froze pectin during the month of June, every year. Later than that, the pectin is reduced in apples. Any type of Apple is fine to use. She encouraged me to prepare for a bountiful harvest, and I am :-)
|
|
|
Post by bowdonkey on Jun 12, 2015 18:29:50 GMT
Heck, the blossoms just fell off my trees last week!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2015 15:44:24 GMT
How do you test with rubbing alcohol? Thanks
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 14, 2015 16:28:01 GMT
Post by barefootfarmer on Jun 14, 2015 16:28:01 GMT
themotherhen I was wondering the same thing- how do you test with the alcohol?
|
|
|
Post by themotherhen on Jun 15, 2015 1:36:19 GMT
To do an alcohol test, you put 2 TBSP rubbing alcohol in a small bowl. You then add 2 tsp cooled pectin. If it is ready, and doesn't need cooked down any further to concentrate it, the pectin will "jell" and turn into a mucus-like consistency. When that happens, your pectin is done and it keeps in the fridge for a week. You can also can it in a water bath for 15 minutes or freeze it. You must discard the alcohol/pectin mixture. It is obviously not edible. You then use the pectin as you would any liquid pectin, but I suspect, with experience, it can be subbed for regular pectin too. My Grandma never bought pectin, she preferred to make her own. She said experience is the best teacher :-) She is a really cool lady, and I admire her.
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 15, 2015 1:37:51 GMT
Post by themotherhen on Jun 15, 2015 1:37:51 GMT
Heck, the blossoms just fell off my trees last week! We have fruit the size of golf balls right now. I am so excited!
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 16, 2015 13:20:30 GMT
Post by ohiodreamer on Jun 16, 2015 13:20:30 GMT
Cool, this is new to me! I always thought you had to have crab apples to make pectin.....guess I only knew half of the story.
|
|
|
Post by themotherhen on Jun 17, 2015 1:33:25 GMT
You can use ripe crabapples or Unripe regular apples. Both work well!
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Jun 17, 2015 15:32:41 GMT
Now if the rain would stop long enough for me to go out and pick some...
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 17, 2015 17:52:47 GMT
Post by themotherhen on Jun 17, 2015 17:52:47 GMT
Mogal, I understand! It has been raining frequently here too. I never complain about rain though, until it floods. We have been lucky that it hasn't this year.
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 17, 2015 17:59:37 GMT
Post by Maura on Jun 17, 2015 17:59:37 GMT
Okay, now it makes sense. If you were making jelly when the apples are ripe, you’d add crabapples, or cook down the crabapples so you have the pectin solution at the same time that you are prepping for jelly. Isn’t the pectin in the skin?
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 18, 2015 6:59:52 GMT
Post by themotherhen on Jun 18, 2015 6:59:52 GMT
According to Grandma, the pectin is in the cores and the skin. Never done this before, just winging it!
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 19, 2015 16:02:58 GMT
Post by ldc on Jun 19, 2015 16:02:58 GMT
I've used an early green summer apple to make pectin; a Granny Smith type. The pectin seemed to be in the skins.
|
|
|
Pectin
Jun 21, 2015 1:21:29 GMT
via mobile
Post by themotherhen on Jun 21, 2015 1:21:29 GMT
Yep, those work too
|
|