"Rich Hollenbeck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:ACmdg.9841$qn2.8408@trnddc04...
Quoted message said:I've never had success making jelly. The recipes tend to be very vague
about how much pectin to use. They usually say to use "a box" of pectin,
how ever much that is. I've seen recipes that call for a little lemon
juice, but I've read that the acid in foods like acid or pineapple will
inhibit the gelitinization, so I would prefer to avoid making all my
jellies taste like lemons. I have a nearly unlimited supply of loquats
that are beginning to overmature. and I want to make some nice loquat
jelly from them.
Powdered pectin in the US comes in boxes; liquid pectin comes in pouches. A
box is a standardized amount -- that is, all brands come in the same size
box. I've never seen a recipe that called for powdered pectin that
specified a quantity other than a box.
Pectin is not the same thing as gelatin -- while the enzymes in fresh
pineapple will prevent gelatin from firming up, I'm not aware of any fruit
that prevents pectin from firming up. In fact, lemon peels are high in
pectin. (In case you're interested -- pectin is made from fruit; gelatin is
[usually, anyway] an animal byproduct.)
Not all jellies need added pectin -- some fruits (green apples, for example)
are naturally high in pectin. The packaged product does make it easy to be
sure your jelly will set.
Unless you use a pectin specifically formulated for making reduced sugar or
no sugar jelly, you need to be sure to add the right amount of sugar for the
amount of fruit juice you are using. Failure to use enough sugar will
prevent your jelly from firming up.
Jellies are frequently processed to be shelf-stable. This is done by
Boiling Water Bath processing. (There is an insert in the box of pectin
that gives directions for doing this.) Although the addition of lemon juice
is usually to make the jelly taste better, it's possible that it is needed
in some recipes to make the jelly acidic enough to be safely BWB processed.
Quoted message said:
Any excellent recipes for loquat jelly out there? Should I use liquid or
powdered pectin?
Sorry, I've never worked with loquats so I have no idea. Try posting to
rec.foods.preserving.
Anny