Fruits that are rich in pectin?

[takadi]

Does anybody have a list of fruits that are rich in pectin, particularly from highest to lowest? I'm getting the impression that stone fruits, apples, and citrus are particularly high in pectin

[chococat]

Also depends on the ripeness of the fruits. As some fruits ripen (I think this is true for stone fruits), the pectin content decreases.

[LauraGrace]

I think that's true of non-stone fruits as well, chococat. It strikes me that old family recipes for preserves always say to include ripe and unripe fruit as the unripe helps with the set.

[mymomisthebestcook]

I hope this doesnt seem like a dumb question, but what is pectin & is it bad?

[bushwickgirl]

Pectin is the gelling agent for jelly and jams and it used as a stabilizer for other food products. It is a natural soluable dietary fiber found in the fruits mentioned in this thread. Pectin consists of a complex set of polysaccharides in the cell walls and fruits of terrestrial plants. Certo and Pomona are two commercially available pectin brands, which are mostly made from citrus.

No, it is not bad. If it didn't exist, we probably wouldn't have jelly and jam, and that would be bad.

[Karl S]

If one were from the British Isles, one might consider not only bad, but a calamity of the first order.

[LauraGrace]

Shoot, I'm from Kentucky and I'd consider it a calamity of the first order!

[Eldon Kreider]

Pectin needs acid for a proper set. Practically all fruits decrease in acidity as they ripen, so the old recipes using some unripe fruit may just be supplying acidity even if the pectin content does not decrease with ripening.

When I make freezer jam using high-quality Michigan fruit from the farmers' market, I need to add some citric acid to get a proper set as this fruit is less acid than the supermarket junk assumed in the recipes on the pectin packages.

[LauraGrace]

Crab-apples! That's one reason crab-apple trees can be found in just about every older neighborhood -- apparently before pectin was commercially available folks would make jams and jellies with a proportion of crab-apples to ensure a good set. They make a delicious jelly on their own, too.

Yes to citrus also -- that's why marmalade doesn't need added pectin to jell.

[Karl S]

Quince is the traditional king of pectin-rich fruits. While certain old varieties of apples may equal or surpass quince, most apples found in markets these days do not set up anywhere near as much as quince.

[ipsedixit]

Apples, Blackberries, Cape Gooseberries, Cranberries, Gooseberries, Grapes, Medlars, Plums and Quince are all high in pectin.

Citrus, especially citrus peels, are also high in pectin.

Strawberries and bananas also contain a significant amount of pectin.

[bushwickgirl]

ipse- had to google the medlar, are they available where you are?

[ipsedixit]

No. My only exposure to medlars was when I visited my friend in Bend, Oregon, who had a tree in her backyard.

[bushwickgirl]

Yes, I read that there's a variety in the US, probably mostly growing in people's backyards.