Homemade Apple Pectin

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/12/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Homemade apple pectin

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Overnight strain: 8 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 2 1/2 cups
Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
278 Calories
1g Fat
74g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 1/2
Amount per serving
Calories 278
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 28mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 13g 46%
Total Sugars 56g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 25mg 123%
Calcium 49mg 4%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 573mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Jams and jellies need a substance called pectin in order to gel. Some fruits are naturally high in pectin, such as apples and citrus fruits, but others, such as berries, don't have as much. There are some ways to mitigate this challenge when you're making jam with low-pectin fruits. Adding commercial liquid or powdered pectin is one way to get a low-pectin fruit jelly to gel. But you can save money with a totally natural approach by making an equivalent product from apples.

Homemade liquid pectin can be made from apple scraps, meaning the cores and peels, or unpeeled cored and cubed apples. Just stockpile these in the freezer until you have enough for the recipe. Be sure to use organically grown fruit if you are using the peels because the chemicals and pesticides will transfer into the pectin otherwise.

"The homemade apple pectin was easy to prepare and produced a congealed blob when I tested it. Homemade pectin is a great reason to save apple cores and peels. Keep your apple scraps in a freezer bag, and you can make pectin whenever you need it." —Diana Rattray

Homemade Pectin From Apples/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 6 large unpeeled apples, preferably green, chopped into 1-inch chunks (including cores and peels), or 2 quarts apple cores and peels

  • 5 to 6 cups water, to cover

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make apple pectin

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Place the apples in a large pot. Add enough water to almost cover the apples. Bring to a boil over high heat.

    A large pot of chopped apples and water

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until the apples start to become mushy. This can take as long as 2 hours.

    A pot of soft, cooked apples in water

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Strain in the refrigerator overnight through a jelly bag or through a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Compost the pulp left in the bag or colander. The slightly thick liquid that strained into the pot is apple pectin (you should have about 2 1/2 cups). Once the pectin has cooled, follow the instructions below to test if the pectin is ready to use.

    Cooked apples being strained in a colander lined with cheesecloth

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. The slightly thick liquid that strained into the pot is apple pectin (you should have about 2 1/2 cups). Once the pectin has cooled, follow the instructions in the next step to test if the pectin is ready to use.

    A bowl of apple pectin

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. To test the pectin, add 1 tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol to a small glass or jar; add 1 teaspoon of the cooled pectin. Let it stand for a few minutes then dip a fork into it. Your fork should come out with a congealed blob of pectin. If not, reduce it a bit more on the stovetop and try again.  If ready, you can use the apple pectin in your favorite homemade jelly or jam.

    A fork holding a congealed piece of apple pectin

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

How to Test Homemade Pectin

To test the pectin, add 1 tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol to a small glass or jar; add 1 teaspoon of the cooled pectin. Let it stand for a few minutes then dip a fork into it. Your fork should come out with a congealed blob of pectin. If not, reduce it a bit more on the stovetop and try again. 

Tips

  • Keep in mind that tart, underripe and green apples contain more pectin than sweet, ripe ones.
  • If using whole apples, make sure you include the peels, cores, and seeds.
  • Stirring the softened apples can make the pectin cloudy, so stir gently and only if necessary.
  • Use about 1/4 cup apple pectin per cup of fruit for jams. For jellies, use 1/4 cup apple pectin per cup of fruit juice. Measure the combined pectin and juice and add an equal amount of sugar.

How to Store and Freeze Homemade Apple Pectin

For future use, you can either freeze apple pectin or can it.

  • To can it, heat the strained pectin just to a boil. Pour into clean half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. If canning in a 1-pint jar, leave 1/2-inch of headspace. Secure the lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust the canning time if you live at a high altitude).
  • To freeze, transfer the pectin to freezer-safe containers (small jam jars will work, especially ones geared toward freezer jam) and freeze for up to six months.

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