What are the Uses of Pectin?

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Pectin is a water soluble complex polysaccharide (a variant of carbohydrate) found in the cell walls of plants. Pectin is rich in galactose(sugar content). Pectin helps the water regulation between the cell walls, and keeps them rigid. As plants grow older, they lose their firm and crisp texture because of the diminishing level of Pectin. As a result, plants become soft and mushy. Pectin is often used as "Gelling Agent" mainly in jellies, jams and marmalades. It is also used as fillings in sweets, toffees, and medicines. Pectin is also used as stabilizer in milk-based drinks and fruit juices. It is preferred by culinary experts to thicken broths and soups. Commercial Pectin is available in both powder and liquid form. Pectin is an excellent source of dietary fiber . 

In the International Numbering System (INS), Pectin has been labeled as 440. In Europe, Pectin is recognized with E numbers. E440 is used to distinguish non-amidated Pectins and E440 is used for amidated Pectins.

How was Pectin discovered? 

 In 1825, notable French chemist and pharmacist, Henri Braconnot discovered and isolated Pectin. After his discovery, commercial manufacturers started producing Pectin powder by extracting the compound from citrus fruits. 

What are the natural  sources of Pectin?

Apples , plums, carrots, tangerines, grapefruit, apricots, gooseberries, guavas, oranges, limes and other citrus fruits are the excellent sources of Pectin. Soft fruits such as cherries, grapes and strawberries contain very small amounts of Pectin.

 Commercially apple pomace, sugar-beet pomace or dried citrus peel (by-products of juice production) is used for Pectin production. 

What are health benefits of Pectin?

• Pectin reduces irritable bowel syndrome, acidity and improves digestion. 
• Rich fiber content found in Pectin prevents the growth of cancerous cells in the body. 
• Pectin is found to be highly effective in controlling blood pressure, prevent heart attacks, increases the density of You do not have access to view this node and controls asthma 
•  Regular consumption of Pectin reduces blood cholesterol levels. 
•  Pectin is used to treat constipation and diarrhea as it increases the viscosity and volume of stool .
• Pectin has the unique property to form soothing layer over inflamed mucous membrane and relieve minor You do not have access to view this node associated with the swelling. Hence, Pectin is extensively used in throat lozenges as a demulcent. 
• In cosmetic products, Pectin acts as stabilizer. 
• Pectin facilitate faster wound healing. Thus it is extensively used in medical adhesives. 
• Pectin is considered as natural remedy for nausea.
• Pectin has huge detoxification properties. It can be consumed to remove heavy metals and toxins from the human body.

How to make Pectin at home?

 Making Pectin at home is a very simple process. Besides, you can save both time and money. Once you prepare your own batch of Pectin, you can freeze it for a year. On the arrival of next fruit season, discard your unused Pectin and prepare new, fresh batch of Pectin. The steps of preaparing Pectin at home are discussed below:

• Cut apples into large pieces and rinse with cool water. Do not remove the peel as they are found to be particularly high in Pectin.
• Now put the apple chunks, lemon juice and water into a large pot. Cover the pot and allow it to boil for atleast 45 min over low heat. Do not forget to stir the mixture every 15-20 minutes during the time of boiling. Allow the liquid to simmer, until the apples disintegrated and look like apple sauce.
• Now take a colander and put a cheesecloth inside it. Strain the boiled apple mixture through the colander. The liquid would drip through the cheesecloth. Collect the liquid in a container. It can take several hours or even overnight. You can press the fruit pulp to fasten the process.
• Discard the leftover apple pulp.
• Place the pot containing the liquid on the stove. Boil the liquid approximately for 20 minutes. Keep stirring frequently. Your homemade Pectin is  ready for use.

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