What Is Fruit Pectin and What Does It Do for You?

Pectin is commonly found in the pulp and peels of fruit.

This article is for you if you love eating fruits or making jellies and jams. Read on to learn everything you need to know about fruit pectin and discover its nutrition, uses, health benefits, and safety.

What is pectin? It is a dietary, soluble fiber found in fruits and vegetables, and a type of starch (carbohydrate) called a polysaccharide. Polysaccharides are long chains of sugars linked together. Polysaccharides are a major energy source for humans; however, pectin is an indigestible form of polysaccharide that provides no caloric value.

Most plants contain pectin in their cell walls. Some of its most abundant sources include the pulp and peels (or skins) of apples, plums, apricots, and citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. Pectin takes on a gel-like consistency when you dissolve it in water.

Your body cannot digest fruit pectin in its natural form. However, for commercial purposes, scientists have developed a substance called modified citrus pectin, which can be digested and has many uses in food preparations and as health supplements.

All forms of pectin have low nutritional value, as they contain very few calories and nutrients. However, it remains a great source of soluble fiber in your diet.

Commercially available pectin mixes may contain added sugars, which can increase the caloric value.

Fruit pectin essentially acts as a thickening agent and can be used in food preparation. It also behaves as a stabilizer in milk and yogurt-based drinks.

Fruit pectin is mainly used as a gelling agent for preserving fruits and preparing sweet dishes like jams and jellies. It can also be used for making milk or fruit-based desserts like custards, puddings, and pie fillings.

It's available in powder (white or light brown) and liquid (colorless) forms for home kitchen use. When combined with water, sugars, and acids in the cooking ingredients, pectin forms a gel. Although both are pectin, liquid, and powder are not interchangeable in recipes because their gelling processes differ. Liquid pectin can be added to cooked and simmering fruit and sugar mixture, because it thickens immediately, while powder can clump, and must be blended into the fruit pulp before cooking.

It has applications similar to gelatin in cooking and baking. But there are some differences. Gelatin is derived from animal sources and doesn't require sugar and acid to form a gel. So, it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Gelatin contains only protein and no carbs, unlike pectin, which mainly contains carbs. Unlike gelatin, which requires cooling or freezing to form a gel, pectin can become a gel at room temperature.

Additionally, pectin is available in capsule form as a soluble fiber supplement. Soluble fiber has many health benefits like constipation relief and a decrease in body weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. This fiber is also useful for preparing the time-release external gel coating of certain medications.

To prepare fruit pectin for home cooking use, you can follow these steps:

1. In a pot, mix 4 cups of fruit scraps (apple is the best choice) in 8 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Then, let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours until the scraps become mushy. Keep stirring, and add a little water if the mixture comes close to burning.
2. Allow it to cool, and then strain the mixture using a colander or a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Let it strain for several hours or overnight if necessary. The sticky liquid that is left behind after straining is the apple pectin concentrate.
3. After cooling, this liquid must have a syrupy gel-like consistency if prepared correctly. If the liquid is too runny, you can reheat it on a low flame until it sufficiently thickens.
4. Once your pectin is ready, store it in sterilized jars that can be properly sealed to prevent mold. If you plan to use it regularly, you can refrigerate unsealed jars for up to 3 weeks. For extended storage, you'll need to freeze it in ice trays (lasts up to 6 months) or treat the sealed jars in hot water (lasts up to 1 year).
5. For preserving fruits or making fruit jam, you can use around a quarter cup of liquid pectin per fruit. However, how much pectin to use depends on the fruit and it may vary across fruits because it uses the sugars and acids in the fruit to form a gel. Therefore, some fruits may require more or less pectin for preservation, depending on their sugar and acid content.

Here are some of the potential health benefits of eating fruit pectin:

Improves gastrointestinal health

Pectin helps in digestion because it's a soluble fiber with gelling properties. Soluble fibers soften stools by turning into a gel when mixed with water in the digestive tract. They're also a source of nutrition for the good bacteria in your gut (prebiotics). Thus, eating it can relieve constipation and improve gut bacterial health, resulting in better digestion and decreased inflammation.

Soluble fiber also lines the gut internally and prevents harmful bacteria from entering the bloodstream, minimizing the risk of infection.

Lowers the risk of colon cancer

Lab studies have proven that pectin can inhibit the growth of some types of cancer cells. The soluble fiber decreases inflammation and protects against cellular damage in the gut, which are both risk factors for colon cancer. It also protects against colon cancer by absorbing galectin-3, a high level of which has been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.

Helps in maintaining a healthy body weight

One of the major pectin benefits is that it is a great source of dietary fiber. High-fiber foods have very few calories, make you feel full for longer, and prevent overeating, thus lowering the risk of obesity. In animal studies, pectin supplements caused decreased calorie intake, increased satiety, fat burn, and weight loss. Additional research in humans is warranted to confirm these findings.

Decreases blood sugar and cholesterol levels

Pectin can protect against type 2 diabetes. In animal studies, it regulated sugar levels and improved insulin function. It can also minimize the risk of heart disease by decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.

Fruit pectin has been associated with potential side effects like gas, bloating, or abdominal discomfort because of its high fiber content. It could also affect digestion in some cases.

Be careful about taking supplements and using commercially available pectin mixes, especially if you're allergic to certain high-pectin fruits like apples and oranges. It can also interfere with certain medications. So, don't take pectin supplements if you're using cholesterol-lowering medications or carotenoid (vitamin C) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) supplements.

Increasing the soluble fiber content of your diet has many health benefits. But don't overeat preserved fruits or jams and jellies, as they also contain a lot of sugar that could negatively affect your weight and sugar levels.

Consult your health care provider immediately if you experience any gastrointestinal or other symptoms after using any fruit pectin mixes or health supplements.

Can fruit pectin be used as a thickener in recipes?

Yes, fruit pectin can be used as a thickener in baking and cooking. It is most commonly used to make jams, jellies, and preserves. It can also be used to thicken yogurt, flavored milk, puddings, and milk-based soups and sauces.

Is pectin vegan?

Pectin is found only in plant matter and contains no animal-origin product, and no animal product is used in the processing. All forms of it, including those produced commercially, are vegan and can be incorporated into a vegan diet. It can be used as an alternative to gelatine which is made from animal collagen.

Can fruit pectin be used as a dietary supplement?

Dietary supplements made with apple pectin powder are available over the counter in the form of capsules, tablets, and powder. People take pectin dietary supplements to add fiber to their diet. It is believed to reduce cholesterol absorption in the gut and, it is also good for gut health because it adds bulk to stool and promotes the growth of gut-friendly bacteria.

People use it for heartburn, weight loss, and diabetes as well, but taking it alone cannot prevent or treat these conditions, it is only a supplement. It used to be taken along with kaolin to control diarrhea, but after finding that evidence did not show any efficacy in controlling diarrhea, in April 2004, the FDA stopped permitting its use as an antidiarrheal medication.

Which fruits have the highest pectin content?

All plants have pectin in their cell walls. Fruits with the highest content include apples, pears, plums, apricots, passionfruit, and gooseberries, and the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. Vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and peas also have a high content of pectin.

Is fruit pectin safe to eat?

Pectin is safe to eat for most people unless one is allergic to it. It is best to avoid it if you are allergic to fruits like apples, plums, or oranges, which are high in pectin content. Pectin provides no nutrition as it is not absorbed in the intestines.

Can humans digest pectin?

Humans cannot digest pectin in its natural form. It is an indigestible soluble fiber which passes through the gastrointestinal tract more or less intact. However, scientists have developed modified citrus pectin (MCP) from citrus peels, which are digestible by humans. MCP is used in food preparations and as a dietary supplement.

What is the difference between fruit pectin and commercial pectin?

Fruit pectin can be easily prepared at home by boiling apple scraps or citrus peels and filtering out the solids. You get a thick liquid or gel-like substance, that goes through no other process. Commercial pectin is also made from citrus peels or apple pulp (pomace) that remain after extraction of juice. However, the commercial extraction of pectin, in addition to boiling and filtering, involves treatment with mineral acids and enzymes. It is then precipitated into a solid form using alcohols or salts, which is further cleaned, dried, and powdered.