Where can I buy Pectin in Dublin?

cunniny3

I made some rhubarb jam but it didn't set. I thought I could try adding pectin next time. I looked for it in a few supermarkets but I couldn't find any. Does anyone know where I could buy some pectin in Dublin?

Thanks

rocknchef

I got mine in tescos. In a greenish bottle. did you use jam sugar?

brianthebard

You can get pectin sugar I think, its by sucra in a yellow bag.

rubadub

cunniny3 wrote: »

I looked for it in a few supermarkets but I couldn't find any.

Just looked, or did you ask. I usually ask the oldest woman working there that I can find for stuff like that. Young lads would not have a clue what it is. My tesco have stuff all over the place, in unlikely places. e.g. cornflour is not with the other flour, it is only with the gravies, while many shops would have it in both places. My tesco has nuts in about 6 different sections, you have to wander all around the shop to see them all.

I noticed pectin sugar just the other day. I expect health shops would have it too.

Magic Monkey

Tesco usually stock Certo pectin extract. It's sometimes in the jam section, as opposed to the baking section. Don't bother with the jam sugar, you don't need it; normal granulated sugar works just fine. The Certo site has recipes and tips on it too. What rhubarb jam recipe were you following?

CJhaughey

Can you not just add some apples? They are very high in pectin and will set your jam, they shouldn't affect the flavour of the Rhubarb.

cunniny3

Thanks for the replies, can you tell me please which branches of Tescos stock pectin? My local Tescos don't have it (I asked the oldest assistant around as well as looking in both the jam and homebaking sections).

I used Gem jam sugar in my failed attempt at rhubarb jam (it didn't set), so I'd really like to try adding the pectin myself this time.

Thanks

rocknchef

I have bought it in Clear water in finglas and Tescos in Ashbourne. the certo brand looks like a bottle of lemon juice.

How much sugar did you use per kilo of fruit?

enda1

I find the worst thing about modern industrial jams is the use of pectin. It means the producer hasn't bothered to cook the jam completely and instead sets it through chemicals.

So before adding pectin I'd at least try as mentioned above adding other fruits to try achieve the desired results.

As an example the nicest jam I ever made (we'll actually my Mam made ) was strayberry and gooseberry jam. Gooseberries take the edge off the sweetness of the strawberries wonderfully, and of course help enormously in setting an otherwise very difficult fruit!

cunniny3

Am I right in thinking that pectin is created naturally in fruit as it ripens?

I've often made rhubarb jam before and it always set perfectly.

I think that the rhubarb may not have been ripe enough this time and therefore did not contain enough of its own pectin.

I used 1kg of rhubarb per 1kg of sugar, and did the cold saucer test to check if it was ready.

Lordted

cunniny3 wrote: »

Am I right in thinking that pectin is created naturally in fruit as it ripens?

I've often made rhubarb jam before and it always set perfectly.

I think that the rhubarb may not have been ripe enough this time and therefore did not contain enough of its own pectin.

I used 1kg of rhubarb per 1kg of sugar, and did the cold saucer test to check if it was ready.

If your rhubarb (or any fruit) inst ripe enough a trick to get them there is to to put them in a plastic bag with some bananas for a little while. Bananas produce ripening chemicals when just before they ripen called auxins if memory serves correct allowing the fruit to ripen and change in colour from green to yellow. They are picked form the banana trees before they are gree and not ye while so they thay will not spoil in transport and then are t ripe to prevent them spoiling in transport. Thet are then sprayed with artifical auxins when they reach thier destination to ripen them for sale. That why if u buy them in a bag they are still wet from being sprayed. The artifical ripeners trigger natural ripening in the bananana which they will release the bag with ur rhubarb triggering that too to ripen itself. Its a great trick a biology professor told me one time. Works great for home grown tomatoes too and just about anything else

_blank_

Rhubarb isn't fruit though.

I used the Gem Jam Sugar for Blackberry Jam last weekend, and it set perfectly.

I'm going to get a load more Blackberries this weekend, pick them myself off bushes, and make a few more pots.

I have orders for them too!

Irishrossoblu

Fallon & Byrne have it.

apricotnelli

Irishrossoblu wrote: »

Fallon & Byrne have it.

Many fruits like blackberries contain pectin and you dont really need to use jam sugar just use ordinary

Rhubarb (and strawberry) are among the more difficult jams to make and need added pectin. So you started with difficult one. You could use a jam sugar or add apples

In fact the pectin content is normally higher in underripe fruit (rhubarb is not a fruit as someone else said) so you would normally make good jam from a mix of underripe and ripe fruit. This also ensures the jam is not too sweet. It is not true to say jam will not set because the fruit used is underripe. In fact it is more likely to be the opposite.

I find allotment sites like this one often have great discussion boards with simple jam and chutney recipes http://www.allotment.org.uk/

Another great resource for jam making equipment is lakeland. http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/C/storing-preserving/C/storing-preserving-preserving

I grew up on a farm and have been jam making for over twenty years. Jam is simple to make but easy to get wrong. Good luck you started with one of the hardest ones to make well !!