Alternatives to Purchased Pectin

If you make many jams or jellies, you probably are 1) tired of paying too much for each box of pectin and 2) tired of using so much sugar (but afraid of the warnings that it won't gel if you don't). There are alternatives!

My favorite option is Clear Jel from Barry Farm. Click here to order it from Amazon.com. (Shipping is pricey, so order 2 bags if you plan to make a lot of jam. I got about 30 pints from a 1-pound bag.)

For a berry jam, I use 4 cups crushed berries, 1/4 lemon juice, 7 Tbs Clear Jel, and sugar to taste. I feel so much better about this jam! Specific instructions for this and other Clear Jel recipes can be found here.

Another option is Pomona Pectin. It is also available from Amazon.com right here. It's more expensive than Clear Jel, though much less expensive than the regular pectin from the grocery store. I used this one year, but my family didn't really like the taste.

Or, you can get your pectin directly from fruit. :) My mother-in-law uses red currants to make her own pectin. However, the process sounds really cumbersome and I don't know exact proportions to use. (Yes, I'm a lazy canner!) However, last year I found easy instructions for making pectin from green (i.e. unripe--not green-colored) apples. This blogger actually made apple jelly and then used it to gel her other jams. It sounded good, but I have to admit that the apple pectin jelly was so yummy by itself that I didn't have any left to make this year's jams! (Hence, Clear Jel again this year....) Also, I should add that the apple pectin jelly requires quite a lot of sugar too. If you want to try it for yourself, this is the time to do it while those unripe apples are dropping.

Happy jam making!