Pectin, liquid

Liquid pectin is a jelling agent used in home canning and preserving, stirred into a pot of cooked fruit and sugar near the end of cooking to help jams and jellies set into a proper gel. It has no flavor of its own and is measured carefully by the recipe rather than eaten on its own, most often in small pouches or bottles designed for a standard batch of jam. Unlike powdered pectin, the liquid form is typically added after the sugar has already dissolved and the mixture has come to a full boil, following the timing given in the specific recipe.

Check the expiration date before using it, since pectin gradually loses its setting power over time, and store unopened pouches in a cool pantry; once opened, refrigerate liquid pectin and use it promptly for a reliable set. At just 11 calories per 100 grams, with virtually no sugar or sodium of its own, its contribution to a recipe is almost entirely textural rather than nutritional, and the 2.1 grams of fiber recorded here comes from the pectin itself rather than any added ingredient, since the fruit and sugar in a finished jam are accounted for entirely separately from this ingredient.