Do conserve and chutney recipes require pectin?

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I know that jams, jellies, and marmalade require pectin so that they'll gel properly (as in be the consistency that jelly/jam/marmalade is supposed to be).

However I've seen many recipes here for chutneys and conserves that don't call for pectin. Is it required that you have to add pectin to the conserve or chutney you're making?

They ARE different then a jams, jellies, and marmalades because they're basically a combination of fruits and vegetables with spices of your choice added in to give flavor. Vinegar is added to help preserve them, and essentially the same procedures you would use to can jellies, jams, and marmalades you use to process and can chutneys and conserves.

The reason I'm asking this is because I found a really interesting recipe for a dried fruit conserve. However it calls for no pectin. I don't know if it's required to add pectin to conserves and chutneys, so should I add a package of pectin to this conserve recipe or would it be fine without it?

I'm basically just wondering if the rule of thumb of adding pectin to jams, jellies, and marmalades also applies as rule of thumb in general when making chutneys and conserves.

On the contrary, if you don't have to add pectin, then please clarify that too.


If the recipe does require pectin, which type should I use, powdered or liquid? Also what size box or pouch should I use (heard that boxed powdered pectin generally comes in a 1-3 ounce box and liquid pectin comes in 3-6 ounce bottles or pouches). In addition to the other dried fruit the recipe originally calls for, I'd like to add some dried cranberries and dried apples. Could I?

Here's the recipe (I would just post a link to the recipe, but I haven't made enough posts to be able to do that yet)

Dried Fruit Conserve:

1-1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
1-1/2 cups chopped dried peaches
1-1/2 cups chopped dried pears
1 medium orange, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Recipe by: Southern Living Preparation Time: 0:30 Combine dried fruit, orange, and water in a large Dutch oven, stirring well. Cover and cook over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes or until fruit is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except pecans; bring mixture to a boil. Boil rapidly 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pecans. Quickly pour hot conserve into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on metal bands. Process in boiling-water bath 15 minutes. Yield: 8 half pints.
 
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I don't do a lot of preserving, but I do have an apple chutney recipe I make at Christmas time; it doesn't call for pectin. I don't think it's a requirement for chutney. If it were, it would be in most or all of the recipes.
 
Not all fruits require pectin to make jam, conserves or chutneys. Some fruits contain enough natural petin to gel on their own.

That being said, I don't have a lsit of fruits and their pectin content.
 
Okay, so I'm assuming this conserve doesn't need pectin added to it?
Also I'd like to add dried cranberries and dried apples to it as well. Could I do so, or would that mess up the recipe?
 
Okay, well could I replace part of the already dried fruit in the recipe with the additions I mentioned earlier? That is use 3/4 cup dried apple and 3/4 cup dried pear? Use 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup dried peach? That wouldn't be making additions. It would just be dividing up the fruit that is already called for in the recipe.
 
Okay, well could I replace part of the already dried fruit in the recipe with the additions I mentioned earlier? That is use 3/4 cup dried apple and 3/4 cup dried pear? Use 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup dried peach? That wouldn't be making additions. It would just be dividing up the fruit that is already called for in the recipe.

That would probably be fine. If you added more dried fruit, the result would probably be too dry, since it would soak up more of the liquid, but using the same proportion of liquid and dried ingredients should work.
 
From:
National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Jam and Jelly
Pectin and Acid Content of Common Fruits Used to Make Jelly
Group I: If not overripe, has enough natural pectin and acid for gel formation with only added sugar.
Group I
Apples, sour
Blackberries, sour
Crabapples
Cranberries
Currants
Gooseberries
Grapes (Eastern Concord)
Lemons
Loganberries
Plums (not Italian)
Quinces
Group II: Low in natural acid or pectin, and may need addition of either acid or pectin.
GroupII:
Apples, ripe
Blackberries, ripe
Cherries, sour
Chokecherries
Elderberries
Grapefruit
Grape Juice, bottled
(Eastern Concord)
Grapes (California)
Loquats
Oranges
Group III: Always needs added acid, pectin or both.
GroupIII:
Apricots
Blueberries
Figs
Grapes (Western Concord)
Guavas
Peaches
Pears
Plums (Italian)
Raspberries
Strawberries

This document was adapted from "So Easy to Preserve", 5th ed. 2006. Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress. Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.
 
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essenceofeclectic said:
I'm basically just wondering if the rule of thumb of adding pectin to jams, jellies, and marmalades also applies as rule of thumb in general when making chutneys and conserves.

The "rule of thumb" about adding pectin is FOLLOW THE RECIPE! If you need to add powdered or liquid pectin the recipe will tell you which you need, and how much.

essenceofeclectic said:
If the recipe does require pectin, which type should I use, powdered or liquid?

Use the exact type of pectin, and amount, the recipe calls for - they are NOT interchangeable!

essenceofeclectic said:
Vinegar is added to help preserve them ...

Actually - when it comes to jams, jellies, preserves, conserves, etc. without added pectin - the acid (usually in the form of bottled lemon juice) is a catalyst to react with the pectin and sugar to create a gel. The main preservative, in this instance, is the sugar.

essenceofeclectic said:
On the contrary, if you don't have to add pectin, then please clarify that too.

Getting fruits to gel requires a balance of the right amount of fruit (pulp and/or juice), pectin, sugar, acid, time, and heat - and the proper batch size as called for in the recipe. Again - follow the recipe (the ratios have been worked out for you)!

essenceofeclectic said:
Okay, well could I replace part of the already dried fruit in the recipe with the additions I mentioned earlier? That is use 3/4 cup dried apple and 3/4 cup dried pear? Use 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup dried peach? That wouldn't be making additions. It would just be dividing up the fruit that is already called for in the recipe.

I think, in this case, that would probably work if you don't make any other adjustments to the recipe.

You really should visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation page How do I ... Jam and Jelly?
 
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