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The Chemistry of Jam Making

The document discusses the chemistry of jam-making. Sugar draws water away from pectins, allowing the pectins to form a gel network that traps liquid and helps the jam set as it cools. Fruits also contain acids that are necessary for proper setting, and extra acid such as citric or tartaric acid is often added to achieve a pH of 2.8-3.3. The pectin content varies between fruits, and fruits lower in pectin may require added pectin or fruits higher in pectin for the jam to set properly.

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525 views1 page

The Chemistry of Jam Making

The document discusses the chemistry of jam-making. Sugar draws water away from pectins, allowing the pectins to form a gel network that traps liquid and helps the jam set as it cools. Fruits also contain acids that are necessary for proper setting, and extra acid such as citric or tartaric acid is often added to achieve a pH of 2.8-3.3. The pectin content varies between fruits, and fruits lower in pectin may require added pectin or fruits higher in pectin for the jam to set properly.

Uploaded by

mariamtk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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THE CHEMISTRY OF JAM-MAKING

SUGAR

FRUIT ACIDS

HO

O
OH

O
HO
O

HO
HO

HO

OH

SETTING & PECTINS

OH

The majority of jam-making


recipes call for an equal weight
of fruit and sugar. Sugar boosts
the gel-forming capability of
the jam by drawing water away
from pectins. It binds the water,
meaning that with high levels
of sugar, there is no longer
enough water available in the
jam to support microbial growth,
therefore imparting a natural
preservative effect.

COOH
O

OH

OH

O
O
OH

OH

COOCH3
O

OH

O
O

COOCH3

OH

OH

OH

O
O

COOH

PECTIN
(typical chemical structure)

Pectin is made up of a large number of sugar molecules bonded together


in a long chain. The pectin content varies from fruit to fruit; fruits lower in
pectin require more pectin to be added, either in the form of commercial
pectin or by addition of fruit whose pectin content is higher. The setting
point when boiling jam is ~104C; the pectin chain binds to itself, forming a
gel network that traps liquid as the jam cools and helps it set.

OH

OH

A frequent cause of jam not


setting is a lack of acidity. Fruits
themselves provide some acids
naturally, but often extra acid
will need to be added - this is
commonly in the form of citric
acid, but tartaric acid can also be
used. A pH of between 2.8-3.3 is
needed to help the pectin form
a gel and allow the jam to set
properly.

OH

HO

OH
O

OH

TARTARIC ACID
(found in grapes)

65-69%

Required FINAL SUGAR


CONTENT OF JAM

OH
O

CITRIC ACID
(occurs naturally in citrus fruits)

OH

SUCROSE
(table sugar)

LOW IN PECTIN

Pears, peaches, cherries, strawberries, raspberries,


blackberries, sweet plums, blueberries, elderberries.

HIGH IN PECTIN

Apples, gooseberries, blackcurrants,


sour plums, grapes, citrus rind.

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Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence.

2.8-3.3

OPTIMAL pH FOR SETTING

BY

NC

ND

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