[Sca-cooks] Cranberry sauce and pectin

[Stefan li Rous]

Doc asked:
> This leads me to a medieval-relevant question:  Are there any lists
> out there of period fruits with high pectin contents?  I know that
> quince has quite a lot of pectin, and that gooseberries are also
> supposed to be good for jellies.  Any others?  Commercial pectin is
> made from apples, yes?  Can apples be cooked to a jelly (and not be
> just thick applesauce)?  How about plums?

I believe some of these do contain pectin, but not as much as quince  
do. I believe that is the reason that the early marmalades were  
quince based. Those after it may have actual been a mix of quince and  
the other fruit, to get enough pectin for the stuff to congeal.

I believe that this file in the FOOD-SWEETS section of the  
Florilegium does discuss pectin in fruits and why certain fruits were  
done first historically.
marmalades-msg    (76K)  6/18/04    Period marmalades and fruit  
jellies and jams
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-SWEETS/marmalades-msg.html

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****