Gelling agent in Fruit Jam?

Question

I heard that the Brand St. Dalfour's Fruit jam is vegan. Is it true?
Also in the ingredient , it states something called 'Gelling Agent', but i am not know what it is, can someone explain this please ?

Answer 1

Yes, I took a look at the ingredients on their website. It's vegan. It lists the gelling agent as fruit pectin, and there are no other ingredients besides fruit-based ones.

Answer 2

I believe that your problem is due to the amount of acid present in kumquats. To balance it, you can try adding more sugar to the marmalde, and also try reducing (meaning simmering) the liquid for longer. Pectin is pretty much present in all fruit, pectin is the setting agent for jams and marmalades. It is a natural agent, you shouldn't need to buy pectin to add it to your jam/marmalade. merely reduce the liquid content, and the amount of pectin present in the liquid should intensify. Sugar also helps pectin do its job. Be careful that you do not reduce it too far, as the sugar content in the liquid will caramelise.Not a biggy really, as all you need to do is add more water (Unless, it is burnt) I believe that with making most Jams/Marmalades, the rule is that the sweeter the fruit, the less sugar needed. By the way if your Kumquats are orange, they are over ripe. Try picking them when they are green. Squeeze them, add lots of sugar and plenty of water to make a kind of lemonade. Kulamunsie( not sure of spelling here) is the name of the fruit and it is a Phillipino recipe. The best. Better frozen as ice-blocks.( wont be any good for jam as the acid content is too high, but a wickedly refreshing drink) Oh, also do you simmer the fruit in the liquid that the pips have been soaked in? If not, then you probably should try it, as water will draw out the pectin in the seeds. Osmosis!

Answer 3

the usual gelling agent used for jams & jellies is Pectin. this is a naturally occurring enzyme in fruits and therefore can be considered vegan. some manufacturers add misleading labels to attract customers like fat free candies that do not even require any kind of fat in the recipe.

the amounts of pectin varies from fruit to fruit so check first to see if you need to add additional pectin which can be purchased at most grocery stores

Answer 4

St Dalfour Jam

Answer 5

The gelling agent used in jam and preserves is called pectin, it's not from animal origin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin