Home cooks have been making pectin stock for a long, long time. Basically pectin stock can be made from any high-pectin fruit - apples, quinces, lemons, oranges, even plums I suppose. Apple stock is by far the most common because apples are loaded with natural pectin, they're available over a wide range of climate zones, they're easy to prep and the resulting stock is pretty "neutral." So apple pectin base is a good flavor carrier and can be used in a wide variety of jams and jellies without being obvious. Citrus pectin has slightly different qualities from apple. There's a difference in texture and the flavor is more pronounced. The difference in texture doesn't mean it's inferior. Manufacturers will choose one over the other (apple v.s. citrus) depending upon what they're making and the "mouthfeel" they're aiming for. The more pronounced flavor of a lemon pectin base means it's most suited for a jam or jelly where you want that lemon. The majority of pectin in citrus is contained in the white part of the skin  the pith or "albedo"  plus the membranes between the segments and the seeds. So if you really want some super-jelling pectin stock in large quantities, that's what you'll use. But, the pith is also bitter, so there is a tradeoff, which is why some "gourmet" commercial jam-makers settle for less quantity and use only the membranes and seeds. You can find the formula for citrus pectin if you scroll down the page at the site link; it's an old document from 1931. I hope this helps. Happy preserving, Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Citrus Pectin

Here's the update on strawberry jam with frozen strawberries (decided to make it today since my back hurts from shoveling so I can't do anything else around the house). I used 20 oz of frozen berries, thawed them in low preserving pan (my 6qt Dutch oven has soup in it). Ball no-sugar pectin box said need 4C of fruit, about 4 lb of strawberries. I didn't think 1C = 1 lb so I measured a couple of cups (liquid measure) of frozen berries (so lots of air space) and that was about half, so said fine, let's say there are 2C in the 20 oz weight. Mashed them, added 6.75 oz juice box of apple-cranberry (Apple & Eve, unsweetened), 2C of frozen blackberries, heated, and gradually stirred in the pectin per package directions. It didn't foam, it was hard to tell when it got to a "rolling boil" since I was stirring it to keep from sticking. But it was splattering all over, so I think I got it hot enough. Removed from heat, gradually stirred in 1C of sugar, put back on the heat and tried to boil for 3 min but again hard to tell, I stopped stirring for a minute and it started sticking, but no foam or bubbles. Removed from heat, got the jars out of the canner (sterilized since they were room-temp and needed to heat anyway). The jam started to skin over b4 I even got 6 jars out, I filled 4 halfpints and the last one was gummy. I put that one in the fridge and processed the other 3 for only 5 minutes. The 4 lb of strawberries was supposed to make "3 to 5 half pints", the generic 4C of fruit, 1C of juice, and 1 package of pectin said 4 to 6. I tasted the spoon, could use more sugar - maybe I'm used to full-sugar (or almost full - I use 3/4C per 1C fruit when I make no-pectin jam). Also could use lemon juice - flavor seems flat, I didn't add any since package said strawberries/blackberries didn't need any, but again I always add it to my blackberry jam anyway. We'll see how the texture of the cooled one is later, and the processed ones maybe next month. But I think I got a better product using frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and homemade apple pectin.

I'm an old wineo! I free style wine on the fly... been doing it for years and never had any that was not drinkable. I've bought fancy wine with french labels.. good stuff but I've made far better. I prefer not having sulfides in my wine... cleaner taste and no pickled tummy feeling after drinking. Most of my wines these days have an apple juice base... just cheap and easy to come by. Handful of dried blueberrys into a fermenter of apple juice wine and it looks like this! That is Lulu my offical wine inspector. No wine made in my kitchen that Luna Looski does not personally approve. Yeah I'm single so my house is cluttered... not bad for someone that works 6 or 7 days a week for endless years. I still have a gallon of that wine... no sulfides and has not gone bad yet. You can see a few of the blueberries floating on top and the rest on the bottom. Wine is easy... anyone one interested should give it a try. That jug was 4 gallons of cheapy store bought no preservative on sale apple juice, 4lbs corn sugar (wine store), handful of acid blend (wine store), handful of dry blueberries (walmart cereal section), and one packet of wine yeast (wine store). All in all about $10-12 for 4 gallons of wine running about 12% alcohol. I did not hydrometer it, I did not rack it, no heating pad, no adding sugar to keep the ferment going, lazy person wine to the max. Certainly no campden tablets!... yucky. Three gallons juice into the fermentor. Boiled the other gallon of juice to mix in the sugar and acid blend. Dumped hot juice in with the cold juice. Sprinkled yeast on top of the warm juice and corked it with a bubbler lock. Six months later I started pouring it off gallon/half gallon at a time for drinking. Mix with seven-up or faygo moon mist soda pop when I want it sweet. Noooo you can't add sugar after it quits bubbling to sweeten it... as my buddy attempted. He did not understand the yeast is alive and will start fermenting again blowing bottle corks in the process. Btw... wine yeast like bread yeast will not hurt you and is full of B vitamins... if a little gets in your glass drink it down like a health tonic!... most of it sits on the bottom until you attempt to pour out the last quart.. by then you won't care if it has yeast... *hic*. As for the hab jelly! I opened the fridge jar because I got curious. It has jelled and tastes great! Two slices of jelly toast and probably another before I head off to work second shift.

Haven't looked at if for awhile but if I recall correctly Pomona provides amount conversion instructions for most fruit jam/jelly recipes in the box, no? If not then they are available on its website pomonapectin.com using Adobe reader. For most users it is just a matter of adding a bit of the pectin and a bit of the calcium water at a time until the desired set/jell is attained rather than any specific measurement. I think most recipes call for starting with 2 tsp. of the pectin powder and 2 tsp. of the calcium water mixture. Hope this helps. Dave