One of my earliest culinary memories is my grandmother making pineapple jam during summer. My grandmother’s pineapple jam is the product of what has become a ritual in our family, and one that signals that yes, summer is here.

I may not have had the same interest in the culinary arts at that young age but the process of making jam was still interesting enough to warrant my attention. One thing that I found curious at that time was her addition of pectin to the jam. I’ve always wondered what it was for. At that time I thought it was an ingredient that added flavor to the jam. Only when I got older and starting reading about the stuff did I find out that pectin is used to help thicken the jam. [Read more…]