From the book: "What did cooks do before they had pectin in a box? They made their own. It's not difficult to do, and the texture homemade pectin brings to your james and jellies is ideal - silky and delicate. The Pectin from this recipe looks like a syrupy liquid. It doesn't reach gel stage until it cooks up with your fruit."
Mix the apples, water and lemon juice in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasstionaly to prevent scorching.
Line a colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth and set this over a large bowl. Gently pour the all of the apple mixture into the cheesecloth. Allow the apple mixture to drain like this for 3 to 4 hours until all the juice has been relieced. DO NOT press on the fruit or you will cloud the liquid. Use the pectin immediately or preserve it for later.
Refrigerate: Ladle the pectin into bowls or jars, and cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freeze: The pectin many be frozen up to 6 months, but freezing will weaken the pectin slightly. If you freeze the pectin, plan on using 1/3 more pectin in your recipes for the same gelling effect as the refrigerated pectin.
Note: this recipe was adapted from The Preserving Answer Book.
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