Pectin is the substance that thickens jelly and jam. It is naturally occuring in certain plants and the pectin in fruits like apples and oranges can be activated with heat. If you want to make jelly or jam from soft-bodied cherries grapes or strawberries, which are low in pectin, you need to add pectin powder so they will set.

Pectin in powder form can be added to foods and is widely used as a thickener, gelling agent or stabilizer in fruit juice, fillings and many other foods produced around the world.

Henri Braconnot first discovered the existence of pectin in 1825. It can also be used to regulate the bowels or repair the tobacco wrappers on a cigar.