Everyday LifeGreek → English
Pectin
/ˈpɛktɪn/noun
A carbohydrate in plant cell walls that makes fruit preserves set.
The Greek roots
πηκτός
pēktós
curdled, set solid
Literally: “the congealed thing”
Follow a root:πηκτός1 word
The story of the word
Henri Braconnot named pectic acid in 1825 after the Greek word for something that has set, because the stuff he pulled out of fruit turned liquid into jelly. πηκτός covered curdled milk as well, which is why Greek cheese-making language and jam-making language meet in the same root. Apples, quinces and citrus peel are loaded with it; strawberries are not, which is why strawberry jam so often stays a syrup.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → scientific coinage → French → English
- First recorded
- 1830s
In a sentence
Add a grated apple if the jam needs more pectin.
Commercial pectin comes mostly from citrus peel left over from juicing.