North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>]

I presume you are referring to an initial dissolving of low-methoxyl 
pectin in water for rapid and even dispersal in the fruit. From 
experience, hard water won't work.

Distilled water can be used for this. In the past for small batches I 
used water condensed from the inside of a pot lid.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada


Dianne Stephany wrote:
> Just a thought about the Pomona pectin- could it be the hardness of the 
> water that causes the differences in set?
>  
> We have extreemly hard water here in Rochester, NY, due to calcium 
> salts--and if calcium is what is used for the set it could make a 
> difference.
>
> Dianne Rochester NY- "it was a dark and stormy...." 
>  
>   <http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/gateway.aspx?S=5176697856>