Go to the Article: Plant Primer
I'm guessing "pectic substance" is a technical term: what exactly is the difference with "pectin"? I'm finding contradictory explanations online.
Pectic substances are often classified into three groups: pectic acids, pectinic acids (which include pectin), and protopectin. Immature fruit, for instance, has lots of insoluble protopectin which becomes water-dispersible pectin as the fruit ripens or heated. Interestingly, even pectic substances classified as pectin aren't all the same: "pectins are … a heterogeneous assortment of polymers that vary in degree of polymerization, in methoxyl content, in kind, and in distribution of sugars" (Charley & Weaver, Foods: A Scientific Approach, 1998). In short, converting the insoluble pectic substances through heat or ripening makes the plant foods tender.
Thank you!
I love this science stuff.
Just discovering this stuff. This is great!
