What Fruits & Vegetables Contain Pectin?

Pectin is a complex carbohydrate that is naturally occurring in the cell walls of fruit and vegetables. It is also a type of soluble dietary fiber and according to the Dietary Fiber Food website, may have a number of potential health benefits. It is used commercially as a thickening and gelling agent, with most pectin substitutes being extracted from fruits. Although present in varying quantities in all fruits and vegetables, it is used extensively in jams, jellies, yogurts and ketchup, as an additive.

Citrus Fruits

• According to the Dietary Fiber Food website, citrus fruits contain the highest amount of pectin with peaches, apples, grapefruit and oranges containing the most. The website further states that in citrus fruits, as much as 60 to 70 percent of the dietary fiber is pectin. The zest of citrus fruits is used widely in the commercial manufacture of pectin. The Dietary Fiber Food website also claims that diets incorporating pectin through citrus fruits are better tolerated than those taking pectin in a powder or liquid form.

Apples and Pears

• Citrus fruits contain high levels of pectin

  Apples contain 0.5 grams (0.017 ounce) of pectin per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of edible weight. Powdered and liquid pectin is also commonly produced with trimmings from apples. The FruitAndVeggies.gov website reports that a pear weighing 166 grams (5.85 ounces) will provide 4 grams (0.14 ounce) of dietary fiber, of which 41 percent is pectin.

Peaches and Soft Fruits

• Peaches contain 0.7 grams (0.024 ounce) of pectin per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of edible weight. Strawberries, apricots, cherries, figs and bananas also contain pectin but in smaller amounts. "The Oxford Companion to Food" reveals the amount of pectin in fruit increases as the fruit ripens and it will reach its maximum just before it fully ripens. If the action continues, the pectin will turn into peptic acid.

Carrots

• The best source of pectin is carrots.

  Higher levels of pectin can be found in younger vegetables or those that have been harvested in the earlier growth stages. Carrots are the best source of pectin, containing 0.8 grams (0.028 ounces) per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of edible weight.

Peas and Other Vegetables

• Peas have 0.6 grams (0.021 ounces) of pectin per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of edible weight. Potatoes, beets and cabbages are also rich sources of pectin as are onions, artichokes, okra and fennel.