What is the enzyme that makes apples's pectin heat resistant? And can it be added to other fruits to achieve similar results?

In some recipes for apple and cherry pie, it is suggested to pre-cook the filling at low temperature in order to make pectin heat resistant and so preserve the shape and structure of the fruit. This is explained in McGee's "On Food and Cooking" at page 283 as:

Firm-able vegetables and fruits have an enzyme in their cell walls that becomes activated at around 120F/ 50C (and inactivated above 160F/70C), and alters the cell-wall pectins so that they’re more easily cross-linked by calcium ions

Now my question is, what is this enzyme? Is this enzyme available for purchase? And if so, if I were to add it to a, say, strawberry pie filling, would it help maintain its structure?

Best Answer

I don't know for sure if it is the same enzyme naturally that naturally occurs in apples, but there is a commercial product called NovoShape that serves this purpose. It is a pectin esterase. You can find it in small quantities at Modernist Pantry: http://www.modernistpantry.com/novoshape.html

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Quick Answer about "What is the enzyme that makes apples's pectin heat resistant? And can it be added to other fruits to achieve similar results?"

As a plant matures, the enzyme Pectinase breaks down the Pectin, causing fruit to soften. Pectinase is used commercially to hasten the breakdown of fruits in order to extract more juice with more efficiency, reducing cost and waste.

What does pectinase do to fruit?

Pectinases are used for the clarification of the juice by breaking the polysaccharide pectin structure present in the cell wall of plants into galacturonic acid monomers. Pectin structure breakage facilitates the filtration process and it increases the total yield of juice.

What does cellulase do to apples?

Since there is also cellulose in the plant cell wall, Cellulase can break down the cellulose in the cell wall therefore releasing more juice. Even the apple leftovers from squeezing can produce more juice when Pectinase is added, although it doesn't look like it will produce any more juice.

How does pectinase enzyme work?

Pectinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of pectin, a component of the cell wall in fruits such as apples and oranges. Pectinase is used commercially to aid in extracting juice from fruit. By enzymatically breaking down the cell wall, pectinase releases the juice from within the cells.

Does heat break down pectin?

Overcooking. Boiling preserves beyond the gel point (longer than a few minutes) or uneven heat distribution from lack of stirring or a pot that's too small can all cause pectin to break down.

Enzyme Introduction - Apple Browning

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