Lets take your question in steps. To begin, Pectin is a polysaccharide, long chains of a sugar derivative, galacturonic acid. It is present in the cell walls of plant tissues and will impart a permanent haze to beer or wine.
Pectin was not discovered until the 1820s. Housewives, responsible for preparing food for winter, knew jellies could be made with certain fruits--sour and crab apples, quinces, gooseberries, Concord grapes, and cranberries. Other fruit like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, or peaches would not gel. Housewives got around this by adding fruit that would gel to fruit that would not gel. Still, until glass jars were invented which could be sealed with wax (1850s) and Louis Pasteur discovered why food spoiled (1861), jams, jellies, preserves, and conserves were short-term solutions to a glut of ripe fruit. Foods for the winter consisted of what could be dried, buried in barrels, or immersed in salty water (pickled) or oil. Pectin was first extracted from the waste of crushed apples from making juice or cider. Today most pectin is extracted from citrus rinds. The long chains of pectin bind the liquids with the dissolved and suspended solids forming a gel. Pectin allowed for a wider range of fruits to be made into jellies, jams, and preserves. Most berries & apples contain pectin.
Pectic Enzyme
Pectic enzyme increases juice yields from fruits by breaking down cellular structure. Also acts as a clarifier, and is used to clear hazes caused by residual pectins.
Use: Add 1/4 teaspoon per 6 US gallons of wine. If making wine from scratch, this is a good item to have in your arsenal.
Item Number: #
6382
A good resource for info on Pectin is the web site for the International Pectin Producers Assocation
http://www.ippa.info/
Hope this answered your questions podner.