Well that's quite a coincidence. I know Linda through the Portland food community but frankly had no idea she wrote this book. She and her husband just started producing a hazelnut oil too. Fantastic, thank you!

The need for commercial pectin (and the large amounts of sugar it requires) is often exaggerated. I have a cupboardful of raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, plum, and apricot preserves and jam (to name a few) without a drop of the stuff. Jelly is trickier and may require the simple addition of some apple juice to get a good gel. The key is to not cut back on the sugar too much and to patiently cook and stir until the jam reaches the jelly point. I recommended Linda Ziedrich's The Joy of Jams, Jellies and Other Sweet Preserves on another post because she is too avoids commercial pectin and her recipes are good ones.

Read up on the esteemed MrsWheelbarrow's advice here: http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2010/06/two-preserving-projects-apple-pectin/ She's a canning maniac.