For　an　economic　and　environmentally　friendly　approach,　ultrafiltration　has　been　used　to　replace　ethanol　precipitation　for　pectin　purification　in　the　biorefinery　process　of　tea　residue　from　beverage　factories.　However,　the　resulting　pectin　product　exhibits　poor　viscosity　and　gelling　properties.　To　address　this,　the　composition,　molecular　weight　distribution,　and　particle　size　distribution　were　determined　to　assess　the　influence　of　ethanol　precipitation　and　ultrafiltration　on　the　viscosity　and　gelling　properties　of　the　purified　alkaline　pectin　extract　(APE).　The　results　suggested　that　ethanol　precipitation　could　remove　protein,　polyphenols,　and　salts,　while　protein　was　not　removed　by　ultrafiltration.　The　ethanol-purified　APE　had　a　high　viscosity　(350 mPa∙s)　and　good　gelling　properties　(Gʹ　=　4170 Pa,　G″　=　870 Pa),　which　might　have　been　caused　by　the　generation　of　large　molecules　with　similarly　sized　particles.　Removal　of　free　protein　led　to　the　production　of　self-assembling　molecules　in　the　APE,　and　the　varied　concentrations　of　Ca2+　and　Na+　influenced　the　particle　size　distribution.　As　ultrafiltration　removed　both　Ca2+　and　Na+　but　retained　protein,　the　APE　purified　by　double　ultrafiltration　processes　had　poor　viscosity　and　gelling　properties.　Combined　single　ultrafiltration　and　single　ethanol　precipitation　purification　is　a　better　solution　for　pectin　purification,　as　it　reduced　80%　of　the　ethanol　consumption　to　obtain　a　pectin　extract　with　a　purity　of　64%,　a　recovery　rate　of　about　80%,　and　good　viscosity　and　gelling　properties　similar　to　those　of　ethanol　precipitation.　©　The　Author(s),　under　exclusive　licence　to　Springer-Verlag　GmbH　Germany,　part　of　Springer　Nature　2022.　Springer　Nature　or　its　licensor　holds　exclusive　rights　to　this　article　under　a　publishing　agreement　with　the　author(s)　or　other　rightsholder(s);　author　self-archiving　of　the　accepted　manuscript　version　of　this　article　is　solely　governed　by　the　terms　of　such　publishing　agreement　and　applicable　law.