

5:01 pm

December 28, 2008

Anyone else having fun discovering the possibilities for the reduced sugar pectin? Especially now that it is available in a jar, for flex batches.
Some of the pros are obvious – more fruit taste rather than sweet taste. Reduction in sugar, for those who need or want to reduce the amount of sugar in their diets.
It seems that in my home, the reduced sugar jams spoil much faster than full sugar varieties. I have no explanation for that, and it may not be something anyone else has noticed. Or maybe sugar really IS a great preservative!
Anyone have a story to share about what has or has not worked with the reduced sugar/no sugar pectin?
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
4:11 pm

February 22, 2010

5:53 pm

September 19, 2010

I use Sure-Jell no/low sugar pectin and love it, but I use it for cooked reduced sugar jam, not no-sugar jam. I made jam using regular pectin from 4 different recipes in the Ball recipe book, and every one failed to completely jell, despite following the directions exactly. Brands of pectin are not always interchangeable, so possibly they didn’t create/test their recipes using Sure-Jell. But when I used the no/low sugar recipes inside the pectin package, every one set up perfectly. I tried a couple of the Ball recipes again, reducing the sugar and using no/low sugar pectin, and they worked out great. Most recipes take about 3 1/2 to 4 cups sugar with the reduced sugar pectin. I haven’t had any problem with the jam not staying good as long nor with discoloration EXCEPT for strawberry. It only seems to last about 4 months before the jam starts getting brown at the top. Even after a year, the jams haven’t been runny. But again, I’m using reduced sugar recipes, not no-sugar recipes. That might very well make a difference.
I have never tried the no/low sugar jam actually using no sugar, but I would expect it wouldn’t keep as well. Sugar not only preserves against spoilage, but it also keeps the color bright.
Once opened, home-canned jams and jellies won’t last as long as commercially-canned jams.
6:43 pm

December 28, 2008

Urbanite – I’m with you on all that! I have also not really tried any of the no-sugar recipes, had only tried the reduced sugar for my Mom, who had diabetes, but easily controlled by being careful with sugar intake. That was how I accidentally discovered that I preferred the taste of it – maybe “brighter” would be a good description?
We in our household are not very picky about the softness of the set. But, for gift giving, it can be an issue. That just means that there is more for us with any “failures?”
Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
8:30 pm

February 10, 2009

I agree as well! We all prefer less sugar as well, for the reasons Pete gives also, especially the better flavor. My father was a ‘borderline’ diabetic since I was a child, so we got used to some pretty healthy eating habits from the time we were kids. My mother figured out by accident a LOT of what they tell you nowadays about fiber, whole grains, and reducing sugar etc etc. I rarely make full sugar jams, and any that don’t gel properly become ice cream topping! I can’t say that many have failed on me though.
I don’t much like jams that are no sugar, so I don’t have much experience with that. The few times I’ve made strawberry jam with Splenda, it’s been freezer jam, which does come out very well.
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