help with pectin and sugar free jam

In article <vlF2d.454191$gE.65653@pd7tw3no>,

sprudil said:

Can any one help with advice on making sugar free jam?
I see regular pectin, liquid pectin and no sugar needed pectin in the
supermarket.
The ingredients seem similar.
Why can't I use the regular pectin (or liquid) to make sugar free jam?
What are the differences between the pectins?
Various sites say that the pectins are not interchangeable but they don't
tell me which is better or what the differences are. Why would I use a
liquid pectin? Is it better than the powdered?
I want to make some sugar free strawberry jam with frozen strawberries,
pectin and liquid splenda. Advice?
I'm assuming that either the no sugar needed pectin is more concentrated, a
different type of pectin or it is relying on the dextrose in the package to
cause it to gel.
Liquid pectin lacks sugar but it seems you have to use it in recipes with
sugar so no benefit.
I have heard of Pomona's Universal pectin which uses calcium to gel and
doesn't need sugar but can't find it locally.

I can't help you a lot since I've made only one batch of low-sugar
preserves, and that was with Pomona's Universal Pectin, but I would
advise against using frozen strawberries. Instead, use some fruit which
is currently in season where you are, and choose specimens which are
just shy of being dead ripe. Otherwise you'll end up with mush.

I made strawberry jam this past June when I could get big baskets of
berries at the farmers' market, following a normal recipe but cutting
the sugar by about 75%. I kept the normal amount of lemon juice. The
result looks kind of funky -- it separated into two layers in the jars
during the canning and cooling process -- but it has the most intense
strawberry flavor! Very very tasty.

BTW, be aware that sugar is a preservative, so if you make jam without
sugar (or with reduced sugar) you are cutting WAY down on the time it'll
last before going bad or molding. Use little jam jars, and don't
neglect to use a proper boiling water bath to seal them. You don't want
low-carb botulism.

Priscilla

Pectin needs sugar to work.

You may want to do a google search on sugar free canning.

Jennifer

sprudil said:

Can any one help with advice on making sugar free jam?

I see regular pectin, liquid pectin and no sugar needed pectin in the
supermarket.

The ingredients seem similar.

Why can't I use the regular pectin (or liquid) to make sugar free jam?
What are the differences between the pectins?

Various sites say that the pectins are not interchangeable but they don't
tell me which is better or what the differences are. Why would I use a
liquid pectin? Is it better than the powdered?

I want to make some sugar free strawberry jam with frozen strawberries,
pectin and liquid splenda. Advice?

I'm assuming that either the no sugar needed pectin is more concentrated, a
different type of pectin or it is relying on the dextrose in the package to
cause it to gel.

Liquid pectin lacks sugar but it seems you have to use it in recipes with
sugar so no benefit.

I have heard of Pomona's Universal pectin which uses calcium to gel and
doesn't need sugar but can't find it locally.

Thanks,

Sid...

Quoted message said:

I made strawberry jam this past June when I could get big baskets of
berries at the farmers' market, following a normal recipe but cutting
the sugar by about 75%. I kept the normal amount of lemon juice. The
result looks kind of funky -- it separated into two layers in the jars
during the canning and cooling process -- but it has the most intense
strawberry flavor! Very very tasty.

BTW, be aware that sugar is a preservative, so if you make jam without
sugar (or with reduced sugar) you are cutting WAY down on the time it'll
last before going bad or molding. Use little jam jars, and don't
neglect to use a proper boiling water bath to seal them. You don't want
low-carb botulism.

Priscilla

Thanks,

From what I have read online the gelling happens with specific ratios of
sugar/pectin/acid so you can't just change the amounts of sugar (within a
range) and must use a specific pectin. although I can't figure out what the
advantages and disadvantages of the various pectins really are.

Unfortunately it's a little late in the season to get fresh strawberries in
bulk but I may experiment anyways.

Sid...

"Jennifer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Pectin needs sugar to work.

You may want to do a google search on sugar free canning.

Jennifer

I have googled on sugar free canning but was hoping to benefit from the
experience of low carbers who have made sugar free jam. Especially with
liquid splenda since it is new.

There is a type of pectin that doesn't require sugar but works in the
presence of calcium (Pomona's)

Thanks,

Sid...

In article <29G2d.436877$M95.75214@pd7tw1no>,

sprudil said:

Unfortunately it's a little late in the season to get fresh strawberries in
bulk but I may experiment anyways.

My point was: use another fruit. You want to start with fresh fruit.

Priscilla

In article <rbG2d.436886$M95.282665@pd7tw1no>,

sprudil said:

I have googled on sugar free canning but was hoping to benefit from the
experience of low carbers who have made sugar free jam. Especially with
liquid splenda since it is new.

There is a type of pectin that doesn't require sugar but works in the
presence of calcium (Pomona's)

Be warned that Pomona's Universal Pectin produces a different
consistency product from regular pectin. I made some peach jam with it
a couple of years ago that I swear would bounce if I took it out of the
jar and dropped it on the floor! I think I lowered the amount of PUP I
used in my strawberry jam from what the recipe called for. It's better.

Priscilla

Quoted message said:

Can any one help with advice on making sugar free jam?

These are the ppl that can help you 🙂

rec.food.preserving
~Kat

"help is on the way"
~John Kerry

"Jarkat2002" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can any one help with advice on making sugar free jam?

These are the ppl that can help you 🙂

rec.food.preserving
~Kat

"help is on the way"
~John Kerry

I did see the group in my googles and read some relevant info but I didn't
want to cross post, follow another list and I wanted to hear from the low
carb perspective.

Some of the no sugar required recipes still use some sugar and/or have
dextrose along with the pectin. Low carbers will understand the lengths
that we go to avoid unnecessary carbs. Others not necessarily so. Look at
Ig's post to the edible plants group.

don't want to prejudge the group just didn't want to bother them if it
proved unnecessary.

Thanks,

Sid...