# Reducing Sugar In Canning



## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

So, I've been canning jam and jelly quite a bit this year and upon tasting the fruits of my labor  I've found that I do not like how sugary it tastes. Is there a way to simply reduce sugar without resorting to artificial sugars or using reduced sugar pectin? I would love your tips on this one.


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

You and me both Toffee. I have been meaning to look online for some low or no sugar ways to make preserves or jam. I made some peach jam a couple of weeks ago and it is good, just too sugary. I used the recipe from the Ball Blue book. I was a bit skeptical on the amount of sugar but did it anyway. I probably could have used half and been just fine.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm not a big fan of sweet either, hubby is though. I've never used pectin (apart from a few green apples in a recipe). I gently reduce fruit to a thickish syrup (just like a tomato paste ??? not sure what it's called up there ) then add sugar to taste. It's not jam or jelly more a sauce. Quite a few fruits I don't add anything. You do have to be pretty careful about burning as it thickens though.
This is great for toast, icecream, cheesecakes, yoghurt etc


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

You can use no sugar pectin and add white grape juice instead of sugar. At least that's what the jar of no sugar pectin says.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

I should add that I do make a lot of jam as well (for hubby) and have still never used pectin.
I do fruit in a number of ways......
Just as it comes, squish it and heat it to release juice then WB it, I use it for whatever I need at the time including making jam at a later date.
In a syrup to eat as a dessert etc WB
As a thick syrup with very little sugar. WB
As jam or a sugary syrup. (for hubby) WB or if jam and for use within 6 months the old fashioned way (Aussie way still) hot jam, hot jars, and a cellophane cover.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Jellies are tricky, they set softer with less sugar.  Freezer jams are OK with less sugar...we used to make them all the time for diabetic family members. Fruit butters are essentially purees, cooked down until spreadable, and can be done without sugar at all - another godsend in years past for diabetics. 

Low Sugar Raspberry Freezer Jam
4 cups raspberries, crushed
1 1/2 cups (or less) granulated sugar
1 packet Ball Instant Fruit Pectin 
1. Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl.
2. Add crushed fruit. Stir 3 minutes.
3. Ladle jam into clean jars and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy.
NOTE: Freeze for up to one year. Refrigerate for up to three weeks.
Serving Size: Makes 40 2-tablespoon servings or 5 8-ounce containers

low sugar muscadine (grape) jelly
This is a no sugar added jelly that is a little softer set than sugar added jellies. It has a great fruit taste. It uses artificial sweetener, which you can cut back to taste. 
Minutes to Prepare: 15
Minutes to Cook: 45
5 1/2 cups Muscadine juice
1 1.75 oz. package Sure Jell (no sugar needed style)
3.5 cups Splenda
3/4 cup water 
Prepare jelly jars and lids by washing them in hot soapy water. Use a canner or large stock pot with a dish towel in the bottom and place the jars in boiling water. Lower the water to a bare simmer and leave till ready to use. This will be the same pot and water you will use to water bath the jelly. Wash the rings and lids and put them in a small sauce pan with boiling water and turn off the heat.
Pour juice into a 6 qt. pot, add the water and Sure Jell. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the Splenda. Skim foam and ladle into prepared jelly jars. Fill jars to within 1/8" of the tops. Wipe rims with a damp clean cloth and seal with lids and rings. Tighten rings. Process in a boiling water bath with 1" - 2" water covering jars. Process for 5 minutes. Remove from water bath and place the jars in a draft free place on a tea towel and let cool. When jelly is cool check for sealing by pressing on the center of the lids. If the lid will press down and pop back up it did not seal properly and needs to be kept in refrigeration. Unopened jelly will keep for about 1 year in a cool dry place. Makes 6 1/2 - 7 cups of jelly . Serving size is 1 teaspoon.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm so glad you guys are talking about this today. I just picked grapes and am going to make grape jelly for the first time.
I want to make some of it for my brother, who is diabetic. I went to the store yesterday and bought both splenda and stevia. But I wasn't sure how to do it.

And I made strawberry jelly and sour cherry jelly this year, and I also think it is too sweet and odd that it takes so much sugar to make it. 5 cups juice and 7 cups sugar? That's adding juice to sugar. All I really made was strawberry flavored sugar.

Think I'm gonna try a batch of just cooking it down and sweeten to taste too.

Thanks guys!


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for all of your replies. We can't use Splenda as my hubs is sensitive to it. Could I use agave? I'm assuming honey can't be used, though. And I did think about doing freezer jam, but I would prefer to make shelf-stable things if possible.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Xylentol. Made from Birch trees. Expensive but good. Use with no sugar pectin. It's even a little sweeter than sugar. Made strawberry jam for my brother in law (diabetic). He loved it. I did too. I get mine at 
http://bulkfoods.com


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