There are some low and no sugar pectin recipes for jelly and jam. Also, you can use apple juice in place of simple syrup in some recipes (like canning pear and peach halves for example)-- I have not tried it myself, but saw it in the Ball Blue book (I think). I may try it this year, if I get lucky with pears again.

I think I'd check with the FDA about canning with sugar subs.

Splenda works the best for me. I make sugar free jams and jellies with it. They are good !
You can use it for canning and doesn't turn bitter like other sweeteners. Some folks use Sweet n low with good success. They have a few recipes on their site.
I don't know of anyone who has tried stevia in canning yet. I can't stand stevia, so I won't try it.
It is the USDA, not FDA, who deals with food preservation.
The fruit juice is still sugar, so I don't can my fuit in it.
I use a light sugar syrup. Sugar helps keep the fruits more firm. Unlike using water or other sweeteners added.

Yes, I second Splenda. All have an after taste of some kind, but Splenda and acidic foods seem to conteract each other. I even make sweet mixed pickles with Spelnda. The recipes will sometimes call for up to 5 pounds of sugar for a batch of pickles. I would use maybe half a cup and its as sweet as the 5 pounds of sugar. It has to be something connected with Splenda and vinegar. When I sweeten sliced strawberries they don't seem to get as mushy as sugar would cause. For jellies, you would most likely need a pectin as well, just to get a set. Thats where Pomona p[ectin can be used wit great success. Jams made with artifical sweeteners have less of a shelf life once opened. I would avoid saccherine as a sweetener in cannin, but Splenda has been very good. Splenda is actaully made from sugar, and they use chlorine to remove or modify the carbohydrate molecule.

Sugar is a preservative and does contribute to a more lasting firmness, among other things. However, if you're speaking of canning fruits and berries (not jams), they can be processed with plain water, if you prefer. Any sweeteners can be added after processing.

Carol

Sugar is only a preservative if it is in high concentrations, usally approx. 65 percent sugar. I don't know of anyone who uses that much sugar in fruit. It it just in high sugar jams that sugar acts as a preservative.
The sugar will help keep fruits firm, though.

It "preserves" color and texture. It is not a "preservative" in the sense that it is in high enough concentrations to prevent spoilage. It is, nevertheless, a preservative.

Or, I suppose you could say retardant.

Carol

If the opportunity presents itself (reasonable priced berries etc.) I'll try Splenda. Juices would contain too many calories and too much "sugar."

The juices sugars are more natural and the human body can digest them easier than a refined like cane sugar. If you don't want discoloration, add ascorbic acid. If you want a better/longer open jar shelf life, add extra acid in the form or malic, tarteric, and citric.

This is true but being on a lower-carb diet than most, I avoid juices. I also limit my fruit intake.

I picked up some Citric acid (and Lemon juice) at Wally World today. I also went wild and bought canning jars everywhere I went.. including a dozen Golden Harvest. Most are Ball jars, quarts and pints. I think I have enough for the size of this years garden. Next year we plan a larger garden. :)

I picked up some Citric acid (and Lemon juice) at Wally World today.

greenhouser - Just in case...;) if it was Fruit Fresh that you bought be aware that it is not the same thing as citric acid. It is predominantly ascorbic acid. Reason I ask is I have never been able to find citric acid at Walmart and have asked at several - they always tell you that Fruit Fresh is the same thing. It's not. ;) Most of us buy citric acid at either a health food store or online. Some pharmacies will carry food grade ca but most don't based on my experience.

Dave

You can also find citric acid at home brew stores.

Yes, the citric acid is easy to find, as is an acid blend which I like to use when making fruit based jellies. Today, pear juice is a big favorite for adding sweetness to other things. Pear juice is sweet but has no real overpowering taste. Wish it was sold as a frozen concentrate, just for its sweetening ability. I have posted a link below for a good source for both.

I have bought a few pounds (quite cheap) of ascorbic acid (also known as vitamin C) from some locations and thought it was the food grade type. Turns ot its not, and was meant for spraying plant foliage to reduce mildew on the leaves. Ascorbic is used to keep color in some fruits from turning brown. A good case is an apple, as once its sliced open it starts to brown almost immediately. Peaches that are frozen also look terrible after a short time. No one likes eating brown colored things, unless its a big steak off the grill.

Here is a link that might be useful: SIte for ascorbic and fruit acids.

The splenda jam is so awesome. I've made over 30 jars of Rhubarb with knox gelatin and strawberry unsweetened kool aide! My question is how long would I water bath it to have it over the winter left on a shelf in a dark place? I've heard so many different opinions...Enough to confuse a person..hehe!! I know putting in the refrigerator it is over the top great! Thanks, Bp_farmgal

Yes, it's called Fruit Fresh and the man in that dept. said it would be the same thing. DANG!!!! And the stuff was almost $4. I guess I'll use the lemon juice. I bought two of them. My husband's fear is that the lemon juice will ruin the flavor of the tomato sauce. Does it have an effect on the flavor? All canned tomatoes will be used in sauces and boiled for at least 15 to 20 minutes once opened. I never added anything to my toms in the past and there were never a problem.

I can Google and see if there are brew stores anywhere in my area.

Thank you. Before I order online I'll try to find some locally. If I can't find it I'll use the lemon juice.

Again, lemon juice is not really the same as ascorbic acid. It does contain a little vitamin C though. Lemon juice is used as an acidifier for canning and is more similar to citric acid. If anyone is interetsed, I have already posted a LINK FOR THE ASCORBIC AND CITRIC ACIDS. I do not recommedn adding any gelatin to a canned product. Its a protien and can cause safety issues once the product is opened, or is in storage for a long period of time. Gelatin is an animal based product..

TO: ksrogers

There's an online minimum order of $15 for the citric acid site. I sure don't need 2 lbs of the stuff. :)

Maybe you can think about looking at the other products they offer. They are close by me, so I visit their store when I need things. They also sell od fashoned flavors for making carbonated soda, as well as root beer. I would also try the acid blend, and if your into drying potatoes and fruits without them going brown, you can get the metabisulfites. Be creative in your needs and consider the immediate future needs as well. I am sure that if you wanted a very cheap price someplace that you can walk to, its probably a better better for you to go that route. Keep in mind the internet is very powerful and can give you virtually anything you need anywhere in the world.

To: ksrogers

What I don't like about buying on the Internet is having to pay shipping and handling charges. These start to add up when ordering things online. Or having to spend a certain minimum amount. There was nothing else I needed from them. I remember one friend telling me she and her husband were spending as much on S&H as they were on some online items they were buying. She said it was more than $200 one year alone - just for S&H. They went back to brick and mortar stores. The other thing is you can't see what you're buying. I hope the large Presto fits comfortably under my range hood. I saved S&H by buying it from Wal*Mart and having is shipped to my nearest store. But it's sight unseen. I'm not thrilled with that.

S&H cost me more than the ton of fertilizr I bought. Its mostly corn gluten and humate and after the pallet arrived and was offloaded, it took me a while to unpack all the 50 pound bags. No stores locally have these items, so I had to go to Ohio and Washington state on line instead. Occaisionally I do see a few 'free shipping' ads, which do help. The Presto from Amazon was free shipping and was just $79 for the 23 quart model.

TO: ksrogers

I had a problem with the Amazon.com site for the Presto canner. It kept adding the shipping charges so I went to the Wal*Mart site and ordered there.

Actually, I noticed that too, and was just going to send off a note to Amazon about the shipping costs. Its was just $. something, but still..

Actually, I just checked again, and found that the Presto was shipped with NO SHIPPING CHARGES. The total charge to my CC was just the $79.99 that was published. I do recall seeing a mention of a charge, but none was indicated in any of my email confirmations.

It's supposed to get to my local store before July 2nd. There is no shipping charges when you have stuff shipped to your store and pick it up yourself.

For those of you who think Splenda is so awesome you may want to know more about it.

People may think Johnson & Johnsons Splenda®, made from sucralose, has "come to the rescue" as the newest chemical sugar replacement "made from real sugar." People donÂt want to hear that it may be just as dangerous as aspartame, and this "white knight" of sweeteners is no improvement.

So, what exactly is Splenda? Splenda is the trade name for sucralose. Johnson & Johnson bought the rights in 1998 to sell sucralose in the United States as Splenda. Its basic characteristics are:

* Its taste is nearly identical to sugar because itÂs made from sugar
* Its "trademark" inability to break down in processing or in storage

But Splenda is potentially harmful because it contains chlorine, which is a carcinogen. The Splenda marketers insist the chlorine is chemically "bound" so it cannot be "released" in the body during digestion. I question that, and wonder if this artificial chemical can safely pass through the human body. Wait until you discover what chlorine can do to the body. Then, you decide if you want to ingest this chemical.

Splenda (sucralose) is created in the lab, using a complex process involving dozens of chemicals you and I can barely pronounce - let alone consume. Basically, the chemists force chlorine into an unnatural chemical bond with a sugar molecule, resulting in a sweeter product, but at a price: a huge amount of artificial chemicals must be added to keep sucralose from digesting in our bodies. These toxic substances prevent (hopefully) the dangerous chlorine molecules from detaching from the sugar molecule inside the digestive system, which would be a carcinogenic hazard.

To illustrate the alarming "chemical soup" required to create sucralose, I have listed here the actual process for producing this sweetener. I highlighted the chemicals in bold type for emphasis.

According to the Splenda International Patent A23L001-236 and PEP Review #90-1-4 (July 1991), sucralose is synthesized by this five-step process:

1. sucrose is tritylated with trityl chloride in the presence of dimethylformamide and 4-methylmorpholine and the tritylated sucrose is then acetylated with acetic anhydride,

2. the resulting TRISPA (6,1',6'-tri-O-trityl-penta-O-acetylsucrose) is chlorinated with hydrogen chloride in the presence of toluene,

3. the resulting 4-PAS (sucrose 2,3,4,3',4'-pentaacetate) is heated in the presence of methyl isobutyl ketone and acetic acid,

4. the resulting 6-PAS (sucrose 2,3,6,3',4'-pentaacetate) is chlorinated with thionyl chloride in the presence of toluene and benzyltriethylammonium chloride, and

5. the resulting TOSPA (sucralose pentaacetate) is treated with methanol (wood alcohol, a poison) in the presence of sodium methoxide to produce sucralose.

The Splenda marketers stress that sucralose is "made from sugar but is derived from this sugar through a process that selectively substitutes three atoms of chlorine for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sucrose molecule." While this is true, it is a deceptively simple description, implying that sucralose is just a benign sugar with a touch of chlorine, and thereby, safe for consumption. According to research on the hydrolysis of sugars, just the process of inserting chlorine into the sugar molecule (hydrolysis means breaking it into smaller molecules) ultimately allows these chemicals to penetrate the intestinal wall.

So sucralose becomes a "low-calorie" sugar with a complicated process that results in SplendaÂs chemical formula: 1,6-dichloro-1, 6-dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside.

This is Splenda. They say it is a perfectly safe sugar molecule.

Sucralose is patented as a manmade "chlorinated sucrose sweetener" and it is registered as "chlorinated sucrose." Chlorinated sucrose is not found anywhere in nature, like real sugar (sucrose) that is extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. Chlorinated sucrose exists because of man.

The FDA states in their Final Report on Splenda that sucralose is "produced at an approximate purity of ninety-eight percent." The other two percent does not have to be reported to the FDA, nor listed as added ingredients. So whatÂs in the other two percent? The chemicals used to synthesize sucralose in the five-step process:

1. Acetone
2. Acetic acid
3. Acetyl alcohol
4. Acetic anhydride
5. Ammonium chloride
6. Benzene
7. Chlorinated sulfates
8. Ethyl alcohol
9. Isobutyl ketones
10. Formaldehyde
11. Hydrogen chloride
12. Lithium chloride
13. Methanol
14. Sodium methoxide
15. Sulfuryl chloride
16. Trityl chloride
17. Toluene
18. Thionyl chloride

Although manufacturing guidelines specify limits on these veiled substances, there are no assurances these limits have been met since they do not have to be reported. In addition, the FDA does not presently require an Environmental Impact Statement for sucralose, so itÂs open season for the rules, at present.

Now you can see why I do not recommend sucralose for pregnancy or for children, especially after reading this list.

ItÂs time to admit that there is no free ticket to eating all the sugar-free products you desire without paying the high price of harming your body in the long run. The "technology of foods" (artificial sweeteners and manmade foods) has gone too far, and will not secure eternal health, beauty, slimness, or youth. Laboratory chemicals are not the answer.

____________________________________

This information is based on research from Dr. Janet Starr Hull. For more information on Splenda, see Dr. HullÂs newly released book SplendaÃ: Is It Safe Or Not? at http://www.issplendasafe.com.

Posted on November 9, 2005 in Splenda Toxicity : Link To This Entry : Comments (17)
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