The Pomona comes with some recipes and they also have some on their web site. You can use frozen concentrated fruit juices, provided they are 100% juice and not the 10% types with corn syrup added. A little honey can also be used. Diabetic also must watch carbs too. Losing weight will reduce the issue some.

I have been trying to lower the sugar in my house since my kids were little, 30+ years ago now. I have done low sugar recipies, preserves made with apple juice, and honey. But I recently lost my favorites of these recipies.

I just discovered the pomona pectin here yesterday, while looking for the answer to a different question. I live in a rural area, so ordered a couple boxes from the web site. I will have to check back there for the recipies.

Thank you
Jenny P

Recipes from Pomona site.

What I make big batches of jam, I mix the box of pectin with juice from the jelly/jam. Its placed in a blender to mix it up into a thick slurry. I pour it out into a bowl and once the jelly is boiling, I stir in all the dissolved pectin. After a minute, I add the calcium water to it. Once thats stirred in the jelly sets up within SECONDS. I make 30 cups at a time, and use the whole small packet of calcium mixed with a little water. I see the jelly start coating the spoon and ladle once its setting. Work quickly when filling the jars!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pomona pectin recipes

Jenny P.
One of the mother hens on one of my other forums is a diabetic who makes tons of jams and sweet treats and always used WHEY LOW. I did a search and this site will explain, or at least start to explain what it is: http://www.wheylow.com/
I guess the big issue for me in using a sugar substitute would be does it have an after taste and as important, does the taste of the sweetner change over time in the jar. Maybe this is a new area to look. You will love the Pomona. Jim in So. Calif.

In looking at the Way Low sugar sub, I noticed that the D one uses fruit sugars (fructose/corn sugar), as well as lactose (milk sugar). If your lactose intolerent, use this with care as it will not digest very well. The Way Low site doesn't mention much info about the main products origins, but details the Way Low D type. Might be worth a try for some..

There is some information on this site that may be of use to you under "Preserving Jams and Jellies". Not recipes but useful tips.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09302.html

Another link with information that may be of use.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/summer/Lowsugar_JamsJelliesST.html

Thank you for the tips, Whey-Low sounds good, but I know for myself I can't use it. It doesn't agree with me. I have never been diagnosed Lactose intolerant, but I know from personal experience I feel much much better when I avoid most dairy products, and the derivitives. I can handle hard cheeses, and fermented products in small doses occasionally.

I am on my way to check out the links now.

Jenny P

I too have that issue with dairy, and sour cream is like dynamite for me. Cheese and even yogurt are fine for me, ice cream no. Sorbitol sugar is also a large undigestable molecule. It too can cause digestive issues. There may be someone out there that can extract sweetness from many sources like from stevia, maltinol, sorbitol, and a few other lessor known ones, and make up a new kind of sweetener. Until then, I will stay with Splenda for now, but prefer to use the 'unfluffed' stuff in small packets. Its tiny granules, and does not measure the same as sugar, but offers less issues with jellies as it doesn't foam up like the 'fluffy' one.

I am in a tuff spot, I like the sweet stuff, and I know I need to cut back on sugar, I would love to move over to using all honey, but it has so many carbs that I can only have a little.
And I don't trust the artificial sweeteners, I don't like the idea of putting weird odd chemicals into my body. I have researched and read all the info I can find on all the various options, and still don't trust them.

Thus I think I will opt to eat jams and jellies that are lower sugar, thus more tart, and control my portions.

Jenny P

Sorbitol and maltinol are grain based. If you have not tried it, also Stevia, which is derived from the leaves of the same plant. I see brown, tan, and white crystals of Stevia being sold. Its a VERY powerul sweetener! I Tried just a few grains of the tan color one, and its sweetness was almost overwhelming, and had a sweet aftertaste that lasted a couple of hours. A 1/8 teaspoon might equate to about 3 to 4 cups of sugar.

Could this be an option for you?

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.blueagavenectar.com/glycemicindexofsugars.html

Jenny have you ever heard of Stevia sweetner? It's an herb and can be found here...... www.puritan.com......lots of times they have buy one get one free. I evenn bought some of the plants because I LOVE the stuff. Am like you about putting the art. in my stomach, kinda scares me.

I just mentioned STEVIA above..

Yep, I have used Stevia, and Agave, I just don't know how to use either one in a jam or Jelly, or even IF you can use them, and how they would taste.

Jenny P

The artifical sweeteners would not set a jelly that uses normal pectin, or natural fruit pectins. It would require a low/no sugar type pectin, or some pectin that can set with another additive like calcium. Adding too much can make the taste of the sweetener as the predominent ingredient, so its wise to taste it before adding too much. In a few instances sweeteners can also degrade once heated to a boiling point.

One of my favorite things about Pomona is how easy it is to experiment and come up with your own recipes. Once you use it a few times, you'll get the hang of it, and in their recipe enclosure they give general instructions on how to develop your own recipes (in small batches, too, so not too much is wasted in unsuccessful experimentation). So if you want to try stevia-sweetened strawberry jam, for example, you'll be able to make just one jar's worth to see how you like it before you commit to a pantry full.

Jenny, if it helps, I find that I can take nearly any long cooked jam (the old fashioned kind without commercial pectin) and cut the sugar down to half and still get a viable product.

I think Splenda is vile, I hate the taste. Pomona's has a weird chalky taste and texture so I don't like that either. I made jam for my Dad, who was diabetic, with Equal, and that suited him.

For myself, I decided that 8 cups of sugar to 8 cups of fruit was altogether too much, although it's the traditional 50/50 ratio. I've found that 8 cups of fruit to 4 cups of sugar will still give a suitable jell, slightly softer than full sugar recipes, but still acceptable.

Some fruits that are lower in pectin take longer to cook and some turn into fruit butters before they jell, but they are still thick spreads so that's all good by me.

I've made sweet cherry jam with no sweetener at all and it was plenty sweet enough for me, with the addition of a little almond extract.

I just keep experimenting and trying new things, it took a couple of overcooked batches and a couple of batches of "syrup" before I got a good handle on it, but all my jam now contains half the sugar (or less) of the traditional recipes. Plus I can make a double batch because I'm not counting on commerical pectin, which is expensive and inconsistent for me.

Annie

I have not heard anyone else commenting so adimently against Pomona that they say its got a vile chalky taste. I don't find this to be true with it, but detest milk that as added calcium. The tiny amount of calcium added to Pomona for the stuff to set, is so snall that 1/16 of a teaspoon per 6 cups of jelly would hardly give anything a chalky taste. There is 20 times is more Pickle Crisp calcium added to pickles, and they have no chalky taste that I can taste. I think a that if a person were to try some Pomona jams, and were not told they used citrus based pectin with a trace amount of calcium, they would not notice it. I feel that if someone knows that a trace of calcium IS used, it tends to be noticed and is more pronouced in someones thinking. Your brian controls your sense of smell, and if you expect a bad taste from something, many times you will get what you expect.

A towel covering a big wide open bowl of liquid intended to ferment into a wine, will most surely become contaminated with wild yeast and also spores that can quickly turn it to vinegar. I have yet to see anyone make a decent wine that remains so, after its fully fermented and bottled. No commercail winery uses a towel method either.. Many years ago, I went to France and was given a small bottle of wine on the flight. I inscrewed the top, slightly and then tightened it back on. Three weeks later I opened it when I got home and it was turned to vinegar. That, even very slight, exposure to a little air, was just enough to kill it as a wine..

Jenny, I don't like a lot of sugar in jams either, I just don't care for the taste of them. I think all that sugar masks the taste elements of the fruit, and their tartness which is part of the appeal. I make mostly low sugar jams, the cooked type, like Annie. The book I use is called "Summer in a Jar" by Andrea Chesman. She has lots of lower sugar jams in there. Now, these do still have a lot of sugar in them, but I use jam judiciously in my life anyway. The only other issue with low sugar jams is they mold easier so I make them in small jars. Andrea adds apple to a lot of her low pectin fruit jams, for the pectin. I've found all of the recipes in that book to be good. The book is out of print, but worth looking for. The other great thing about it is her batch sizes are small.

I am a first timer, so this is just the idea. Not full proof and will be known by end of this week if fool proof too as I am going to try.
I too don't like sugar substitute and want to cut the sugar a bit in my peach jam. The trial batch asked for 7 cups sugar....So I picked a pink pectin box from the grocery store. There is one recipe which uses about half the amount of sugar. I am going to try that. There are some more recipes too using no sugar, sugar-substitute, fruit juice etc. However I will be using the less sugar version. I will let you know how it came out.

Thank you everyone, I am going to try the pomona. I was hoping to do it this week, but life has other plans for me I guess!

I will let you know what happens.

Jenny P

Sugar is very necessary if using regular pectin, and MUST be sufficient to set the pectin. Cloyingly sweet is what you get if the sugar level is to high. It does mask taste. Adding a bit of an acid blend will help to improve taste and character for an overly sweet jam. If you want to make the jams with less sugar, use the low/no sugar type pectin, or Pomona as mentioned.

Ken, I didn't say the Pomona's was vile, I said the Splenda was vile. To each their own, I can tolerate Equal but absolutely do not like Splenda at all. I don't care for Stevia either, it's kind of "green" tasting, if that makes sense, although I understand the newer stuff is better.

The Pomona's is not my favorite because of that odd chalky texture and flavor, although I've used it and can tolerate it but I don't really like it. If I don't really like it, I don't see any reason to use it, as long as there is an alternative. I know at least one other person has also commented on it, perhaps RobinKate? I'd rather spend another 20 minutes making the jam, use no commercial pectin at all and cut the sugar way down.

Again, to each their own. I don't like dill or sour pickles either, but other people love them. I like sauerkraut and others detest it. I adore Linda Lou's sweet pickles and know some people who wouldn't eat a sweet pickle for any reason. It's all a matter of individual taste.

As for the wine, I can't remember what it was like, really. Frankly, I still don't like wine unless it's very sweet. Elery jokes that the biggest compliment I've ever given any glass of wine is "That didn't completely suck". I do remember my brother and his best friend sneaked into the basement and drank three quarts of it, which made them violently ill. Serves them right, LOL. I was about 14 at the time, just experimenting with recipes, something I've pretty much done since I was 6 or 7 and haven't stopped doing yet.

Annie

Annie, in the past, you have mentioned Pomona has being chalky. Chalky=vile?? There are different forms of Stevia. I tried a 'green one, as well as a tan/brown one. They tend to be less refined, but the white type seems to offer a very strong sweetness, just a few grains on the tongue is a bit much, and can still lea a long lasting after taste. It may be that your tasting the citrus pith as being chalky, as thats how Pomona is made. To each is own is what I always say too, so let others decide for themselves. Not everyone likes everything. I have tried store brands of low/no sugar pectins, and dislike the 'jello' texture of all of them. Nutrasweet has way too much of an aftertaste, and to hide it, I would also add extra acid to jellies. One unusual thing about Splenda is how it can sweeten vinegar pickle brines. Many sweet pickles call for a ton of sugar. If I had sweet pickle recipe that needs 6 cups of sugar, I would use ONLY a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Splenda, and use that the puffed up type. I also like using the fine granular version as it doesn't foam up like the big bags do. The fine granulated type can only be bought in little teaspoon packets. If I were to visit Canada again, I would buy a big supply of Cyclamates to be used for making jams and jellies. That sweetener was banned here, but was never tested properly. Europe and Canada still sell it. It was made here by Abbott Labs a long while back, and they now make it in Canada. Adding too much of any artifical sweetener can spoil any recipe.

For a 'beginner to make a low/no sugar, no pectin jelly is something that a beginner may not want to attempt at first. Every year we see a lot of people who end up reporting their failures as syrups, even with tried and true recipes. One important note about Pommona is the batch size as it can be anything from a cup to 30 cups, and the stuff can even gel water! Personally, I can't make no pectin jellies or jams as they simply have too much risk for scorching and also still need true sugar, even if its a low amount. For the pro, pectin-less jellies might come easy to make, but many people come here to to the forum to get help with the basics. Even for that, following boxed pectin instructions to the exact letter, some still end up with syrup or soup.

I used to make wines and made them from blueberries (my favorite, purple blue color) and also apple wine, cranberry, strawberry wine, and even tried watermelon wine. Watermelon wine was supposed to taste like Sake, but mine had a flavor like it was made with old smelly gym socks. I tossed it. There are not many things I dislike when it comes to foods. For instance, zuccini to me is a waste of garden space. It has nearly no flavor of its own, and a cracker or a plain piece of bread has more taste. To get some kind of flavor to zuc, it needs to be dipped in egg, breading, fried, and then served with some kind of highly flavored sauce. For it to be in the squash (cukes and such) family is something I feel I could do without.

My wines were fermented for many months, and then I would siphon off the wine from the sediment, allow it to work again if necessary, and then filter it. I also used sulfur to sterilize the fermenting vessels and tools. I used some serious fltration, and ended up with crystal clear (colors) of wine with no sediment. I even made sparking wines, burgundy, cold duck, and others. These needed to also be clarified as the final step to remove the added tiny amount of sediment used to carbonate it. A few would explode upside down in my freezer (what a mess!). Today, I still have 2 bottles I made back in 1971, and they are still wine, bottled with a cork on the top. I can't make them anynore due to kidney issues. I dislike overly sweet wines except a good port. I have tossed many a bottles out that were oxdized and had an amber color, even store bought ones can have this even if they were never opened before. I had one this past Christmas and it was vile. Luckily it was only tiny bottle at about $12.

I had done a search on canning with Stevia and I found several folks saying they canned with it so I am going to try it this year because I just don't like Splenda although I have used it because I can't use the sugar. Just don't like to take in very much of it.

KsRogers, I didn't go to the link to see that was what it was referring to.

Lisa, one of the methods for making a lower sugar jam is to cook it longer, so that it thickens by water evaporation instead of just with the pectin. The tradeoff is the longer you cook the jam, the more the sugar caramelizes and that can mask fruit flavor a bit too. I have managed to make some of the lower sugar jams using the recipes from "Summer in a Jar" and they are quite acceptable to me, although a "softer set" than the pectin jams. The lower sugar jams I make the most are cherry raspberry, plum contreau and peach maple. They don't seem to suffer as much from the cooking as something like strawberry or blueberry. Plain peach is another story, that's another delicate one, but the peach maple combo is just yummy enough to make it OK. But these must be used up quicker than regular jam, as they don't keep as well, they tend to mold on me. But I'm single and it takes me forever to use up a jar of jam.

One of the easiest things to make jelly out of is cranberries. Adding sugar of any amount will usually make it set just fine. Crans are really high in natural pectin and I like adding a few to an apple jelly.

I made my first batch of Strawberry Jam last night. It set nicely and I am quite proud of myself :-) But I started thinking...

I started gardening to get my kids more interested in fruits and veggies and to promote a healthier diet for them. I started canning because I like the idea of knowing where my food comes from and as a bonus, I can pronounce all of the ingredients in my food. We buy locally to supplement the garden (actually, it is more like we garden to supplement what I buy locally - who knew I would need 100 pints of salsa to get me through a year???)

Anyway - back to the jam... Using the Ball recipe, I ended up with 9 half-pints (9 cups). I used 7 cups of sugar and five cups of strawberries. That is A LOT of sugar.

I am ordering Pomona today and venturing into the world of low sugar jams. It seems kind of counter-productive to go through all that trouble to end up with a jar of sugar with some fruit mixed in.

I made a batch of strawberry jam on Monday that was 8 cups berries and 6 cups sugar, no pectin. It came out nice and thick. Next time I will try even less sugar. You do have to be careful while cooking to get to the jell point without scorching it. I cooked it in a heavy dutch oven on my stove at low-medium setting. I kept checking the jell point with the saucer in the freezer until it got to the point I wanted. I find that the flavor of the berries is so much better without any extra ingredients or so much sugar.
Donna

Use care if using less sugar for a pectinless jam. You can easily reach a point where a lot more boiling would be needed to drive off more water to get it to set up.

What about recipes for refrigerated pickling of cukes and other veggies (not processed for canning or fermented, but straight into the fridge type)?
I've done my research on this kind of "pickling" and have a good grasp of how much vinegar it takes to prevent listeria problems for a long refrigerated shelf-life.
My question now is how well alternatives to sugar might work for my recipes, specificly the one that calls for as much sugar as vinegar.
I am mainly interested in Splenda, Equal or Stevia.
As I am not heating anything, I don't have to worry about changes in flavor that might cause. My concern, I guess, is the longer term storage, and if the flavor will change over time.

I am planning to experiment with Splenda (as we keep it for coffee anyway) in a week or so when I get back from the in-laws, but if anyone already has any information or experience, it would be great if you could pass it on.

Thanks!
Kathy

Kathy, I've not tried using artificial sweeteners in things like pickles, but I think Ken and Linda Lou both do.

I think in something like refrigerator pickles or pickled beets, it would work fine, and the vinegar might even overcome some of the chemical aftertaste of most artificial sweeteners.

At this point I've mostly used them for jam and fruit butter, because Dad liked such inordinate amounts of those things. I also used it successfully in Linda Lou's fruit syrups, because they don't have to set up anyway.

My vote is that it would be just fine in refrigerator pickles, but I have no experience in that. Maybe someone else does, I hope you hear from them.

Annie

I'm thinking along those lines as well.
I'm definately trying the splenda, unless someone comes on with advice not to, and I'll likely try the stevia as well, since it seems to be better for people.
I just can't do it til I get back.
I'll post my results.

I think I have read here that honey does not work well in jam/jelly/preserves - too liquid. I am diabetic and I can tell you that my body does not know the difference between white sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, or concentrated fruit juice (or anything made with white flour). All cause an equal rise in blood sugar.
I have made preserves with Pomona and liquid splenda. But the fact that the bread I would put it on had a very bad effect on my blood sugar made me quit eating it. Basically, I have learned to just not eat those things. But, I think you could try making strawberry or raspberry or apricot (low carb fruits) jam with Pomona and no sweetener because I have found that the longer you avoid sugars or sweetener of any kind the less you like anything that is very sweet.

kathy, I actually found a recipe on line yesterday that calls for Splenda in refrigerator pickles, so other people have been successful with it. Good luck, I'll be interested to know how it turns out.

Missem, I've only tried one preserve recipe with honey and it turned out fine but I had to cook it longer, probably to evaporate some of that liquid you talked about.

I have some diabetics in the family and like you, they've found that honey or frozen apple juice concentrate makes their blood sugar react just like white sugar or anything else.

I made all fruit spreads and spreads with artificial sweeteners for Dad and for Elery's stepmom, and I've been baking high fiber/whole grain bread to go with the jam. My Dad's gone, but Elery's stepmom loves to go to the Post Office and find a box with a loaf of homemade bread and a jar of sugar free jam.

Annie

Hey,

I just wanted to add my personal experience in here. I know many on this forum are Pomona fans, and I'm not knocking it in any way. Haven't tried it yet. But last year when the berries were ripe, we made successful strawberry jam and blueberry jam using the Surejel low sugar pectin and Splenda. Also made apple butter. I only mention it, because we didn't have time to mail order the Pomona when we had the fresh berries. So we went with the SureJel, just because it was easier to find locally. But since it's not mentioned here very often, I thought people might think there was something wrong with it. I've heard problems with setting up, maybe? But the packet came with basic recipes, and they worked fine for us. (I did add a little lemon or lime juice to it - just as an extra insurance policy.)

Best of luck to everyone! I'm diabetic too and this is a great discussion. Nice to learn from everyone's personal experience.

Susan

Thanks again Annie. We just got back last night. I'll be working on that soon, and let you know.

Chez Madeline Gourmet Preserves book has 1 Chapter devoted to No Sugar Jams. I prefer that book for preserves over Ellie Topp's
I need not, but also , personally don't care for any artifical sweetner. I can taste it in an 1/8th of teaspoon of anything.
My Putting food By book uses liquid sweetner not powdered in the low sugar recipes.

2 Seasons ago I switched to Low-Methoxyl Pectin, I use Dutch Jel due to the availabilty locally for me living near Amish communities.

What I found for what is considered "normal" consistency we are acustom for full sugar jams and jellies using less/no sugar with commercial Low Sugar pectins is the blue or purple colored fruits seem to mask the suspension of the calcium required for such pectins. I really don't notice it, nor does the end product present a cloudy product in the darker fruits.

For the reds, such as red raspberries or strawberries it seems more evident. The first year of strawberry Jam Low Sugar I thought, what is this? At the fair competition we opened one jar and the 5 of use decided the taste/ consistency was that of freezer jam.
In fair competiton last year I tested the presentation of Low Sugar, all darker fruits won ribbons and the reds didn't even place.
Said that, if you don't mind a cloudy looking product for the reds you should be fine with the Pomona.
Decades ago I would make no sugar peach jam for diabetics, that product was a darker colored peach due to the longer cooking period.

I also mix alot of berries together for jams and don't notice the suspension.

About the only thing I make full sugar is the red raspberry jelly anymore.

Annie, if you don't like artifical sweenter, don't try the pickles, they are horrible.(sorry guys) My neighbor who cans and is a brittle diabetic uses artifical sweenter in everything, the pickles and pickled eggs I just couldn't eat, yuck.

As mentioned above the Sure Jell Low/No Sugar works fine has lots of recipes in the box. The only difference is you are limited to the batch size. Personally, I don't process commercially anymore and there is no need for me to make cases at a time, if I think I want to try a new combo without making one batch I will use the clear jel for taste/test purposes just cook a small amount, if it is liked then make a canned batch.

Making Low Sugar Blueberry with Triple Sec Jam today.

Lizzy