Alan,

I was making jams with Ball's No Sugar Needed Pectin using about half the sugar in a normal recipe. If I remember correctly, there are instruction in each box on how much sugar you can use. It gets expensive so I switched over to buying Pomona's Pectin online in bulk. A half pound goeas a long way and you can use as much or as little sugar as you like. I would recommend Pomona's over Ball's after using both.

Malon

I've used the ball no sugar pectin, and it allows up to 3 cups of sugar per batch. I find that about 1 1/2 cups per batch is about right for our tastes. Never used Pomona's, but I've heard many great recommendations on other threads.

Jessica

Thanks! I'm going to have look at the instructions in my no-sugar stuff again as I missed the sugar option.

We want to try the low-sugar stuff first before we make a big purchase.

.....Alan.

Good luck Alan. Besides the expense, a few of my batches with the Ball pectin didn't set up great. Especially the blueberries it seems. Hopefully yours will do much better for you.

Malon

Do you need super thick jam? This year I made no pectin jam by boiling down the fruit before adding the sugar. It came out great with strawberries. My brother also made it with blueberries which he said came out thick and tasty.

I used 4 cups chopped strawberries, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Slightly mash fruit. Simmer covered 5 minutes until juice comes out. Uncover and simmer stirring 10-15 minutes until reduced. Add sugar and lemon and bring back to simmer. Simmer another 10-15 minutes until reduced. Takes 25-30 minutes total not counting time to bring to simmer. Test jam for doneness by putting a teaspoon on a plate into the freezer for a minute or two. It should be a spreadable, but not superthick jam. Process 10 minutes for half pint. Good for a week or two in refrigerator after opening.

My brother just used the juice of one lemon. He used 2 cups sugar in his later batches. I really prefer this jam. Because it has a shorter refrigerator life I made my second batch in 1/4 pint jars

Well, now that I know they are there I saw the "if you want to use sugar" instructions in the no-sugar pectin so I feel a fool for having asked.

Nevertheless, I made a batch of low-sugar grape jam tonight. They didn't have specific grape jam instructions but after studying the other fruits I used six cups of juice/pulp, two tablespoons lemon juice (actually Key limes, what I had on hand), three cups of sugar and the pectin. The taste is great! The jars are still warm so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out how well they'll set up. Made four pints.

Thanks for the heads up and the advice!

.....Alan.

I like the Ball No-Sugar Needed Pectin because I can use how much sugar I like, not the huge amounts in regular recipes. I have found that because I am using some sugar (about half what the regular recipe calls for) then I can use just half the package of no-sugar pectin. Still firms up really well, and that makes it a lot cheaper. I made a lot of low sugar black raspberry jam last year with it, and it is SO good, so fruity. The only weak point is that it makes the jam a little cloudier, not as sparkly. Would try Pomona sometime, but haven't wanted to make the commitment to how much it costs for a pound or half pound, since I also make some no pectin jams and even made my own pectin once. (Tried again lately, but was reading gardwenweb and burned the apples!)

Marcia

I made strawberry jam , and raspberry and blackberry jellies from the ball no sugar pectin this year. We used a scant 3 cups sugar and they all turned out great. you get the good taste of the fruit opposed to a sugary sweet taste. Next batch I'll cut down more on sugar and see how that is. Malon: I wanted to try blueberry too, you say it doesn't set good? Did you make jam-perserves or jelly? Did you use any sugar at all?

Cabin Gal - I used Ball No Sugar Needed Pectin and 4 cups of sugar in the first batch and it didn't set well. I used Pomona's and 3 cups of sugar in the 2nd batch and it set much better. The recipe was for Blueberry Jam on both accounts. Hope that helps.

Malon

I've made two batches of low-sugar muscadine grape jam using the Ball no-sugar pectin and one with the Sure-Jell no-sugar pectin. One of the Ball jams is a trifle soft still, but the other two set up well.

Neither gave a recipe for a low-sugar grape jam so I had to wing it. Six cups juice/pulp, three cups sugar, two tablespoons Key lime juice (it's what I had). The flavor is excellent. I may not ever go back to the old style.

Figs, blackberries, and blueberries still to go.

.....Alan.

I just had to say, I have given up on the Ball No Sugar Needed Pectin ever being on sale. (It is only at one local store chain at $2 a box.) So I decided to use the buy 3 get one free coupon that came on a box of Ball lids. Guess what, Farm and Fleet doesn't take coupons. Really annoying since that is the only place that sells the pectin I want! So the coupon is useless. I have requested that Menards carry it, but I doubt they will listen to me.

Still no time to make jam but I froze a lot of peaches this week. I need to send some peach jam up to my aunt who has allegedly obtained hundreds of canning jars for me. That is what she has requested in exchange for them. Maybe I could order some online cheaper? Anybody know a place that sells it for less than $2/box, taking shipping into account? I want my jam to be really peachy and not so sugary.

Marcia

I have found that Walmart seems to have the cheapest prices. Online shipping costs seem to outweigh any price savings.

I haven't yet used it myself, but the Pomona brand of no-sugar pectin can be bought in bulk via mail-order and can be pretty cheap that way. I'm paying about $1.89 a package for the Ball and Sure-Jell pectins that I've been using.

.....Alan.

It may have been an end of the year closeout, but I just bought an "off brand" called "Jell Ease" at Save A Lot for 59 cents a box. I'm going to use it tonight in the last of the elderberry jelly, I'll let you know how it comes out.

Annie

The half pound of Pamona's pectin makes a lot of jam and is very economical. I bought it directly from Pamona's.

Malon

"I want my jam to be really peachy and not so sugary."

If you like lemon, here's what I have made in the past, and I really liked it.

Boil 1 (or maybe I did 2) whole lemons until soft. Drain, cool. Cool some more (takes time for the insides to cool). Chop. Remove seeds. Chop finely if you want some texture, otherwise puree in food processor. Use this for an appropriate amount of peaches (6-8 cups) and sweeten to taste. Cook until it sets. The whole lemon provides the necessary acid and pectin. Sorry I don't have more precise directions than this; I make jams by feeling.

I never use commercial pectin. It's either the fruit itself, or pectin from lemons, apples, or crabapples.

For strawberries, I've had good results with the following. Cook strawberries with a bit of sugar until they're runny. Strain out solids. Cook down the syrup until thickened. Add solids back and cook until desired thickness. This way you cook the whole fruit less than if you'd left it in all the time. It's a very intense end product.

Pomona pectin is made in Massachusets. The "Jellyman' on the fruit tree forum swears by it and I have found it really great not to deal with sugar and wrring about whether something will gel or not. Just make sure you add the necessary tiny amount calcium at the end of the cooking, and just prior to filling jars.

The nearest Save a Lot to me doesn't carry pectin, I checked twice this summer. Maybe it is because it is in the middle of Milwaukee. Wal-mart is an evil company so I don't shop there. I have been avoiding buying the Pomona stuff since I need to 'invest' in it, but I will be making so much jam (two freezers full of fruit) it is probably time to take the plunge.

Or I could follow Victrola's advice. I have also been making jam by feel recently. A whole year's experience making jam now, so I think I know what I am doing. :-) I did make a peach marmalade this year with lots of peaches and no added pectin or sugar (although I put in juice for sweetener), it set fine. I made apple pectin once and used it in two jams. Tried to make it another time, but burned the apples while reading gardenweb! Have also been using plums and grapes in other jams since they have a lot of pectin. Found that grapes overwhelm strawberries, though, in terms of flavor.

Marcia

The Pomona in bulk is the best way to get it if your doing a lot of jam. It has no expiration date like the types from Ball and Certo. Although the Pomona does set up a bit different in texture if no sugar is used, it still gives you the same texture if your using lots of sugar.

I made peach jam with 8 cups peaches, 3 cups sugar, 1 box either no-sugar or low-sugar pectin (I don't remember which) however much the lemon amount was supposed to be and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. I didn't want to be able to taste the almond per se but just that little bit gives the jam a nice flavor.

Okay, I'm ready to go get the Pomona pectin...and what's this about adding calcium?

Being a pre-diabetic, I want to do this without any sugar if possible...does anyone use splenda, and if so, how much of it do you use? Just cup for cup? And how does it taste? Maybe I should do half spenda, half real sugar?

Monique,
The calcium water is no big deal. You mix what they tell you in a little jar. Store the rest in the fridge.
The only thing with the Pomona's is that is it hard to dissolve, so I blend one cup of juice with the pectin, then add to the fruit or juice. I tried adding it to the Splenda like they said, but it was really lumpy. I had to take the immersion blender and blend the pot of jelly. Then, I had a lot of foam.
I used 4 cups plum juice, the Pomona's dissolved in one cup boiling apple juice (no sugar), calcium water, and 2 cups Splenda. It is wonderful tasting ! I think that stuff will gel anything in the world, too.
I am glad you are thinking about taking care of yourself now. I was like that at first, and now am diabetic. It isn't that bad, but it is just a bother because I have to plan my life around eating times, and have to eat certain amounts of certain foods. You really have to be disciplined. You do the same exact things for being prediabetic, if you take care of yourself as you should.
Best wishes to you.