Sugar working with standard pectin is what makes jams set, get hard vs. just be syrup. So when you reduce the sugar you get a much more liquid jam. The way to solve the problem is to use Balls Lo-No Sugar Pectin.or Pomona pectin. With them you can reduce the sugar as much as you want and it will still set up well. As an alternative you use a low/no sugar jam recipe specifically developed for using less sugar or artificial sweetner. You can read much more about all this at NCHFP. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - How do I make jams and jellies

Yes. Keep the cinnamon to a minimum to avoid bitterness. Cinnamon can easily get overwhelming on the shelf. You can add more after opening the jars if more is needed. Dave

Yes and no. More than likely, the maple has enough reserved sugars in the root system to push out new growth this season. However, this will have a major effect on the aesthetic appearance and may present structural problems down the road. If the tree is highly visible or a "feature" of the landscape I would recommend cutting your losses now and replanting. If leaving the tree, it is a waiting game. The damaged leader should be pruned back to just above the lateral branch. I would not fertilize the tree this season but would monitor for dry soil and water as needed.

There is a bit of discussion about whether cane sugar or beet sugar gives better results in baking....some would swear that cane sugar is better. often beet sugar is cheaper...so labeling a product "cane sugar" is a marketing ploy, but reflects a real product. you can pretty well bet that a product labeled just "sugar" is beet sugar. Granulated sugar can be either from sugar cane or sugar beets, where cane sugar is only from sugar cane. Linda C