Protien is many differnt things and amounts. It add a a nearlyt pure form of protein to a jelly is not something a home canner would want to do if the jars are stored on shelves. I never have seen any commercially makde jellies, jams or other fruit spreads that contain any gelatine. Many times the USDA may not comment, but that isn't to be a way to say that is ok to use it, only that they offer no factual data. If my great grandma used it and never got sick an dthe USDA recommends it use today, an dnoone can get sick, then maybe its fine. But with home canning being as less a test in homes today, and with all the risk takers out there handed down from ancestors, I just don't feel its a justified as a defence to just post recipes that a are hand-me-downs and generations old. Who knows how many people make have been sick or died from these things as many never get reported ever. Please, just play it safe, stick to TODAYS recipes and the ones that are most recently published, researched well, and are virtually foolproof and safe for everyone. Admittedly, I am a risk taker too, but with this kind of component originating from an animal based bypoduct, we can't assume its always going to be safe for use everywhere. Gelatin was also used in surgery, lighting, and photo work. Originally Eastman was the biggest producer an user. I don't know if Eastman, or Eastman Kodak would be making jelly using gelatin?? A reduce or no sugar sprread can be MUCH easier, and MUCH SAFER to make if the proper and far safer ingredients are used. Pomona (ALSO LOW METHOXYL!! with the seperate calcium packet included) has been around a long time and is the most commonly used pectin for use in the low, no sugar jellies, jams and other thickened spreads . After that comes, modified food starches, which are now also offered to home canners by National Starch, and is commonly known as Clear Jel, and also many other more specific commercially used starches.. Its use today, as far outweighed the very negative use of flour, tapioca, regular cornstarch, or other less table thickeners.

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.

BERRY VELVET CREAM 3 oz pkg strawberry or raspberry Jello 1 cup whipping cream, whipped 10 oz pkg strawberries or raspberries, thawed & drained Dissolve Jello as directed on package using 1 cup boiling water & berry juice with cold water to make 1 cup. Chill until almost firm. Beat Jello until foamy. Fold together whipped Jello, whipped cream & drained berries. Spoon into 1 qt mold or 6-8 individual molds. Chill until firm.~~ STRAWBERRY SOUR CREAM SALAD 6 oz pkg strawberry Jello 2 cups boiling water 1 or 2 pkg frozen strawberries 1 can crushed pineapple 2 bananas, sliced 1 cup sour cream Dissolve Jello in water; add berries, bananas & pineapple. Pour 1/2 of mixture into 9x13" pan. Chill until firm. Spoon sour cream over top, spread evenly & cover with remaining Jello mixture. Chill & serve.~~

sylwia, I make all my preserves either all fruit or low sugar. My Dad was diabetic and I made them for him, but found that I like them better than those big jars of fruit flavored sugar and pectin that I used to make! I use the old fashioned long cooking method without any commercial pectin because I find the commercial pectin expensive and inconsistent, plus I can double a batch and reduce sugar that way. I usually just crush the fruit into my pan, add apple juice or water, whatever "flavors" I want, and start cooking. I add almond extract to cherry, I've added rum to peach conserve, Cointreau or orange is nice with blueberry, etc. Cinnamon is good in apple jelly or apple butter, ginger is nice with apricots. I sweeten to taste but never use more than a cup or two of Splenda or Equal if I add it at all. Anyway, when it nearly reaches jell point (between 218 and 220), I use the "frozen plate" test for thickness. That's just putting a plate into the freezer for a few minutes, dabbing a dot of hot jam onto the plate and putting it back in the freezer for a minute. If it's thick enough I stop cooking it. When it gets close, I usually turn off the heat under the jam because I've gotten a couple of batches of nice taffy from overcooking, along with a couple of "caramelized" batches. Some fruits are low in natural pectin, so I normally add a little lemon juice, although the last batch of apricot jam I made I added the zest of a whole lemon and got a relatively nice apricot/lemon marmalade but it wasn't what I was trying to make, LOL. Sometimes I don't get a good "gel" because of the lack of natural pectin, those fruits I just cook until they are thick, although they come out more like a fruit butter than a jam/jelly/preserve. I have used Splenda or Equal in place of sugar too, but have found that they seem to get sweeter as they set, so that is a "taste as you go" process and I stop adding sweetener when it's a little less sweet than I want it to be in the end. Also, no sugar preserves do not keep as well as the full sugar types, they will mold more quickly after opening, so I always can them in half pint jars to be certain they get used up before spoiling. I always waterbath mine because it's easier for me to waterbath the jars for 10 minutes than to sterilize them all instead, and I don't like to deal with wax because it's messy, hot and I've had it catch on fire. So I slap rings and lids on the jars of hot jam and into the water for 10 minutes. I don't worry so much about exact amounts because fruit is a high acid food and you can't contract botulism. That said, jam and preserves can mold and you can get sick, I would never scrape the mold from jam and eat the remainder of the jar, although that's what Grandma did. You can also buy Pomona's Pectin, which will jell water, I swear. I don't like the odd, chalky texture/flavor I get with Pomona's and I find it a PIA to mix this part with that part and keep this part in the fridge in water, etc. Ball and Sure Jell now have no sugar/low sugar pectins too, and they have recipes inside the box. I haven't used them so I can't tell you how well it works. With me it was trial and error until I got it right and be prepared to have a couple of batches of fruit topping that never sets up at all, LOL. Keep trying and it'll work, I promise. Good luck, and happy canning. Annie