Can I reduce the sugar in this jam recipe?

/

Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe?

It's a pretty common question in my preserving classes because a lot of people are interested in learning how to preserve BECAUSE they are interested in controlling the type of ingredients they are consuming. I love preserving for this very reason as well. I can preserve ripe organic Ontario peaches in August in a low sugar syrup and know that when I open that jar I am not consuming anything that I don't want to be eating.

So when a new preserver starts to look at a lot of jam and jelly recipes their initial reaction is to be shocked that they contain such high levels of sugar. But once you understand the role of sugar in preserving and what happens when you decide to reduce the sugar you can start to make educated decisions on when you want to reduce the sugar, substitute some of all of the sugar for honey, etc.

In this short video, I talk about the role of sugar in preserving and what you need to know about reducing it in recipes you find.



Tips and Tricks for low sugar preserves

/

With only 4-6 weeks left before strawberries are in season here in Ontario and with the rhubarb in my garden growing noticeably with each passing day, I have been starting to think about all of the jams and jellies I will make this summer. I have also been thinking more and more about the sugar that goes into each of them. I have done a post in the past about the role of sugar in preserving because I think it is important for people to understand that it actually has a very important role and that it isn’t just part of the recipe because people expect jam to be sweet. Generally the fruit is sweet enough.

But even though sugar plays a role, there are options out there for people who want to reduce the amount of sugar in the preserves they make at home and there are a couple of great blog posts written that include some pretty fabulous resources as well as a couple of pretty tasty recipes that you can start off your low sugar preserving with.

Aimee does a great job in this post of outlining resources that are available to those that are interested in learning more about low sugar preserving and she includes a pretty tasty recipe for Apple Butter

http://simplegoodandtasty.com/2011/11/15/low-sugar-preserving-for-the-jam-lover

Dr. Williams overview on Pamona’s Pectin and how it works in low sugar preserving as well as her recipe for Organic low sugar strawberry jam makes this post well worth the read.

http://foodsforlonglife.blogspot.ca/2009/06/how-to-make-organic-low-sugar.html

 

If you are interested in learning more about low sugar preserving, want to see Pamona's Pectin in action and feel like trying your hand at it first hand, I am offering a class at The Depanneur on Monday, May 27th. It will cover the following:

 

Understanding the role of sugar in preserving is an important first step to understanding how you can reduce the sugar in your jam without sacrificing quality and taste. In this very hands-on class, we will look closely at the role sugar plays and make a full sugar as well as a low sugar jam so you can examine the difference in taste, texture and consistency.

You will walk out of this class with the basic understanding of jar sterilization, safe canning practices and important do’s and don’ts of canning and preserving. You will also get a copy of both recipes to take home and at least 1 jar of jam each.