I need no-sugar freezer jam!
January 6, 2009 6:55 AM   Subscribe

Anyone know a good no sugar/Splenda recipe for strawberry freezer jam?

I bought Sure-Jell No Sugar/Less Sugar Fruit Pectin to make strawberry freezer jam thinking that I could make the jam with no sugar. But according to the directions and the customer service agent I called, you can only make no sugar/low sugar cooked jam. Freezer jam still takes 3 whole cups of sugar or it won't set right. Only one less cup than full sugar freezer jam.

My mom is a diabetic and we keep my son on a low sugar diet because it's healthier. Three cups of sugar is still way too much sugar for them. And I don't want to make cooked jam because it requires canning skills, jars, canner to boil jars in, etc. It's a pain in the ass.

Is there a way to make no sugar/splenda freezer jam?
posted by FunkyHelix to Food & Drink (8 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Refrigerator Strawberry Jam with Splenda
Makes 3 half-pint jars.

4 cups rinsed and hulled chopped fresh strawberries
1½ cups Splenda
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons to 1 box Low-Methoxyl Pectin with calcium (The amount needed varies by brand.)
4 to 6 drops red food coloring (optional)

Place strawberries in a medium saucepan. Crush with a potato masher. Add lemon juice. Cook over medium heat approximately 5 minutes, or until mixture comes to a full boil, stirring constantly.

Blend Splenda with powdered pectin in a small bowl. Incorporate pectin and Splenda into mashed strawberries using a wire whisk. Gently stir mixture and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute or until pectin and Splenda have dissolved. Add optional coloring. Mix well and simmer one more minute.

Fill clean hot jars with jelly (leaving ¼ inch of headspace) and seal with two-part lids. Store jam in refrigerator. After opening, jam can be stored, refrigerated, for two weeks.

Nutrition Information per 1 Tbsp. Serving: Calories 10, Carbohydrates 2g, Protein 0g, Sugars 1g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 0mg. This recipe when compared to a full sugar version, represents a 50% reduction in calories, a 60% reduction in carbohydrates and a 100% reduction in sugar.



Also, from the Splenda Website:

Splenda's Mixed Berry Freezer Jam
from the Splenda Website
Serves: 48
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes


What you need:
6 cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 cup cold water
1 (1.75 ounce) package no-sugar-needed pectin
1 pint blueberries


What you do:
1 Combine raspberries and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Boil 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly.
2 Mash strawberries with a fork or potato masher.
3 Add SPLENDA® Granulated and strawberries to raspberries. Stir constantly and boil over medium-high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes.
4 Pour cold water into a small saucepan. Whisk pectin into water, and let stand 2-3 minutes. Allow the pectin to absorb the water.
5 Boil water and pectin, then stir into fruit mixture and reduce heat to medium-low. Add blueberries. Simmer and stir for 5-6 minutes, until pectin is thoroughly blended with the fruit.
6 Freeze in sterile canning jars.
posted by Breo at 7:06 AM on January 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thank you!
posted by FunkyHelix at 7:36 AM on January 6, 2009


I could be wrong, but to my reading, that first recipe requires a low methoxyl pectin such as Pomona's Universal Pectin. I think the Sure Jell you have may be a different animal.
posted by veggieboy at 8:06 AM on January 6, 2009


Response by poster: Well, we'll see how it turns out then.

Sugar Free Strawberry Freezer Jam

It's cooling and setting now. Should be able to tell you if it worked in a couple hours.
posted by FunkyHelix at 10:16 AM on January 6, 2009


Response by poster: Jam set and tastes wonderful!
posted by FunkyHelix at 11:08 AM on January 6, 2009


I don't know anything about making jams or jellies...but I am reading this post and I don't understand how this "freezer jam" is "not cooked" since these recipes seem to call for heating in a saucepan...please explain!
posted by radioamy at 5:49 PM on January 6, 2009


Response by poster: The jars aren't boiled. It's not canned and can't be stored on a shelf in your pantry. I poured off the jam into tupperware containers and it's in the fridge.
posted by FunkyHelix at 7:07 PM on January 6, 2009


Oh okay thanks! Sounds like fun maybe I'll try out one of these recipes!
posted by radioamy at 11:24 AM on January 9, 2009


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