I need no-sugar freezer jam!

January 6, 2009 6:55 AM

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)

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

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

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

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

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