I am hypoglycemic and need to stay off refined sugar.  Natural sugars
in fruit don't seem to bother me, so I am looking for a way to
preserve our fruit harvest without using sugar.  I sweeten my fresh
fruit with stevia (a wonderful discovery) but stevia doesn't work when
preserving fruit.  I want to make what's known as
'freezer jam' along the lines of:
http://www.allrecipes.com/cb/w2m/weeklyspecials/jam/default.asp
or
http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ852.html
but without the sugar.  How would one make jam from unsweetened frozen
fruit?  Would pectin work?   I'll be experiementing, but if anyone out
there has some ideas on this subject I'd appreciate it, thanks!

Hello there

Freezer jams can be made without sugar but in order to do so, you need
use one of the "no sugar" pectins which are on the market.

You will find 'no sugar' pectins at the following locations.

The sweetner recommended in the following is "Equal."

Ball/Kerr Home Canning Hotline® - - 1 (800) 240-3340
Their no sugar pectin can be found at the following stores during the
canning season: Kmart, WalMart, Target, Ace Hardware.

Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell Fruit Pectin® - - Precision Foods, 1 (800)
647-8170
You can direct order Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell Fruit Pectin over the
phone at a price of $1.99/box, each of which makes approximately 4-5
cups of jam. Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell Fruit Pectin is also available
at most large grocery store chains or Ace Hardware.

LM Pectin® - - Walnut Acres Company Customer Service 1(800) 433-3998
LM Pectin is a no-sugar needed pectin in the form of a bag of powder.
An 8oz bag costs $9.89 and makes approximately 30 pints; a 1 pound bag
costs $15.99 and makes approximately 60 pints. LM Pectin is only
available from the Walnut Acres Company, and is not available in
stores.

Pomona's Universal Pectin® - - Mail Order Only - - Send Checks or
Money Orders to:
Workstead Industries
P.O. Box 1083
Greenfield, MA 01302
1 (413) 772-6816
Pomona's Universal Pectin is $3.50 per box. Each 1 oz. box makes
approximately 2-4 recipes.
Here is Pomona's website where you can learn more about the product:
http://www.permaculture.net/Pomona/

If you are in Canada
BerNARdin No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin® - - Available in stores
throughout CANADA.

Most of the above information is from "Jam Tips" a website of the
Merisant Company, Makers of Equal.
http://www.equal.com/jams_jellies/jj_jamtips.asp

Tips for making no sugar freezer jams are on the lower half of the
page.

Here is a strawberry freezer jam recipe you can experiment with:

1 quart strawberries (1-1/2 pounds), hulled 
 
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) no-sugar needed pectin 
 
1 cup unsweetened apple juice 
 
14-1/2 to 21-3/4 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes 
 
or   48 to 72 packets Equal® sweetener  
or   2 to 3 cups Equal® Spoonful™   

Coarsely mash strawberries in large bowl, using a potato masher or
pastry blender (about 2-1/2 cups).

Gradually stir pectin into apple juice in medium saucepan. Heat
mixture to a rolling boil (one that does not stop when being stirred)
over high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 1
minute.

Stir hot mixture into strawberries; stir in Equal®. Fill jars,
allowing 1/2-inch head space. Cool jam; seal and freeze up to 3
months.
 
Note: - After thawing, Strawberry Freezer Jam should be refrigerated;
refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Also note that the use of more fruit in the
recipe can possibly impair the gelling action of the jam. - - - -
Makes three, 1/2-pint jars.

The above recipe is also from the makers of Equal.

You will find additional information at this website:
"Jamming with Equal & Other Artificial Sweeteners" -
http://www.ochef.com/608.htm
A website of Food News Service

Now, I'm hungry enough to go dig through the cupboard and see if I
have anything sweet and scrumptious on hand.  Some of these questions
are making me fat. - - - Well, pleasingly plump at any rate.

Search - Google

Terms - no sugar freezer jams, no sugar pectins

If there is anything I may clarify before you rate the answer, please
ask.

Cheers - and happy eating
digsalot

---

Request for Answer Clarification by timespacette-ga on 30 Jul 2003 10:14 PDT

Hello Digsalot,
Thanks for the no-sugar pectin info!  I still have two issues around
this idea:
 
a)  I really don't want to use Equal; I would much prefer to use
stevia, which comes from an herb and can be bought in clear liquid or
white powder form. (the Equal and Sweet 'n' Low companies tried hard
to keep it off the market but failed).

b) my question really is: can I just freeze the fresh fruit (or
slightly cooked fruit) and keep it in small batches in the freezer,
then just take out a little at a time and THEN make jam that has
stevia and  pectin, with the thick quality of regular jam?

---

Clarification of Answer by digsalot-ga on 30 Jul 2003 11:11 PDT

Hello again - and thanks for the clarification request.

Here is a page that opens with a freezer jam recipe using 'stevia.'
http://www.recipecottage.com/preserving/strawberry-jam02.html

As for using pre-frozen fruit, I could find nothing on the web about
it.  I called a friend who has a habit of getting blue ribbons at the
Guernsey County, Ohio, Fair each year.  She said that any jam,
including freezer jams, "can" be made with pre-frozen fruit, and some
people do, but it is not something she would ever serve on her table. 
While jam can be made with frozen fruit, the finished product has a
tendency to become watery, separate, and does not have the color of
fresh fruit.

So, the answer is "yes," you 'can' use frozen fruit but it would be a
matter of personal taste as to whether you found the finished product
to be satisfactory.

She also suggested that if you do use frozen fruit, to stick with
fruits which are dark in color such as blackberries, or black
raspberries.  They don't change color as much.  Frozen strawberries
will wind up tasting ok but will make a product which is dark red to
reddish brown in color. (ugly stuff)

She is also an Equal user. Since I have spoken with her, she is now
interested in stevia as well.  So, I promised her that I would pass a
message to you.  If you make the jam with stevia, would you use the
request clarification feature to let me know how it turned out so I
can pass the word along to her?

We live in a rural area and stevia is not all that easy to come by
here.  There are no health food stores.  We live with red meat, real
cream in the coffee and real butter on the table.  I have no idea what
my annual sugar consumption is.

Life is hard.

Cheers
digs

thanks, I'll let you know what I find . . .