tasmonia
07-05-2008, 01:44 PM
Hello there,
Every time I go to make preserves, I'm conflicted about the amount of sugar it requires. Old-fashioned jam recipes use tons of sugar, which basically makes them fail-proof: the jam sets nicely, the sugar keeps it from going bad even if you don't refrigerate the opened jar, etc...
However, the high-sugar recipes mask a lot of the fruit flavor. It seems more like you're eating colorful sugar goo instead of preserved fruit. Many people also worry about consuming a large amount of sugar--in most recipes it's equal sugar:fruit. I don't care too much about the sugar content, I just want something that tastes less like sugar and more like fruit.
Most of what I read about low-sugar canning involves storing the jam in the freezer or refrigerator, and I'm low on space in both of those. Also, I'd prefer something that's shelf-stable before it's opened.
I know other people struggle with this issue and I've been given jam before that was made with a minimum of sugar or with an alternative sweetener (such as honey). They're usually kind of gloppy and go moldy almost immediately.
So, is there some other way to do this that I don't know about? Or am I simply asking the impossible: a shelf-stable jam with full fruit flavor and possibly reduced sugar?
Every time I go to make preserves, I'm conflicted about the amount of sugar it requires. Old-fashioned jam recipes use tons of sugar, which basically makes them fail-proof: the jam sets nicely, the sugar keeps it from going bad even if you don't refrigerate the opened jar, etc...
However, the high-sugar recipes mask a lot of the fruit flavor. It seems more like you're eating colorful sugar goo instead of preserved fruit. Many people also worry about consuming a large amount of sugar--in most recipes it's equal sugar:fruit. I don't care too much about the sugar content, I just want something that tastes less like sugar and more like fruit.
Most of what I read about low-sugar canning involves storing the jam in the freezer or refrigerator, and I'm low on space in both of those. Also, I'd prefer something that's shelf-stable before it's opened.
I know other people struggle with this issue and I've been given jam before that was made with a minimum of sugar or with an alternative sweetener (such as honey). They're usually kind of gloppy and go moldy almost immediately.
So, is there some other way to do this that I don't know about? Or am I simply asking the impossible: a shelf-stable jam with full fruit flavor and possibly reduced sugar?