Has anyone made freezer jam with less sugar?

dipat2005

Have you ever made freezer jam with less sugar or sweetening. I have never tried it before but to me freezer jam is just too sweet!! I am not used to that much sweet. I had to get some berries out of my freezer.

LaurieLovesLearning

@dipat2005 I find it too sweet as well. What I do is freeze the fruit and when I want a bit of jam, take out the small amount that I wish, cook it down in a small pot & sweeten it a little to taste.

It is a short term jam kept in the fridge, and doesn't generally stick around long, so of course, hasn't had a chance to go bad.

VermontCathy

I like jam that tastes more like fruit and less like pure sugar.

However, there is a trade-off. Sugar is an important preservative. High-sugar jam will keep well at room temperature after being opened, but low-sugar jam must be refrigerated after opening, and still won't keep as long even in the refrigerator.

I have no experience with freezer jam.

Sheila

Pomono's pectin works well with low or no sugar jams and jellies and also works well with honey as a sweetener. I have been using it for a few years now for both freezer jam and conventional as most of the low sugar pectins contain artificial sweeteners (xylitol, sucralose, etc) and I am allergic to most of them as well as having no tolerance for excess sugar. It does tend to be a little looser than standard pectins like Bernadin or Certo but you can easily adjust to the consistency your family likes.

dipat2005

These are all great ideas! The freezer jam I made was put into containers (not glass jars) and is in the frig. I will experiment with way less sugar. Thanks for the great ideas!

VermontCathy

@Sheila I've had good luck with Pomona's pectin too. It's the only pectin I use.

Someday I may experiment with extracting pectin directly from my apples and using that in other jams.

dipat2005

@LaurieLovesLearning how much sugar do you start with? I have about two cups of strawberries in the frig waiting to be used.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

I only make low-sugar jams and jellies. And I use Pomona's pectin to make them. My family loves them all.😋

LaurieLovesLearning

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/915601#Comment_915601

I just add to taste. I might only do one cup at a time. It is a thing of how much will we consume in short order so that it doesn't go bad.

SuperC

When I have jams, I do not use any sugar nor sweeteners. For me, the sugar is what’s in the fruit naturally. Even though the jam does not last for so long in the refrigerator once opened, it’s very delicious.

Though I do like the idea mentioned to freeze the fruit and take out a little to boil down.

dipat2005

@SuperC thank you for the insight. I took out berries for Muzz's pie (which is always delicious and easy to make). I had a few berries left over.

dipat2005

@SuperC I forgot to ask does anyone use lemon juice when they make the jam?

Owl

I use lemon juice in many of my jams and jellies because we like the tartness of it but I use Pomona’s too and you can use honey or sugar and only the little bit required to mix in the pectin. I found Pomona’s when I went processed sugar free and realized that standard jelly recipes require as much sugar as fruit!

dipat2005

@Owl what is Pomona? It is not something I know anything about. Others have mentioned it too.

Owl

https://smile.amazon.com/Pomonas-Universal-Pectin-Ounce-Pack/dp/B001IZICO2/ref%3Dsr_1_4?crid=3JAULD4I0AY1R&keywords=pomonas+universal+pectin&qid=1661613609&sprefix=Pomon%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-4

Its just like sure jell but far more flexible in what you can make and what you put in it. You use an included calcium solution as part of the process but it’s simple and the directions are easy to follow. It also has instructions for creating your own recipes. I will never go back to the old way.

dipat2005

@Owl thank you. Until these answers I have never heard of it.

JennyT Upstate South Carolina

@dipat2005 I like Pomona's for the same reason as @Owl. I use so much less sugar now when I make jam. And I feel like it's more natural too, whether or not that's true I don't know.😊

I'm trying to get my family away from sugar and that was my start. I won't go back to using SureGel either. It's crazy how much sugar they say to use.

Owl

I love being able to use honey too! With the others honey can only be used extra and it’s WAY too sweet but with Pomona’s you can use stevia if you want.

jowitt.europe

When I freeze, I use half the amount of sugar. Preserving is done by frost, so I use sugar only for the taste. When I do some for my husband (he is not a jam fan, but, sometimes, likes a bit, I use only honey as a sweetener. I store such jam in very small jars, so that I use it fast as it will not keep long in a fridge once I defrost it.

dipat2005

I had no idea others didn't use sugar or used other types of sweeteners. Stevia and I don't get along at all.

marjstratton

I haven't made freezer jam in ages, but when I did, it was with half the amount of sugar that was called for. I think I also experimented with using fruit juice for sweetening my jam.

dipat2005

@marjstratton fruit juice is a great idea! I really like that. Thanks.

marjstratton

@dipat2005 I usually used apple juice, but also used white grape juice. I used frozen fruit juice concentrate. Can't remember what the conversion was for fruit juice to sugar was. Can't remember whether the recipes were in a cookbook or some other source or if I just experimented with it.