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You could use a sugar substitute to make it less sugar and less calories. I have been told honey won't allow the jams & jelly to set up firmly. But I have read recipes with honey in them for conserves that have fruit. I know some canners also use Sweet & Low or Splenda with good results as well. Trying to find out if anybody has had success using Stevia which is a natural sugar substitute.
Here is a basic sugarless jam recipe you could sub other fruits like grapes or even mix berries.
Sugarless Strawberry Jam
2 quarts fresh or frozen strawberries
1 package no-sugar-needed pectin - (1 3/4 oz)
4 tablespoons Equal for Recipes or 40 packets Equal
sweetener or 1 2/3 cups Equal Spoonful
Mash strawberries to make 4 cups pulp. Combine strawberries and
pectin in large saucepan. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring
frequently. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a
boil. Cook and stir 1 minute more.
Remove from heat; stir in Equal. Skim off foam, if necessary.
Immediately fill containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and
let stand at room temperature several hours or until set. Store up
to 2 weeks in refrigerator or 6 months in freezer .
This recipe yields 4 half-pint jars.
Found this in my canning files: You can't just substitute Splenda, Sweet & Low or Equal for sugar in recipes using pectin because it doesn't have the right molecular structure to bind with the pectin, acid, and fruit juice to cause jelling. Instead, you have to use low-methoxyl ("LM") pectin; some brands, such as Fruit Jell No Sugar Needed or Sure-Jell for Reduced Sugar Jams have the necessary chemical to make everything bind; other pectins, notably Pomona's Universal Pectin, require a separate calcium solution.
I used to can a lot when I had a garden (started canning as a teen) but haven't had a garden for a while.
I would love to do some canning this year, if I can find enuff tomatoes. I only have three plants in my suburban yard, LOL!!!!
I used to love doing dill pickles . . . yum yum. Would enjoy doing those again, too, but I can't find the small white pickles anywhere.
If someone knows where I can get seeds for those small white old-fashioned Cucumbers, would you let me know? I have been looking for them for over 15 years and can't find them anywhere. Not the big green Burpees - these are little cucumbers. My grandmothers used to grow them here in NC.
As for recipes, I used to find my best recipes in Ball and Kerr canning books . . .
anifani821 my great gma use to grow those white ones too! I haven't seen them locally since I have been an adult gardening and canning. I now just use those small canning cucumbers for our pickles. I wish I could find a recipe or process to keep them really crisp like Klausen does. I have a fridge pickle recipe that comes close but I don't have enough fridge space to keep them all so I have to can some of them which causes them to lose their snapness. Is that even a word???
I have a canning buddy down in NC I will send them an email to see if they know of a place closer to you.
Last edited by Jaxson; 06-07-2008 at 01:08 PM..
Reason: spelling
anifani821 my great gma use to grow those white ones too! I haven't seen them locally since I have been an adult gardening and canning. I now just use those small canning cucumbers for our pickles. I wish I could find a recipe or process to keep them really crisp like Klausen does. I have a fridge pickle recipe that comes close but I don't have enough fridge space to keep them all so I have to can some of them which causes them to lose their snapness. Is that even a word???
I have a canning buddy down in NC I will send them an email to see if they know of a place closer to you.
HeeHee - snapness sounds like the perfect way to describe that crispy thing we like in our pickles!!!! I have a refrigerator pickle recipe that uses basically vinegar and sugar - is that the one you like?
I would pay well for those white pickles. I know my g/mothers called them "old timey" white pickles. I want to grow them, too. I think I could grow them on this hill at the back of my house. Sure hope someone has a lead . .
If you want to try my garlic dills, let me know, and I will hunt that recipe up for you.
The problem with using honey is that it is viscous, and hence adds liquid, meaning your jams and jellies won't set. I have seen granulated honey, but do not know if it could be used as a substitute, plus it is pretty pricey.
I am also wondering if the caution against using honey would have to do with possible food contamination. As a former bee-keeper with an accrediation in food sanitation, I know that it is possible for botulism organisms to be carried in honey. If the honey is not pastuerized, that could be a problem.
Do you have a freezer? I think there are some freezer jams that require less sugar and taste more like fresh fruit.
My advice would be to either look at some of the culinary websites for honey-based jam and jelly recipes or to consult with your local extension office. Here is a site that will help you locate the extension office for your county.
Part I
3 parts distilled water (important)
1 part distilled white vinegar (important)for every quart of this mixture add 2 tablespoons of kosher, non iodized salt (important) in a glass container (important).
Part II
In quart jars put, 1/2 tsp minced dried garlic, 1/4 tsp yellow mustard seed, 2-4 black peppercorns, 2-4 whole allspice, 1 to 1/2 whole dried cayenne pepper (I use a pinch of cayenne pepper), a pinch of dill seed, a pinch of dill weed, a miniscule pinch of turmeric and either 1/4 tsp of sugar or a whole carrot, washed & sliced cucumbers (I do halves or spears usually).
Part III
Now take the brine mixture from Part I and bring it to a boil. Pour this mixture over the cucumbers and spices in the jars and seal. Put them in the refrigerator: Ready in 7-10 days. Keeps 8 -19 weeks (but not in our house!). Brine can be re used.
My kids love pickles so I put them in half gallon glass jars and usually do up 2 jars at a time for the fridge. We then eat them as is or slice them for sandwiches too.
If the honey is not pastuerized, that could be a problem.
Thanks for sharing that info. Wouldn't honey bought from the stores already be pastuerized? I am glad I was told the same as you shared about honey not letting the jelly set. We don't use honey much around here, my DS use to like it on his toast but as he grew older he quit asking for it.
BTW in my above post I was trying to type "submit" not subnit.
Must be having a fat finger day.
I used to can a lot when I had a garden (started canning as a teen) but haven't had a garden for a while.
I would love to do some canning this year, if I can find enuff tomatoes. I only have three plants in my suburban yard, LOL!!!!
I used to love doing dill pickles . . . yum yum. Would enjoy doing those again, too, but I can't find the small white pickles anywhere.
If someone knows where I can get seeds for those small white old-fashioned Cucumbers, would you let me know? I have been looking for them for over 15 years and can't find them anywhere. Not the big green Burpees - these are little cucumbers. My grandmothers used to grow them here in NC.
As for recipes, I used to find my best recipes in Ball and Kerr canning books . . .
Thank you for the sugar/honey replies. I'll look into this further, as I want to avoid artificial sweeteners as well as cut down or avoid the sugar. No sense in substituting one 'bad' thing for another, to my way of thinking.
As for the safety of raw honey, it did occur to me that maybe there could be some question about this. However, we use raw honey all the time, and it sits on the shelf in the jar for a long time and we use it to sweeten tea, etc. so it stays safe. Does botulism grow in the absence of oxygen? Is that it? The honey we use every day is exposed to plenty of air, but honey in jams would only be boiled for about a minute, and then vacuum sealed.
The link to find extension offices is excellent. Thanks!
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I have a fridge pickle recipe that comes close but I don't have enough fridge space to keep them all so I have to can some of them which causes them to lose their snapness. Is that even a word??? 
Here is the one I use
