healthy homemade jams, jellies and cordials

red

hi everyone!
i have been purchasing and researching everything i can about this subject and i am now throwing myself on everyone's mercy to help as i now embark on making my first jellies, jams and cordials!

i have got all the stuff that i think i need - jars, thermometers, pans (i got the one from lakeland that allows the steam from the bottom part to work on the fruit at the top).

i have been told that i have to avoid high sugar due to being borderline diabetic...so, my understanding is that honey is the best sweetener to use....has anyone had any experience of making jams, jellies and cordials with honey and little or no sugar?

any other hints and ideas on preserving would be very gratefully received also!

thriftlady_2

I'm sure someone will come along with suitable recipes soon, but be aware that you can't really make proper jam or jelly without lots of sugar. Sugar is what preserves the fruit or fruit juice.

I'm curious to know why honey is considered better for diabetes -surely it is mostly sugar? It also has water in it so that will affect your recipes (and it is way more expensive).

Patchwork_Quilt

We make jam from blackberries in the Autumn. The best ones are high up, so take a walking stick to pull down the branches and make sure you don't pick near a road/dog walking area.

Put the berries in a sieve and run some water over them. Weigh them and put in a pan. Bring to a simmer very slowly. No need to add water, just prod them with a wooden spoon so that the juice runs. Slow heating releases the pectin (setting agent) and gives the creepy crawlies time to climb to the top so that you can pick them off.

Add the same weight of sugar as the berries. Stir in. Put a knob of butter in to prevent foaming. Bring to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down) very slowly.

Test for setting by dropping some jam on a cold saucer. Leave for a minute and then push at the blob with your finger. If the top surface wrinkles, its done.

Pour into sterilised jars (get friends to save them. Wash and fill with boiling water while your jam is 'cooking', including the lids) and put the lids on tightly, at once.

As the jam cools, the safety button on the jars will be pulled in with a pop. This is a proper seal. If they are not properly sealed, I have never worried but we eat these first.

Some of mine have kept for 2 years.

Bulk out with windfall apples.

Strawberry jam does not set easily. However, rhubarb and gooseberry (separately) make surprisingly good jam.

sandraroffey

diabetic nurse told me no honey!!!!!!

Pink.

I've had to remove a post on this thread for copyright reasons as we can't post recipes on MSE that are published elsewhere for legal reasons. The recipe can be found here

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