Splenda is no-calorie alternative to sugar.
If you make freezer jam at home, you can cut back on your sugar intake by using an artificial sweetener, such as Splenda. Using Splenda may be beneficial to diabetics, as it doesn't affect blood-glucose levels. Since it doesn't contain any calories, it also benefits people trying to cut back on sugar and lose weight. One issue with using this artificial sweetener in freezer jam is that it can foam. Splenda may not be the specific cause of the foam, but rather a combination of factors. Regardless, there are ways to avoid foam in the finished product.
Instructions
1. Choose a fruit for your freezer jam, such as fresh or frozen strawberries, peaches or red plums. You'll need 5 to 6 cups of fruit. Follow the package instructions on the no-sugar-added pectin until you get to the first boiling instruction. Use only 1 1/2 cups of Splenda per recipe; the recipe will most likely call for 3 cups of sugar. In a study on Splenda use in jams conducted at The University of Wisconsin, findings indicated that using more than 1 1/2 cups of the sweetener produced a bitter taste in the jam.
2. Add the Splenda in between the two boiling steps on the package directions. Continue to follow the package instructions. Be sure you are using no-sugar-added pectin, along with the calcium packet. Add the calcium in at the appropriate stage in the recipe, according to the package instructions; the calcium is necessary for the Splenda to work properly with the no-sugar-added pectin. Some pectin has the calcium already in it, and there will be no extra packet to add.
3. Remove the jam from the heat, and carefully skim or blot the foam from the top of the mixture. Ladle the jam into jars; this will most likely yield a smaller amount of jam than the box recipe indicates. Remove any remaining foam from the individual jars using the same skimming or blotting method prior to capping.
Tags: no-sugar-added pectin, package instructions, artificial sweetener, foam from, most likely, Using Splenda