Re: figs, frozen strawberries, iron pot, black mess

Yes, some people want simplicity.
Understanding is part of simplicity for some.
If I know why it works, its easier to remember.

Particularly for Splenda, I think they should explain.
Some folks I know think you can't can with Splenda.
If Splenda explained it, maybe they'd get more sales.
Maybe they do explain it, I don't know.

And SureJell haven't touched on the preserves in their recipes
(but maybe it's covered in Putting Food By, but for older sugar
substitues.
For example, can I really substitute Splenda for the syrup in fig
preserves?
My pressure canning guide says the syrup is just for flavoring, not for
preservation, in pressure canned figs, which would not be jelled, and
low acid. I would suppose I could use Splenda.Maybe the Splenda site
tells me.

Now that I have learned the difference between sugar in preserves and
sugar in cooked jam, vis a vis anti-biotic safety, I feel more
comfortable.

I'm using 2nd edition, 1979 of PFB.

Again, nice meeting you.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article <1155155593.911244.39270@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
bootch@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I am in awe of the responses.

<grin> Pretty good, huh? And aren't we nice, too? :-) Of the many
groups I read regularly this and the computer groups seem to be the most
helpful and civil. There's never any *serious* name calling (we have
called George a couple things a couple times, though) and the resident
horse's patoot took his canning kettle and left about three years ago.
We've got a really good FAQ file; Jack Eddington is kind and generous
to host it for us, and he put in megahours when it underwent revision
about 2-1/2 - 3 years ago. You'll find it here:
http://www.jaclu.com/rfpFAQ/rfpFAQ.htm

We're almost always on topic, too. Hallelujah! Many of us have been
posting here for the 11-12 or so years of the group's existence and have
developed a sense of camaraderie and certainly some healthy respect for
and knowledge of what one person knows that another might not. Heck,
I've even eaten some of Bob's pressure-canned stuff. :-)

Making water unavailable is an interesting thought. I want to
understand the chemistry and biology. My ancient copy of "Putting Food
By" did say that sugar was not optional, needed for safety, in jams.
But it doesn't say how the sugar accomplishes that trick.

What edition of PFB are you using? AFAIK, the Fourth Edition, appears
to be the last, about 1988 if I read the info correctly. I guess that
qualifies as nearly ancient, though I don't know what of it might be
revised in a newer version; I prefer the Ball Blue Book and info from
the NCHFP and the U of MN Extension Divn folks here.

Then I reread the Low or No SureJell insert. A recipe for cooked and
BW bath canned jam with no sugar used only 1/6 c Splenda per pint of
strawberries versus 2 c sugar per pint for low sugar recipe. That only
makes sense to me if as you say, it is locking up the water, not so
much the sugar or Splenda itself a direct anti-biotic. I would think
the SureJell company would discuss this in their flyer. Consumers
today are more educated

Hah!

(and might have less common sense)

I agree with that. :-)

they might want to understand rather than just be given a recipe. I do.

No offense intended, but I think you're wrong. Freezer Jam (gack,
phooey, and ptooey <I can say that because Gloria is in Sweden> ) is
popular in part because it can be done quickly and with nothing required
in the way of exotic-looking or -sounding equipment. It's what the
masses want ? fast. The Sure?Jell/Ball flyers are written so that even
a fairly dim bulb can figure out and follow the instructions and achieve
success. And believe me, there is nothing like success to encourage a
person.

Put too much information in front of some of us (maybe even me) and the
reaction is, "Ye Alexes, forget THAT!" If I'm just learning, just tell
me what I need to know for something resembling success and if I want
more info later I'll figure out where to find it or who to ask. I've
taught jam-making to beginners, "It's As Easy as 1-2-3-4" ? fruit,
sugar, pectin, acid. Brian Mailman here refers to the relationships
between those components as "a friendly handshake." I like that. I
keep the information pretty general and basic, though I can answer many
not-so-basic questions and provide pointers for many answers I don't
know.

And we're a home preserving group, not a bunch of food scientists ?
that's a different group, sci.bio.food-science. A couple of the regular
posters here are pretty well book educated about the particulars and
most of the regulars have a fair amount of "field experience." :-)

(snip)

Or, make a jam, reducing the sugar but not eliminating pectin. Fully
ripe figs, which taste like they have a lot of fructose sugar in them,
ought to set with less sugar. If it sets well, assume it is safe?

I'd include some lemon juice or citric acid, too.

Again, thanks.

You're welcome. Stick around. Come over and sit by me and I'll tell
you all about George Shirley, Father Inquisitor of the Holy Order of the
Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella.

-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com



ellen wickberg wrote:
Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article <1155135495.862654.115840@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
bootch@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

The tar was sticky and stringy, not really a gell, more like apple
butter. Looks and tastes like stewed prunes.


No offense, but sticky and stringy sounds icky and not at all like apple
butter, either. :-0(

Thanks Barb for the info on fig pH and on the role of acid. I do
usually add lemon juice. Yesterday I also made a no-sugar fig jam with
No-Sugar SureGel and a can of orange concentrate where they said to use
apple concentrate. Can't say yet how well it set.


Let us know, eh.


I also am studying whether sugar is anti-biotic. I knew it was a
preservative, but what you said about "preserving shape and color"
makes me wonder whether it is necessary for safe storage.


Inasmuch as you can can fruits (pears, peaches, etc.) without a sugar
syrup; i.e., with just water for liquid, I'd say it is not.


Too many ambiguities of the word "preservative." Salt is a
preservative too, so I wondered if sugar had the same effect: in a
high enough concentration, supresses growth of bacteria.


Where's Ellen?


Thanks for linking to GA and MN. I don't want to get off on a rant
here (but I will) but the FDA and USDA should have better information,
and more leading research on sugar reduction, than the states.


And I should lose more weight and exercise more, too.

The USDA research came from a few land-grant universities: Penn State,
U of MN, one of the Iowa universities, Georgia (there may be others -
Alaska might be one). Right now, as I understand it, UGA is the only
university doing any current research and testing in home food
preservation. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is
operated out of UGA ? and is funded by the USDA. I attended a food
preserving workshop put on by the U of MN a couple years ago ? their
food safety folks ? and was told in pretty clear English that what's
done is funded by the USDA and money was tight and we're lucky to get
what we do get. It made me realize that what *I* want is actually
fairly low on somebody's priority list. Call your congressperson. :-)

Also, I like to consult my state's folks because they sometimes have
information and guidelines that are geared specifically for my area.
(snipped)

I've mailed Dr. Andress about the optional lemon in the fig preserves in
the So Easy To Preserve book; haven't heard back from her yet.
I don't know much about canning figs. Grew up with them all around, but
here in Vancouver they are expensive and not ripe. My preferred way to
eat them is fresh, though someone did give me a very nice ginger fig jam
a while ago..
Re sugar and safety, it is mostly in jams, in my understanding, a
question of making the water unavailable to spoilage organisms( as does
the pectin). In canning of fruit, a texture matter.
Ellen

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: figs, frozen strawberries, iron pot, black mess
    ... Particularly for Splenda, ... And SureJell haven't touched on the preserves in their recipes ... (but maybe it's covered in Putting Food By, but for older sugar ... sugar in cooked jam, vis a vis anti-biotic safety, I feel more ...
    (rec.food.preserving)
  • Re: Vegetables more effective than fruit
    ... The sugar performs a double function. ... Supermarkets naturally like preserves ... I'm sure the commercial jam makers sterilise their jars too. ... can be eaten reletively rapidly and stored, opened in the fridge fo rnot ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Re: Vegetables more effective than fruit
    ... :>And the most wonderful jam, but not for eating out of hane, just too sour. ... sugar prunes I grafted in as a pollenator. ... Supermarkets naturally like preserves ... the fridge, opened. ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)
  • Attacks on Splenda
    ... Big Sugar assails its competition, Splenda, in classic robber baron ... Association's jihad against the sweetener Splenda. ... Splenda carpet-bombing is meant only to provide consumers the ... set up attack websites and front ...
    (rec.food.cooking)
  • Re: Incidence of diabetes data
    ... the insurance industry. ... i buy more splenda than i ever have because i make my own desserts (like ... The obvious one is the Sugar Industry, ... all sweeteners. ...
    (alt.support.diabetes)