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Damsons and harvest generally

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Spiral

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I visited a friend this evening and came away with a pound or so of windfall damsons. She has 2 trees and there will be a huge glut in the next couple of weeks. A couple of years ago I made a fabulous damson frozen yoghurt, but I recall it involving a large amount of sugar...

I make preserves and pickles, and spend a lot of time in the hedgerows at around this time of year. I usually make up hampers of home made preserves for gifts at Yule.

My recent T2 diagnosis means that I don't have quite so much motivation to do that anymore, at least with jams and stuff :cry: I won't be able to partake - I don't/can't do toast and home made jam anymore. Unless you know different and can provide me with some recipies...

What recipies for jams and jellies and pickles and chutneys do you have that do not involve large quantities of sugar and would be suitable for us diabetics.

Would using fructose make a difference?
 
Hi Spiral.

Why not just use Splenda in your Jams and Pickles ? It is great for use in most recipes where you would normally use Sugar. It is suitable for those following a low carbohydrate diet and those of us with Diabetes. One teaspoonful of Splenda equals one teaspoon of sugar. There are just 2 calories per teaspoon compared to 20 calories in a teaspoon of sugar.

Ken.
 
Damsons are just plain wonderful
I have a glut of backberries at the moment and I'm cooking them up with a mixture of Xylitol, Splenda and a little fructose. I'm getting a lovely flavour and having sieved the fruit, a "coulis", which I can thicken by evaporation, heating VERY Slowly. The rest goes into the freezer.
 
I think what I will do is pick until I get bored and freeze the produce while I work out what to do with it.

I like the idea of the coulis :D Frozen sunshine :D A lovely way to get through the winter months.

I am reluctant to use Splenda in cooking, I'm not that keen on the taste when it has been cooked, and a lot of the people who are the beneficiaries of my produce won't touch artificial sweeteners with a bargepole. But I think it may be worth an experiement.

I think I may look at making some chutneys and jams with fructose, at least in small quantities for myself and make up the rest of the stuff with ordinary sugar.

And we will make pickled onions again, no sugar needed in that.
 
Actually, Spiral, and I'm ready to be corrected, Splenda is made from cane sugar, therefore cannot really be called an artificial sweetener. Saccharin, on the other hand, leaves a decidedly unpleasant aftertaste. I'm willing to bet my next month's salary that if you make your desert with Splenda and don't tell your friends, they won't even be aware of it.
 
BillB said:
Actually, Spiral, and I'm ready to be corrected, Splenda is made from cane sugar, therefore cannot really be called an artificial sweetener. Saccharin, on the other hand, leaves a decidedly unpleasant aftertaste. I'm willing to bet my next month's salary that if you make your desert with Splenda and don't tell your friends, they won't even be aware of it.
Click to expand...

Spenda has an aftertaste. Not much of an aftertaste compared to saccharin, but it does have an aftertaste.

Also, your suggestion would be like making something for me to eat in cooked in lard or gooosefat, when I have already told you that I'm a vegetarian. Or telling me something did not have sugar in it when you know that it does. It isn't about someone not noticing, it is about honesty and respect.
 
I did try a bit of experimentation with 'lower' carb preserves when first diagnosed but quite honestly didn't find the results that brilliant so I stopped making any for a couple of years
It probably helped that I don't really like jam that much, but our visitors and OH do so I'm back to making it.
Anyone want to help me stone 11kg of mirabelles?
 
Spiral - The phrase 'I'd bet my next month's salary....' was a figure of speech. It was not meant as a suggestion or instruction. I do have some morals, you know. And as an enthusiastic cook I have to say that I have never noticed an aftertaste to Splenda - and Ive used it in many kinds of recipes.
 
There is a low sugar jam making product by Dr. Oetker. You'll need to google for it. My cousin made me some very acceptable jam, with very little sweetening.
Hana
 
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