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DIABETIC JAM MAKING

S

steve//65

Newbie
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3
Dear All,

First of all, I am new to this site and I am not a Diabetic. And I am glad I have found what looks to me like a very useful and helpful site!

I am planning on making Jams as Christmas presents for a few friends, one of whom is a Diabetic. I have always used natural sugar for all my past Jam making. So this year I plan to make all my Jams Diabetic Jams.

I had planned on using Fructose, but have since found (from this site), this not a good alternative to replace sugar, and therefore not good for Diabetics.

I have recently heard about XYLITOL which apparently has no after taste and can be used by Diabetics.

Can anyone confirm that this is indeed the case? Can it also be used for Diabetic Jam making?

Also is CERTO liquid pectin safe to use for Diabetic Jam making?

I would like to ensure my Diabetic friend can enjoy my Jam and stay safe and healthy.

I look forward to any advice on this.

Many thanks!
 
Hi @steve//65 , welcome to the forum!
How very thoughtful of you, we can all use friends like this.
steve//65 said:
I have recently heard about XYLITOL which apparently has no after taste and can be used by Diabetics.
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Be very wary of xylitol if there is even the slightest chance pets could get to the jam, dogs will die from even a very tiny amount of xylitol.

I have no idea how to make jam, but I know where to find people who do, so I asked them here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/page-2323#post-2446929
 
@steve//65
You are a kind and thoughtful friend, but do be aware that many people avoiding sugar will also be avoiding sweetners too. They can keep the "sweet tooth" going and are highly processed manufactured ingredients. Sadly the fruit in jam is not good for diabetes because of the natural fructose in it, which again our bodies don't react well to.

Although there are recipes around for keto jam, the results don't store well and often need refrigeration, and make very small amounts.

I speak as a past jam maker. Its heart breaking to have to ignore the fruits I grew specifically for preserving simply go into the freezer and not to have a stock of gifts ready for friends. My cupboard is now bare
I haven't yet found an alternative to give as food gifts so no ideas there for you either, sorry!
 
Hi @steve//65, you really do sound like a kind friend, all I would say is are you sure your diabetic friend would ordinarily choose 'diabetic jam'? I say this because many people who have diabetes (including myself) would not necessarily choose to eat anything labelled 'diabetic'. I would love some of your 'normal' jam, it sounds lovely. Of course, you know your friend well so if he/she is avoiding things that are higher carb, then it is a very thoughtful thing to do. Now then, what will they have with it I wonder!
 
I was about to post the DietDoctor recipe but see that @shelley262 has beaten me to it. It’s very nice but agree the shelf life might be an issue.
 
I’d second, or is it third the Diet Doctor jam or cham as I’ve heard it called?
 
Dear all,

Thank you for all the quick replies! There is a lot to think about from what you have suggested.

I tend to make Marmalade and Plum, Raspberry and Medlar Jams every year using Sugar. At the moment for this year I intend to make sugar free Medlar Jam using Xylitol. I believe Certo liquid pectin is also safe for Diabetics. Unless anybody knows differently.

I will enquire from my Diabetic friend as to whether he likes Diabetic Jams. He does seem to be always carrying Orange Lucozade around with him (together with a glucose monitor), so I am guessing from that he can consume sweet things. Lucozade is certainly sweet tasting!

I am in no hurry to make this Jam, preferring instead to spend some time on making sure that it will be entirely safe for Diabetics. I suspect there are some very good Jam makers out there! Some of whom have made Diabetic Jams in the past. So I would appreciate any good recommendations, advice, etc.

Many thanks to you all, so far.
 
I suspect the Lucozade is in case your friend has a hypo, where his blood sugar drops or is dropping low, and he needs something sweet to raise it back to normal levels.
 
Hopeful34 said:
I suspect the Lucozade is in case your friend has a hypo, where his blood sugar drops or is dropping low, and he needs something sweet to raise it back to normal levels.
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I know what I'd prefer to treat a hypo with, given the choice between lucozade and a lovely homemade jam!
 
steve//65 said:
He does seem to be always carrying Orange Lucozade around with him (together with a glucose monitor), so I am guessing from that he can consume sweet things. Lucozade is certainly sweet tasting!
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Hi Steve, I would say 100% that is his hypo treatment, an essential item to carry around with us in case we go hypo which can happen anywhere at any time. Unfortunately we have to consume something sweet if we do go low or we end up on the floor unconscious or worse. It might be a good idea to talk to him about it?, I'm sure he will be more than willing to tell you a bit about diabetes. Most of us love to talk about it and dispel any myths.
 
If he's carrying luco around, he's not particularly likely to be a diet-controlled type 2 diabetic. Odds are he's a Type one or a variant thereof, or an insulin dependant T2, and it's his hypo treatment. (It will up blood sugars fast, preventing a coma or even death, in case of a hypo. I can practically guarantee you it's not to just satisfy a sweet tooth. ). Which does make it extra important that he knows what's in the jam. If he has to inject for it, the dosage would be very different when you use sweetener rather than sugar! So do let him know exactly what is put in there, so he can properly bolus for it.
 
Dear all,

I would like to give a big thank you to everyone especially KK123 and JoKalsbeek. That which you have suggested here does indeed sound very much the type of Diabetes my friend has to put up with on a daily basis. However, I shall most certainly make enquiries over the next few days before I do anything.

Thank you for everything so far. I am learning a lot here!

Steven
 
Just to say, you sound like a lovely friend to have. Kudos.
 
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