"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
.250...
> On Fri 01 May 2009 11:17:33p, Kelly Greene told us...
>
>>
>> "Kathi Jones" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Interesting observation today....Ok, well, maybe not, but it was an
>>> eye-opener for me....
>>>
>>> I've been working as a retail field merchandiser for almost 4 weeks
>>> now, and today I was doing a Food Basics (grocery store). My morning
>>> assignment was the jam and peanut butter section. Holy cow! There's
>>> some really crappy jams and jellies and marmalades out there! There
>>> were 2 marmalades on the shelf - one had thick cut peel and one had
>>> slivers of peel in it...and in both cases there was hardly ANY peel at
>>> all. I never shop in the jam and jelly section of the stores because,
>>> of course, I make my own.
>>> So this was new to me. That store bought stuff is pathetic! It's no
>>> wonder everyone likes the goodies I gift them at Christmas!
>>>
>>> Maybe I need to get out more....
>>>
>>> Kathi
>>
>> We only eat Smucker's brand sugar-free jams and jellies. They're
>> delicious and nothing compares to them. I find those made at home by
>> friends or relatives to be too sweet, too sugary.
>
> I couldn't disagree more. The texture of most sugar-free jams and jellies
> is horrible. There are some good imported and premium small-bath
> production commercial products with sugar that are really very good, but
> it's hard to beat well-made home produced jams and jellies.

I don't like most jams and jellies. Just too sweet for me. For years I
bought some kind of Smuckers with Splenda in it. I used the strawberry for
PB and J sandwiches. I thought it tasted fine. Until I quit buying it. We
have a really good health food store just around the corner from here and
they have pretty much anything I need. And if they don't, they will get it
for me. I began buying the Crofter's brand from them. It's organic and no
sugar added. I only like the strawberry. But it doesn't keep for very long
once opened, probably due to the lack of sugar.

One day I wasn't able (for whatever reason) to get to the health food store
and the grocery store I was at didn't have the Crofter's. So I bought the
Smuckers. I mean...how bad could it be? I did eat it before and was fine
with it. Well... Whew! It was sooo bad I had to throw my sandwich away.
I couldn't believe I used to eat it at all. Had such a horrid chemical
taste to it.

I guess now if I can't get the Crofter's, I will just buy some fresh
strawberries, slice them up and put them on my sandwich.

I did try my hand at making jam many years ago. It was the first thing I
ever tried to can and I shudder to think (now) of how I did it. No canner,
open air pan. Probably didn't sterilize the fancy little jars I used.
Luckily (I suppose), none of the cans sealed. I think I may have turned
them upside down after canning. And I think for some reason I also put a
layer of paraffin on the top. Most likely got the recipe and instructions
from one of the many old cookbooks I collect. At least I knew enough to
give the jars away right away and tell people to put them in the
refrigerator.