In article >, Adam Preble
> wrote:

> I first made jam with real sugar, and noticed it got a darker color as
> it was boiled. This was what I had expected, based on experience with
> commercial jams. It was reassuring when the color changed, and I was
> kind of expecting it too.
>
> With low-sugar jams, I've noticed a brighter color, and I was curious
> why "they" did that. When I made some strawberry jam with Splenda, I
> noticed it didn't darken. Ultimately, the jam thickened somewhat, but
> it didn't darken at all. The jam is runnier than the normal stuff, but
> this seems in line with what I've bought commercially too.
>
> I'm curious if my observations have been correct so far, and if maybe I
> haven't looked in the right places. I'm most interested in making
> sugar-free jams with the normal darker color and thick texture.

Hi, Adam
Your observations are correct. Might as well start he
http://www.kraftfoods.com/surejell/, then link to 'Jamming Tips' then to
"tips for making no-sugar-needed recipes".

The pectins that are for use with reduced or no sugar are called "low
methoxyl" pectins and use calcium to effect the jell. SureJell in the
pink box is one such product; Ball also makes a no- or low-sugar powder
pectin product. Additionally, Pomona's Universal Pectin uses calcium
water (you have to mix it) for a set. What they all have in common is a
cloudy product. Sugar in jams helps with color and clarity as well as
preserving it. Ever notice that the red "fruit spreads" (e.g., Polaner
All Fruit) on the market sometimes look kind of brown? That's because
of a lack of sugar (refined, I suppose, because they often have other
sugars in the guise of fruit juice) and exposure to light -- a natural
'hazard'. And there's no FDA standard for "all fruit" spreads. Low
sugar spreads may be tastier to some but they're not as pretty -- if
that's a consideration for you. HTH.
--
-Barb, <http://www.jamlady.eboard.com> 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton