Can I use Turbinado Sugar, Maple Sugar, Demerara, Moscavado, Coconut, or other large grain sugars when making jam or jelly with Pomona's Pectin? Yes you can, but because the pectin won't mix well with the larger crystals and is therefore more likely to clump when the sugar-pectin is added to the boiling fruit or juice.
Coarse-grain white granulated sugar is best for jam-making as it ensures a good clear jam, but fine caster sugar can also be used. The coarse grains dissolve more slowly and evenly, giving a better result. Granulated sugar with added pectin is also available, but it shouldn't be necessary to use this.
Can you substitute brown sugar for white sugar in jam?
You certainly can! you won't find it in a commercial jam as it adds extra flavour, and the course white sugar they use sets firmer and clearer than brown, but in a blueberry jam, which sets very thick with whatever sugar you use so brown sugar is a great choice for a deeper flavour.
Well, if you're trying to minimize sugar overall, really the only substitute is low-sugar pectin. You can use grape sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, or other non-sugarcane-derived sugars, but unless you use low-sugar pectin you have to use some kind of sugar or the jam won't thicken properly.
What happens if you use raw sugar instead of white sugar?
Raw Sugar and refined sugar are not interchangeable. Raw sugar does not dissolve as easily as refined sugar. It holds its shape when heated, making it good for crunchy toppings on sugar cookies or muffins, but not so great in cakes or puddings where smoothness and moisture is desired.
What happens if you use less sugar when making jam?
Less sugar may allow for greater bacterial growth. As a result, process times may be longer for these low-sugar or no-sugar jams and jellies. Some pectin products include preservatives to reduce bacterial growth, as well as to preserve color.
In jams and jellies, sugar not only sweetens, it is the preservative. So if you don't add the sugar, the jam may quickly spoil. Also, fruits that are sufficiently sweet in their natural state may not be sweet enough once they are processed. So add the sugar.
Since pectin is activated by sugar, it requires using a considerable amount of sugar to activate the pectin and set (i.e. thicken) your jam. If you try to cut back on the sugar, it won't set properly.
What happens if I use all brown sugar instead of white sugar?
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods.
When it comes to canning jam, some people think that sugar must be added in order to preserve the fruit, to achieve a proper gel, or to retain the fruit's color. However, these are all myths. Many fruits can be safely canned without sweeteners at all, although I do prefer to sweeten my jams with local honey.
Jam sugar is like the superhero version of regular sugar, with added pectin and sometimes citric acid to help your jam set perfectly with the ideal texture. Pectin is a natural thickener found in fruit, but some fruits are low in pectin and don't contain enough of it to make a good jam.
Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.
Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.
Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set. With low-pectin fruits like strawberries, help them along by either mixing with pectin-rich fruit like gooseberries or by using jam sugar (with added pectin and citric acid). Setting point is 104.5°C.
These preserves used honey as their sweetener, though sugar quickly surpassed honey in popularity for making jams. From that point onwards, you can essentially follow the spread of sugar around the world on a map. If a place had sugar and fruit, people would likely combine the two to make a preserve.
Avoid putting more sugar based pectin bought in supermarket because it could make your jam way to sweet. use sugar less pectin or better: quartered apples instead, there core contains more pectin, and you can remove them easily after cooking.
Homemade jams made without sugar and processed by canning in a hot water bath will last about half that long – about one year – when stored in cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Once opened, use those jams pretty quickly, in about six weeks, to guarantee freshness.
At least 60% to 70% sugar to fruit will work well; so 600g to 700g of sugar to a kilo of fruit. As mentioned above, you could use 'jam sugar' but that's not entirely necessary, especially if you prefer a looser jam. You can use caster or ordinary granulated sugar.
While caster sugar and granulated sugar are not exactly the same, they can be swapped 1:1 in baking recipes. Caster sugar is slightly finer and dissolves more easily, but in my experience, this doesn't affect most baking recipes if swapped with granulated sugar.
It has large sparkling golden crystals and a crunchy texture. Traditionally used to sweeten coffee, it's perfect for sprinkling but can also be used for baking, particularly in things that need extra crunchiness such as crumbles, cheesecake bases, flapjacks and biscuits.
