Low Sugar Canning for Diabetics

[jaspercornbread]

I have been reading the Ball Blue Book of Canning and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I really liked the idea of canning the Jardiniere recipe for mixed vegetables.

I also have Type 2 diabetes, and really want to limit sugar intake, but so many recipes for canning vegetables include what seems to me a whole lot of sugar. One recipe has 2 cups of sugar for 5 pint jars, and the other has 1 cup of sugar for 6 pint jars. That seems a lot to me (but maybe I'm wrong).

I am hesitant to tamper with recipes - as all the books and credible websites tell you not to! But I would really like to can without any sugar if possible, or at least only a little bit of sugar.

Is the sugar really needed, or can I safely leave it out?

[Shamrock1121]

This web site will give you a lot of information:

National Center for Home Food Preservation
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

Contact your local County Extension Office for more information. They'll have free hand-outs and booklets.

You can safely can regular fruits without sugar. Just make sure you get fully ripe, but firm, fruits. You'll also find recipes that use blends of unsweetened apple, pineapple, and white grape juice. Just remember, these all are still high-glycemic - they are still full of "natural" sugars (carbohydrates). You can also add agave nectar or chemical sweeteners when serving.

You're right about messing with canning recipes. I knew of one gal who made pickled beets and decided to use Splenda. Bacteria grew in the canned beets - to the extent the jars blew up. They were on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner and was taking the beets to serve when the jar blew up in the car. :o

Dehydrating is also another option for preservation. You'll find information at the above web site, as well.

-Karen