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Many people are requesting information on preparing home canned foods with reduced sugar and salt. Commercially prepared diet foods are often high priced, and many can be preserved safely at home. Persons on special diets should first consult with their doctor or a Registered Dietitian to determine exactly which foods and amounts can be consumed.
Reducing sugar
Canning fruits without sugar
Fruits may be canned safely with reduced sugar or even with no sugar added using plain water. No adjustments are needed in the processing time, but the absence of sugar may result in softer texture and less flavor. For optimum flavor and texture, select fully ripe, firm fruit. Use the hot pack method.
Fruits may also be canned in fruit juices or with alternative sweeteners. See the section on Alternative Sweeteners below for details.
Cook a few pieces of the fruit in the canning liquid before canning a full batch. Cool, taste and adjust sweetness.
Tip: Cook a few pieces of the fruit in the canning liquid before canning a full batch. Cool and taste. Adjust sweetness accordingly. This will give you an indication of what the canned fruit will taste like.
All canned fruits must be processed in a boiling water canner to be safe.
Making jams and jellies with reduced sugar
Sugar promotes gel formation in traditional jams and jellies. The correct proportions of fruit, pectin and sugar are essential for gelling. If the sugar is decreased in recipes that rely on traditional pectin for thickening, the product will have the consistency of syrup rather than jelly.
If the sugar is decreased in recipes that rely on traditional pectin for thickening, the product will have the consistency of syrup rather than jelly.
There are special products for making low sugar gelled products. These are either modified pectin substitutes or low-methoxyl pectin varieties, which do not require sugar for gelling. They can be found in the canning supply section of most supermarkets.
When using low– or no–sugar pectin, you can use concentrated apple juice as part of the fruit for a natural sweetener. Use about 1 cup concentrated frozen apple juice for every 3 cups of fruit juice or pulp.
Because sugar acts as a preservative in jams and jellies, products with reduced sugar do not maintain high quality for as long as the traditional high sugar versions. Low sugar jams and jellies must be processed in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes or frozen for long storage. (Follow package instructions). After opening, refrigerate to prevent mold growth.
Alternative sweeteners
Natural juices
Naturally acidic fruit juices can be used in place of sugared syrups for canning and freezing fruits, although these juices still contribute significant calories to the product. Fresh, frozen or canned juices can be used, and you can dilute them to the sweetness you desire. Select fruit juices with flavor and color that will complement the fruit you are canning. Apple, white grape, and pineapple juice are all good options. Fruit juices high in ascorbic acid (like pineapple juice) also help to keep light colored fruits from browning.
Honey
Honey can be substituted for sugar in canned and frozen fruits. This does not reduce the calorie content of preserved foods. Two types of sugar — fructose and glucose — are the major components of honey. The flavor of honey is sweeter than that of granulated sugar so it is advisable to use less honey than the amount of sugar specified. Be sure to use light, mild-flavored honey if you don’t want noticeable flavor changes in your preserved product.
In jelly recipes without added pectin, honey can replace up to one-half of the granulated sugar. With added pectin, you can replace approximately one-fourth of the sugar with honey.
Some commercial pectin companies have honey-only jam and jelly recipes, which are often available on their websites.
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is made up of the sugar dextrose (glucose). Because it is not as sweet in taste as sucrose (table sugar), it takes 2 cups corn syrup for the same sweetness as 1 cup sugar. Corn syrup can replace up to half the amount of sugar in making syrups for preserved fruits. Be sure to use light corn syrup. Dark corn syrup, sorghum, and molasses overpower the fruit flavor and may darken the fruit.
Fructose
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit. It has the same calorie value as sucrose but is much sweeter to taste. About 2/3 cup of fructose has the same sweetness as 1 cup sucrose (table sugar). However, in order to have the product gel, substitute an equivalent amount of fructose for sucrose.
Artificial sweeteners
Many zero calorie artificial sweeteners are not heat stable and are thus not suitable for canning. Sucralose (commonly called Splenda) is one sugar substitute in the marketplace that may be added to liquids before canning because it is heat stable. Other artificial sweeteners are best added after the canned fruit is opened or best used in frozen fruits.
Reducing salt/sodium
Canning low acid foods without salt
The salt added to pressure canned vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood is for flavoring only and can be omitted.
Small additions of other spices or flavorings can boost the flavor of canned goods without salt.
Small additions of other spices or flavorings can boost the flavor of canned goods without salt. When omitting salt, try adding 2–3 teaspoons of lemon juice or orange juice to carrots, asparagus, and beets. A tiny amount of nutmeg or curry can be added to green vegetables and a teaspoon of pimento or celery to corn.
All low acid foods (vegetables, meat, fish, poultry) must be processed in a pressure canner to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Follow the canning directions in up-to-date canning bulletins available from OSU Extension.
Pickling with less salt
Salt plays an important role in “brined” or “fermented” pickle products. The salt in fermented pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi should never be reduced. Salt brines prevent the growth of most spoilage organisms and allow the bacteria that preserve the vegetables to thrive. Reducing salt in fermented pickling recipes could lead to an unsafe product.
Salt plays a different role in “quick” pickles, which are made by adding vinegar rather than through fermentation. Salt enhances the flavor of quick pickles and enhances crispness. Quick pickles with reduced salt will have a different flavor and texture, but they will not be unsafe. The salt can safely be reduced in any quick pickle recipes that have at least as much vinegar as water.
Source: Master Food Preserver Program
