Can anyone recommend any jam brands that ain't too sweet?
Jam Thats Not Too Sweet
cloudy on 25/03/2022 - 22:04
Comments
- 1
- 2
Don't eat jam?
@cloudy: Totally get it and was quite annoyed with my husband when I realised he’d introduced our toddler to jam. Luckily he has forgotten… for now.
Not so much for my toddler but for myself, in the past I’ve just microwaved frozen raspberries then mashed them on toast with butter.
I also did some searches re higher fruit content jams for my toddler and found this https://www.enoteca.com.au/shop/italian-foods/strawberry-jam… still has lots of sugar though, I guess the thing about boiling down fruit is that you’re left with a whole bunch of sugar.
We’ve found replacing food phases with new healthier ones to be semi successful, but ours is younger so very likely this won’t work for you anymore.
It's "spread", not jam. The jar doesn't contain the word "jam" or "preserve" anywhere, it just refers to it as "fruit". There might be a legal definition of a jam/preserve in Australia that this doesn't quite meet.
@AustriaBargain: Yes, jam has to be a certain percent sugar (30% comes to mind? but can't be bothered to look it up).
@nigel deborah: Except it doesn't. Maybe next time take the 10 seconds to Google before you type a confidently incorrect response.
FSANZ defines "jam" by the volume of fruit on the label, not the volume of sugar. It has to contain at least 40% of the fruit or fruits listed on the label. Dalfour doesn't - it's mostly grape juice - so it's a spread.
@GrueHunter: Jam must be at least 65% percent water-soluble solids. There's not a lot of those you'd be interested in having in large quantities in your Jam besides sugar (or equivalents). Hence why 100% raw fruit jams cannot be called jam as they do not meet this requirement.
You're also wrong about Dalfour, a quick check of the labels (for Black Cherry, Four Fruits, and Wild Blueberry) shows that they all meet the 40% fruit requirement. They use fruit concentrate instead of raw sugar for the remainder, which I suspect is why they can't be called Jam. Combined with their high fruit content they must not be able to meet the water-soluble solid requirement (since concentrated fruit juice is only around 65-70% solids IIRC).
Very embarrassing to try and correct someone like that and then be wrong yourself.
If 100% fruit jam is too sweet, then you have no options at all.
Fruit when it goes through the process of becoming jam becomes sweet, thats the nature of the product.
he just wants jam that doesn't taste like real jam…
just use less of it, spread some butter so it spreads out nice and thin across the bread evenly (also tastes better)
Exactly, just use less. To someone who enjoys jam it ain't jam if its not sweet.
Make your own. Do remember that sugar is a preservative and sugar helps the jam set
It's almost 50% carbs from sugars https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/17340/st-d… and only 51% fruit, the rest is concentrated fruit juice. Probably so concentrated that it's mostly fruit sugars.
Yep, they extract the sugar from grape juice instead of sugar cane (more fructose and less sucrose).
Still, it's nice jam, not as sweet as the cheaper brands.
The four fruits is a nice spread
No added cane sugar. It's still 52% pure sugar, same as every other jam.
No processed sugar either. It's mostly from fructose which is better for you and some diabetics can have it too in small doses.
Unless you're fructose intolerant. But then again it's your own fault for eating jam if that's the case
How about Space Jam 2…?
Might be too bitter
How about Monster Jam
I like it, there's also Pearl Jam and then there's Ram Jam Bam ba lam!
Toe jam?
And Earl
Just DIY, not that hard to make Jam
Do you know what jam is? It has to be extremely high in sugar so it preserves.
Maybe try making your own fruit spread without sugar (but without the shelf stable storage benefits of jam)?Nope you can make small batches of chia jam at home without added sugar.
That’s like saying “nope, you can make chicken nuggets out of flax and chia”.
Sure, but it isn’t jam, and they aren’t nuggets.
That’s why I suggested making a fruit spread without sugar. Jam needs sugar to be shelf stable, and is the reason it exists (as a traditional way of preserving calories from summer for consumption in winter before refrigeration).
lXL Reduced Sugar Forest Fruits Jam
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/855607/nat…
Natvia Strawberry Fruit Spread
Somewhat tart tasting jam. Sweetened with stevia. Downside is that it's pretty expensive.
thanks, i'll try that
Is it sugar you're trying to avoid, or an overly sweet taste? I thought it was the latter, in which case a sugar substitute would still be sweet?
you also shouldn't be giving sweeteners to kids. even though I use them myself, there's a lot of evidence of bad side effects which I chose to ignore for myself but would never feed a child
@yadq: There's definitely not 'a lot of evidence'. There's studies pointing in all kinds of directions and absolutely no consensus. Plus, there's a lot of different types of sweeteners.
Sugar, in large quantities, definitely has bad side effects…
@CheapskateQueen: I'm going to put in an equal effort reply and we can go from there.
No there isn't…
@jacross: my job as a poster isn't to provide you with a thesis. That's Google's job.
anyway, the evidence of effects is varied and also depends on the type of sweetener. e.g aspartame vs Stevia.
here's something a 1 second search on Google found me https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198517/ that purports to provide an objective view on competing studies
in any event, why would you give something so artificial and highly controversial to your child when it's fairly easy to use a natural option.
Jam by its nature is sweet and high sugar, even simply from the compressed amount of fruit per serve.
just slice up some grapes, or peaches or strawberries and you could even sprinkle some icing sugar on top if need be, and you're still infinitely better off than shitty grocery jams@CheapskateQueen: oH nOes ItS arTifIciaL
/still uses man-made pharmaceuticals
Love how we went from "a lot of evidence" to "the evidence is varied" to "here's a single hit from a single article 11 years ago in an Indian Q3 journal that's ranked 221st out of 314 for pharmacology journals"
This public service announcement was brought to you by Concerns Citizens Against Dihydrogen Monoxide. Remember, responsible parents don't let their kids consume chemicals.
@GrueHunter: okay mate
like i said, i eat it, but i wouldn't let it near children. do as you wish.
like i said, i pasted a google article i spent 1 second looking for. do your own research.
@CheapskateQueen: Would love for any research you've found to come to your informed decision. Have you considered the benefactors of studies that suggest that artificial sweeteners are unhealthy? Hint: sugar is addictive
@CheapskateQueen: I think if you are going to make a pretty bold claim like 'you shouldn't', 'a lot of evidence', and 'bad side effects', you should be pretty willing and able to lay out the why. Otherwise you should probably consider the solidity of the ground on which you make such judgments and claims. Particularly when your claim so strongly goes against the grain of accepted expert opinion. It's quite easy to make claims, and then wash your hands of the hard work. But that has costs. Significant costs. In a very immediate sense it spreads information. But also in a more abstract but perhaps more powerful sense, it also spreads the notion that it is good to say things. It is good to have an opinion. Any opinion is better than no opinion, and any comment is better than no comment. I have been in your shoes. I have been in the spot where you are. It is okay. We all do it. See the path less wandered. The path of reflection and openness and taming of the ego.
In any case I'm guessing you just read the abstract of your link. I actually did read that article. It's not a great literature review but I think you might be interested in the conclusion:
"Extensive scientific research has demonstrated the safety of the six low-calorie sweeteners currently approved for use in foods in the U.S. and Europe (stevia, acesulfame-K, aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose) each with an acceptable daily intake. A number of studies have been carried out to confirm the safety of artificial sweeteners. A number of studies have also shown the adverse effects of the same. But most of the studies have limitations such as effects shown only in animals not in human, small sample size, high doses, statistically non-significant or borderline significant, etc. The sugar substitutes are thoroughly investigated for safety with hundreds of scientific studies and then approved by different regulatory authorities like the U.S. FDA, JECFA and FSANZ. "
But I'll take your advice and next time I won't give my kids artificial things. I'll just give them natural and therefore healthy products. Like arsenic? Here's something for you to take away. There is no natural. There is no artificial. There is only safe and unsafe. good and not good. Healthy and not healthy.
@belongsinforums: I'm not here to explain comprehension skills to you to unpack my post.
FYI you can have a lot of evidence supporting 8 different views and I said a lot of evidence, not conclusive evidence. I also said I chose to ignore it for myself and that I use sweeteners, but I wouldn't give it to my children. If there was conclusive evidence that it caused cancer for example, I wouldn't simply choose to ignore it. As for not feeding it to kids, perhaps I should have added "just in case they're right".
you wanna feed it to your kids, go ahead. but also know there's a risk that you're warping their sense of sweetness so that it can have a reverse effect on insulin and weight control.
these are just a few summaries which again highlight the controversy. I'm working off my phone and just picking up the first few google links from popular sources.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners-a…
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20130710/could-artif…
https://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects#nat…
anyway feed your kids fake sweet stuff instead of fruit, and prosper my friend
Definitely agree on the tartness — I'm pretty sure they had to add extra acid to help preserve it, in lieu of sugar.
My recommendation: avoid. It tastes pretty bad, it's nothing like regular jam. As someone else said, just buy the normal jam, and spread less of it on your toast, and use more butter instead.
Got some in the fridge. It's pretty good imo
+1 for Natvia. Healthier option too. As noted, it can be quite pricey, but it does come on sale from time to time.
Get salt water, boil down, add corn starch
nek minnit… Unemployed pretty girl invents amazing spread, signs $1 million deal; "oh my god", "literally life changing", "I'm rushing to the supermarket now", available exclusively at Coles for $15. nek month… It's not selling, discounted, then discontinued without fanfare.
I just want jam that tastes like real jam
Next time you're driving past the countryside and see one of those old farm shops/winery estates, stop there and grab a home made jar. Expensive but wow so good.
Conserves are usually a better option. Homemade is best - if you're lucky enough to have someone who does it. Farmers markets and school fetes can be good, too.
Make it. It's surprisingly simple to make a batch and you get a lot of jars out of it. Tastes awesome. So far I've made strawberry, blueberry and mixed berry. All been a hit with everyone.
I use Jamsetta (in the bakery section) as it's nice and quick to do it with it and has the recipe on the back.
Lemon jam
“ Jam Thats Not Too Sweet”
That’s not my Jam
sugar thats not sweet lol
Bonne maman make an intense spread that has a reduced amount of sugar.
Otherwise it’s not super hard to make jam just need some really ripe fruit and then add sugar (or jam sugar which has added setting agent from supermarkets) to taste. The less sugar you make it with the less preserved it stays though.
The IXL 50% less sugar jams, not enough sugar for my tastes but I buy it for the kids.
I personally don’t like stuff too sweet and find the IXL reduced sugar jams are just right for me. I think they are nicer than the Natvia one.
marmalade?
FORTNUM & MASON Strawberry Preserve is not too sweet
https://www.davidjones.com/Product/21056794/Strawberry-Prese…I used to make my own jam and it was awesome! I put less sugar in and more lemon juice to make it set. I made strawberry, peach, apricot, and plum. But it took a few hours to make and you need glass jars for bottling.
I head there's a microwave jam recipe and you can control the amount of sugar you put in but I haven't tried it.
Can you whiz up some fruit into a spread and tell your child it's jam? :-)
Chilli jam seems to tick your box, try Beerenberg.
Uncle Roger wants a word with you
I love the yellow sour plums and make jam from them with chia seeds as the setting agent. Everyone else wants maple syrup added, but I love the tartness so omit the maple syrup. We freeze excess fruit during summer and make our own for the rest of the year. It's quick, easy, you can experiment with combinations of fruit. Need to keep refrigerated and use up within a week.
Great way to teach the kids as it's basically just stirring everything, adding chia seeds and bottling. A spoon, saucepan and some jars, bit boring but easy as.Chia to thicken! That's a novel idea.
Are you wanting a jam that tastes less sweet or one that contains less sugar, even if it might still taste just as sweet?
Davdison Plum jams have more of a tart taste than a sweet taste, but i suspect the sugar content will still be quite high (it is jam after all, which by definition is fruit + sugar)
Vegemite
Pearl Jam
My wife makes citrus jam for me as I find the bought stuff has too much sugar. Its a nasty, bitter condiment. You don’t bite it - it bites you.😎 Not to everyone’s taste, I’m sure.
Making your own is really simple. Just need to keep it in the fridge when opened if you don’t have enough sugar as a preservative.sounds like my kind of condiment!
Macerate some strawberries in sugar/syrup and mix in with aeroplane jelly.
Buy Sourh Aussie Beerenberg jams
What are you using it for?
Generally you can just use less if you find its to sweetDiabetic jam
Make a fake jam. I use a recipe from noashealthyeats on Instagram. Adjust the sweetener for preferred sweetness. It’s also in her cooking ebook Not So Naughty but as raspberry jam with slightly different ratios and instructions.
Berry compote:
•250-300g frozen Berries
•50g natvia
•1tbs chia seedsPrepare your Berry compote by heating all berry ingredients in a pot over medium heat slowly breaking down the berries. Place into a jar and keep in the fridge for up to one week.
Pearl Jam
Just use sliced fresh fruit (strawberries) + a little honey.
And don’t keep jam in the house.
Traffic Jam
My kids have beerenberg. They like it so it’s probably sweet.
You can get tiny jars though.Dilute with water in a small bowl
Traffic Jam
https://www.lucien-georgelin.com/en/gamme_produit/jams-and-g…
The worlds best Jam, hands down. Tastes better than homemade, especially the organic high end variety.
specialty stores only?
Toe Jam
Pump it up
spread a layer of peanut butter before spreading jam
Take any Jam in a jar.
Take 1/4 of a lemon and strain the juice into it.
Stir it in completely
Leave it refrigerated until use.I may have to try this! Nearly all the Jams in woolies are 65g of sugar per 100g. I purchased 4 brands and they are all sweet, but one brand was less sweet but still sweet.
Pass the polaner all fruit.
I have been buying Masterfoods Lemon Butter recently. It's almost as good as mother used to make. Obviously not jam as you are requesting but if you have yet to try it you may enjoy it. More tart than sweet.
As for Jam I do enjoy this https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-organic-strawberry…
Make your own then you can control the amount of sugar that goes into it.
- 1
- 2
St Dalfour are 100% fruit with no added sugar. Also $1 off at the moment.
https://shop.coles.com.au/a/world-square/product/st-dalfour-…