McCarty speaks with Press Herald about sugar alternatives when making jam
Kate McCarty, a food preservation assistant with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for an article about swapping out white sugar with other sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup, in jam recipes. According to McCarty, cooks can’t simply do a one-for-one swap because both honey and maple syrup are, ounce for ounce, sweeter than white sugar. She suggests following jam recipes specifically developed for natural sweeteners, according to the article. McCarty also suggested canners use pectin to ensure the jam sets correctly, and warned that while natural sweeteners are shelf stable if processed properly, they aren’t as strong a preservative as white sugar. She advises jams with natural sweeteners be eaten within two weeks of breaking the seal on jars. McCarty will be teaching a class on low-sugar jams at the UMaine Regional Learning Center in Falmouth on July 7, the article states.