Nutritional Value of Jam?

[Annpan]

As all my jam is homemade with no crappola added, I was wondering about how good it is for me (or especially E) I am guessing that the vitC is mediocre, but it must be there, didn't they use jam to stave off scurvy? Not that I was planning on getting scurvy though

What about fibre, or would that all be zapped by the hours of boiling?

Are there any nutritionalists out there???

[frozenthunderbolt]

It will be better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick, and considerable better than any store bought rubbish - no artificial colours flavours preservatives and less sugar.
Most vit C is destroyed by heating hence there is very little in jam. I would imagine that there would be an appreciable, if not large, amount of fibre in may jams - pectin, the setting agent is a form of soluable fibre - so marmilade in particular with the skin and pith in would have resonable amounts i should think.
Not all vits are destroyed by heat and very few minerals are (at jam cooking heat anyways!) so you will be getting some goodness from it; it i simply that there would almost certainly be too much sugar in it to live off or use as your sole dietay suppliment
good try though

hopefully someone else can provide a bit more detailed info for you

[Jandra]

Hours of cooking? Mine never cooks more than 5 minutes, and I've always imagined there to be quite a bit of vit C left. But I use sugar+pectin. That probably reduces cooking time (?).

Jandra

[mrsflibble]

a sugar and pectin mix will cut down on time 'cos you don't have to wait for the pectin to be drawn out of whatever fruit you are "jamming" (hey, there's logic to my language; bottling, preserving, JAMMING )
But the nutritional benefits will sort of be outweighed by the sugar content.
but yes, having none of the cr@p that store bought has and only good fruit and sugar is a major benefit. probably best as a treat like most yummy things.


man I love home made jam.

[frozenthunderbolt]

man I love home made jam.

ohhh yeeeah! Damson jam, quince jelly, apricot jam, fig and ginger jam (great with whipped cream on scones) and sevile orange / jamacin grapefruit marmilade on my toast in the mornings mmmmmm

[ina]

Hours of cooking? Mine never cooks more than 5 minutes, and I've always imagined there to be quite a bit of vit C left. But I use sugar+pectin. That probably reduces cooking time (?).

It does, and that's how I learned to make jam. Some fruit can take a lot of cooking (plums), but most others are much nicer just done the 5 minute way! At least you can then taste the fruit, and I'm sure there's quite a lot of goodness left in it, too.

[Stonehead]

If you don't want to go down the freezer route, then jams, pasteurised cordials, dried fruit and booze are the main ways of preserving soft fruit and many tree fruits for use well into the following year.

We made more than 50lb of jam last year. We don't overcook it, we don't sieve it, we don't add much pectin (instead using crab apples and pectin-rich fruit in the jam mixes), and eat about a jar a week. Some of it goes on bread, pancakes and scones, but quite a lot is used in sweet cooking as well (use less or no sugar in the recipe to allow for the sugar in the jam).

We also make cooking specific "jams", like our apple jam which is then used as filling in pies or as an ingredient in apple bread. We also make sweet mincemeat (similar to that used in Christmas mince pies) and then use this in puddings and pies.

I'd like to get an American-style pressure canner to bottle fruit, but the cost of importing is beyond us. I'm surprised that none of the on-line smallholder suppliers import and sell them - there's definitely demand for them.

Oh, and I think it's unfortunate that people obsess about the sugar in home-made jam. It's necessary to safely preserve the jam and, to my mind, is much, much better than commercial, sugar-free muck that's full of artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Aspartame or sugar? An easy choice for us.

It's irritating that people are conditioned into thinking sugar and fat are unhealthy (the Wee 'Un comes home from nursery telling us this on a regular basis), when the real problem is overconsumption and under-exercise. So, we continue to eat sugar in moderation and do a lot of physical exercise. We're not fat and we're not unhealthy—and we're not eating all that synthetic gunge.

So, make your own jam with fruit and sugar, eke it out and enjoy it. It will put a little burst of sunshine into the darkest winter day.

[Annpan]

I don't know how to make jam in 5 minutes? I have never added pectin, other than using lemon pips, rhubarb and damsons were high in pectin anyway (from my limited experience) they tend to take a long time to reach setting point (I use a sugar thermometer)

You see, no one taught me how to make jam or marmalade (no one really taught me how to cook at all) I had a few recipes in books and followed them until I figured out a good method myself.

My jams are really tasty and we have them mostly on fresh bread, I was a little worried about E eating too much but I I have decided that in moderation it is fine (not like I am feeding her wotsits and coke)

[ina]

I think the "traditional" British jam recipes all go along the lines of "boil until it's stiff". Which depends on natural pectin content; if you have crab apples, all the better... The way I learned it was with pectin; either added as liquid or as "jam sugar". I now prefer the powdered stuff; the liquid you can buy here contains sulphur - no thanks! - with the jam sugar you get a set amount of pectin in your sugar, and with the powder I can vary the amount, according to how much is in the fruit. And I can vary the amount of sugar; plus I can use organic sugar...

I can show you the stuff when you are here - and let you try the jam!

[hamster]

I wonder how the nutritional content of strawberry jam compares with the nutritional content of 'fresh' strawberries imported in January....

(I realise this is a very silly question.)

[red]

I wonder how the nutritional content of strawberry jam compares with the nutritional content of 'fresh' strawberries imported in January....

(I realise this is a very silly question.)

as part of my Chemistry A level - all those years ago, we had to do experiments to measure the vit C content in things. I am always wishign I could do the tests again!

powdered pectin is made from apples and is a by product of the juice/cider business, i believe, so not a terrible product.
I make strawberry jam using pectin and it takes 4 mins! - but other fruits I do the old way.
I agree with Stoney here, yes there is sugar, but all things in moderation. and its no problem

(if only I could get the hang of moderation)

if the treat you give your kids is a homemade jam sarnie.. that is so much better than sweets. I would imagine that there is some vits left, and definitely fibre.

[ina]

Oh, and up here in Scotland, jam counts as one of your five-a-day...

[Annpan]

...I agree with Stoney here, yes there is sugar, but all things in moderation. and its no problem

(if only I could get the hang of moderation)

I heard a few weeks ago

'All things in moderation, even moderation'

I like that

[mrsflibble]

frozenthunderbolt: *drools* ginger jam on really hot rice pudding.

[baldowrie]

Stoney

I'd like to get an American-style pressure canner to bottle fruit, but the cost of importing is beyond us

I saw on on ebay recently...if I find it I will email it to you