Q. I made raspberry jam, altering the recipe to use Splenda instead of sugar. It did not set. Although it is very runny, the taste is fine. I am wondering if I can do anything to make it more of a jam consistency. – Linda K., West Palm Beach
A. Once you have made the jam, it is not easy to thicken the consistency of the syrupy concoction. Since the taste is fine, as it should be, why not use the product as such, drizzling it over cakes and other confections, or over ice cream served with chopped fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, or even raspberries themselves?
If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won’t have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used.
Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot. Dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch for every cup of syrup in a small amount of cold water to make a slurry. Reduce heat and drizzle the mixture into the jam pot, stirring constantly. Gently simmer for 30 seconds, remove from heat, bottle and cool. Store in the refrigerator. For gelatin, use the same amount dissolved in hot water. Add it to heated jam, taken off heat, then bottle, cool and refrigerate.
For making jams, jellies, cakes or cookies, we replace only half of the sugar called for with Splenda. It works better since sugar has “body,” which not only helps in thickening but imparts a pleasing mouth-feel. Splenda has neither. And, for diabetics like myself, sugar itself is not forbidden, as long as I keep a close tab on the total carbohydrate intake. In fact, you can buy a premixed half-and-half sugar-Splenda mixture, designed for sweet recipes.
To get recipes developed for Splenda alone, go to splenda.tastebook.com, or call (800) 777-5363. (cq)
NOTES FROM OUR KITCHEN
You don’t want your kitchen trimmings and detritus to clog your drain, and especially your septic tank, if your house is not on public sewerage system. The common strainer that comes with the kitchen sink is not quite efficient in this regard, passing through much of the smaller particles.
Off-label use of the Shower Drain Strainer is very effective in trapping almost all of the trimmings and other bits and pieces. Pry up the two ends of the tab attached at the center and instead of inserting the upright flanges into the bath tub hole, as designed, just place the strainer on sink drain hole with the flanges sticking up. You can pull the strainer up by them to clean the disk. And cleaning it is easy. It is available at Lowe’s for around $4. Look for it in the bath tub accessory section.
