Fruit Spreads, Jams and Jellies

Nectarine Mandarin Low Sugar Fruit Spread

You may add as little or as much sweetener as you like. My children prefer me to use 1 1/2 cups of sugar but you can also use 1/4 tsp of white stevia powder or an appropriate amount of Equal or Splenda if you use artifical sweeteners. Stir thoroughly so no sweetener remains undissolved.

Ingredients

3 cups nectarines
2 cups canned mandarins
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup water, fruit juice or flavoured sparkling water
0 - 2 cups sugar
1 packet Bernardin No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin

Directions

Wash the nectarines and pat dry with paper towel.
Slice into eights and then chop into smaller pieces.
Combine with mandarin oranges.
You may use the syrup from the mandarins to replace the water if you prefer.
Measure the fruit into a stainless steel cooking pot of sufficient size to hold the fruit.
Pour in the lemon juice to keep the fruit from discolouring and the liquid of your choice.
Bring to a boil and allow to cook for about five minutes, or until the nectarines are soft enough to mash with a potato masher.
Mash the fruit to the desired consistency.

Using a whisk stir in the pectin a little at a time. Do not add the whole packet at once or you will have lumps that are VERY difficult to break up.

Allow the mixture to come to a boil again and stirring constantly boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and ladle into jars.

For me this makes about 1 litre of fruit spread plus a little for the saucer (for tasting) that my grandmother always did because she knew it was very hard for the children to see all those beautiful jars of jam lined up on the counter without having some for the crackers, toast or muffins that day.

Process in a canner for about 5 minutes at full boil, or place in the freezer until needed. Keep refrigerated after opening. There is not sufficient sugar content to act as a preservative in this mixture.