[wildclover]

Hello, first time poster with what is hopefully not a silly question...

I am currently learning all about preserving, having some veg now coming on and would like to make chutneys, relishes etc as Christmas presents. 

My brother is diabetic and although many recipes will definately not be suitable for him, I have been noticing that certain things that use a lot of vinegar (piccalilli caught my eye) dont seem to use as much sugar, although clearly it still uses some to balance out the vinegar.

My question is, will using sugar substitute affect the end product or is it purely for taste?  Also if there are any diabetic preserves out there, is the relatively small quantity of sugar not really something I should be concerned about?

Apologies for first post being a lengthy one - all replies much appreciated.

[Trillium]

In things like jams and jellies, sugar is part of the way the item sets. So if using sugar substitute, you must also use no sugar added pectin which is different from regular pectin, or follow specific techniques developed to overcome the non use of pectin.
Other recipes are for sweetness or to balance out vinegar.

Splenda is the trade name of a popular sugar substitute over here and there are a lot of recipes you can try:

http://www.splenda.ca/splenda-recipes-list.aspx?s=S8

[pairofacres]

I wouldn't have expected the glucose load in a chutney or similar to really be an issue, but it depends on what it's going to be eaten with (and whether he's T1 or T2). I've got a similar metabolic issue and have been advised by a dietician to stick to 60-70g of carbohydrate per meal as a maximum. As I understand it, similar rules apply with strict diabetic diets.

A teaspoon full of pure sugar is about 4g. I wouldn't think twice about eating a decent sized portion of pickle or chutney with a low glycemic load meal. The things you eat it with are far more of an issue. Pickles and similar are fine, but bread, potatoes and other things you might eat them with have to be very strictly controlled. I'd have said you'll be fine with normal sugar, but note how much you use, how many jars you've made, then estimate the total carbohydrate per jar and let him know. He should be fine with it, unless he's eating half a jar at a time!

I've not progressed to preserving as yet, but use "Half Spoon" sugar in cider making and similar with good results. It's half normal sugar and doesn't have the same after taste as other substitutes.

[Poolfield2]

You can make "jams" which have hardly any added sugar but they will only keep in the fridge and for a few weeks.

Jamie Oliver does one where he uses 1kg strawberries and 120g sugar and it thickens more like a chutney gently than fierce boiling, would that work??