Canning + keto

AngInCanada
Posts: 947 Member
I like to be prepared so figured I'd ask now. 
I do a LOT of canning for the winter with produce from my garden. I am most worried about jams and jellies since I am not sure I can safely can them made with stevia. Will also need recipes for Zucchini (11 plants) and tomatoes (have 71 plants). I have a favorite salsa recipe but it has brown sugar so will need to look for another. Anyone do any home canning that is compliant with keto?

I do a LOT of canning for the winter with produce from my garden. I am most worried about jams and jellies since I am not sure I can safely can them made with stevia. Will also need recipes for Zucchini (11 plants) and tomatoes (have 71 plants). I have a favorite salsa recipe but it has brown sugar so will need to look for another. Anyone do any home canning that is compliant with keto?
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I was thinking something similar today, we are berry picking this weekend and I love to make jam but I don't know if I can make it low carb friendly.0
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auntstephie321 wrote: »I was thinking something similar today, we are berry picking this weekend and I love to make jam but I don't know if I can make it low carb friendly.
Mmmmm I can't wait till huckleberry season. I used the "no sugar added" certo last year but would rather use stevia.
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I wonder how stevia would work, I also wonder if they would be sweet enough with no sugar at all. I'll have to google for some recipes.0
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Yeah, I was going to say "To the Google!" I am sure there is a small contingent of low-carb canners out there!0
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Yeah, I was going to say "To the Google!" I am sure there is a small contingent of low-carb canners out there!
I've made many many many mistakes trusting google. Seriously....probably hundreds of dollars of gluten free flpur baking things for my celiac son that taste like crap lol. So now I try and find been there done that recipes.0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Yeah, I was going to say "To the Google!" I am sure there is a small contingent of low-carb canners out there!
I've made many many many mistakes trusting google. Seriously....probably hundreds of dollars of gluten free flpur baking things for my celiac son that taste like crap lol. So now I try and find been there done that recipes.
Understood. I use Google + Personal Recommendations + Common Sense!0 -
Ball sells a reduced sugar pectin that you should be able to use.
Another option is to freeze them instead of canning. You can use them later in smoothies and making homemade gummies and whatnot later.0 -
I never can anything anymore, everything goes into the freezer, you can always take it out to make freezer jam later. Pomona's Pectin gels from calcium water (packet included in the package) so you don't need the sugar, just stevia to taste if you want.0
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I make low carb freezer jam, and use the sugar free pectin. I made it with stevia one year and with xylitol the next year. I made blueberry, raspberry, strawberry....and not so low carb but still without sugar, peach jam. But I was not keto then, I was paleo. I think I read online that canning the traditional way without sugar may not preserve the jam in the same way as sugar, so that's why I did freezer jam. Any notes I read about canning sugar free were about using Splenda and I will not use that poison.
I make lots of pickles last year and will do so again this year. I am doing ZC right now, but imagine I will integrate a few veggies into my routine again, and can't let the fresh produce be wasted. It's the season right ? Well not for me yet, but it will be.
I googled pickle recipes and looked for low sugar recipes, then cut the sugar down drastically for bread and butter pickles. I made 3 different dill pickle recipes without sugar, and made pickled carrots and beets ( not low carb but good).
I freeze some veggies like green and yellow beans in freezer bags, make tomato sauce, and can fresh tomatoes as well, since I have limited freezer space with all the meat in my freezers ! I love grabbing a jar of my own canned tomatoes to throw into a soup or stew. The only thing is you have to add salt to preserve it, so when cooking remember to taste your dish before adding more salt. It's great in a hearty beef soup stock. I do not make salsa since I found a great sugar free one that I buy regularly...or just chop up fresh tomatoes, jalapenos and onion for very fresh salsa.
I have found some great recipes online for gluten free baking, but we don't really eat that stuff anymore. My MIL used to freeze grated zucchini for future baking. I myself freeze pumpkin from the garden in jars.
You could probably look around for low sugar or sugar free recipes to cut the carbs.0 -
ok, so further to this as we're on the topic of canning. I'm kinda folling in the footsteps of the Goat (@FIT-goat) and I've gone zero carb, almost carnivore.
I once had canned moose meat. Moose meat in a bunch of spices and preserved in a mason jar. Home made by someone I will never contact again.
does anyone know anything about canning and preserving meat? "Cause that would be super handy seeing as my dad gets me all kinds of meat gifts but my freezer is really small.0 -
I've been wondering about canning too. Love my relish, but has oodles of sugar. Pickled beets are a favourite, also. Canning is becoming a lost art.0
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I was surprised to read from what appears to be a reputable source that you can can without sugar:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09302.html
...Recipes for canning fruit usually call for adding sugar or sugar syrup. While sugar helps hold the texture, shape and color of fruit, it is primarily added for flavor. It is not needed to prevent spoilage. You can safely can all fruits in water or in fruit juice by following reliable canning directions for preparing and processing the fruit. Substitute water or fruit juice for the syrup or sugar pack.
When canning without sugar, use high quality fruit. Overripe fruit will soften excessively. Take special care to follow steps that prevent darkening of light-colored fruit. Several treatments may be used to prevent or retard darkening. One is to coat the fruit as it is cut with a solution of 1 teaspoon (3 g) crystalline ascorbic acid or 3,000 mg crushed vitamin C tablets per cup of water. Another is to drop the cut pieces in a solution of water and ascorbic acid, citric acid or lemon juice. Use 1 teaspoon (3,000 mg) ascorbic acid, 1 teaspoon citric acid or 3/4 cup lemon juice to 1 gallon water....0 -
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She's experimented with the Pomona Pectin a bit: http://laurablog72.blogspot.com/2010/12/low-sugar-or-no-sugar-canned-products.html One of the comments says Pomona has a very useful hotline as well.
CO state extension agency talks a bit about it: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09302.html
University of Alaska on canning moose: http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00226.pdf
Good luck!0
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