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Q: Can Splenda be used in preserving food?

A: Granular Splenda does not provide preservative properties like sugar. There has not been any published research work with using sucralose in the canning of fruits at home. If one uses Splenda instead of sugar, our best assumption at this time is that the texture- and color-preserving aspects of sugar syrup won't be there. The expectation is that the result would be like canning in water except for the additional sweetness contributed by the Splenda. The USDA fruit canning directions do allow for water canning, as there is adequate preservation for safety from the heat and not sugar. There should be no reason why Splenda cannot be used in these heat-processed products, as it is heat-stable, but some people do notice an aftertaste in other products, so it's possible it might change in flavor a little over storage time.

In other cases, where sugar is important, like some preserves or pickled fruits, it is not recommended that substitution of Splenda be used for sugar if the product is to be canned for shelf stability. Splenda cannot be used in traditional Southern preserves, like fig, peach or pear preserves, which are whole or uniform pieces of fruit in a very thick sugar syrup. (These preserves are not jam or pectin gel products.) Sugar is required for the preservation of these products as published, with very short boiling water canner processes. Without that sugar, they also become like fruit canned in water and the longer fruit canning process times would be needed.

You could use Splenda as the optional sweetener in a jam or jelly made with a no-sugar-needed pectin, such as Mrs. Wages Lite Home Jell Fruit Pectin or Ball No-Sugar Needed Pectin. With these low-methoxyl pectins, no sugar is required at all. Sugar substitutes can be added as desired simply for flavor. The package inserts with these pectins give instructions on when to add the sugar substitutes (usually after all the cooking, right before filling the jars).

The University of Georgia has developed the following recipes using Splenda for the National Center for Home Food Preservation (www.homefoodpreservation.com).

For some freezer jam recipes using Splenda, go to www.splenda.ca/en/recipes/preserves/.

No sugar added pickled beets

7 pounds 2- to 2-1/2-inch diameter beets

4 to 6 onions (2- to 2-1/2-inch diameter), if desired

6 cups vinegar (5 percent)

1 1/2 teaspoons canning or pickling salt

2 cups Splenda

3 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

Yield: About 8 pints

Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions. Trim off beet tops, leaving 1 inch of stem and roots to prevent bleeding of color. Wash thoroughly. Sort for size. Cover similar sizes together with boiling water and cook until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes). Caution: Drain and discard liquid. Cool beets. Trim off roots and stems and slip off skins. Slice into 1/4-inch slices. Peel, wash and thinly slice onions. Combine vinegar, salt, Splenda and fresh water in large Dutch oven. Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. With a slotted spoon, fill hot beets and onion slices into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cover with boiling hot vinegar solution, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 30 minutes. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

Variation: Pickled whole baby beets: Follow the directions above but use beets that are no more than 1- to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Pack whole after cooking, trimming and peeling; do not slice.

No sugar added sweet cucumber pickle slices

3 1/2 pounds of pickling cucumbers

Boiling water to cover sliced cucumbers

4 cups cider vinegar (5 percent)

3 cups Splenda

1 tablespoon canning salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon whole allspice

1 tablespoon celery seed

4 one-inch cinnamon sticks

Yield: About 4 or 5 pints

Wash and rinse pint canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions. Wash cucumbers. Slice 1/16th-inch off the blossom ends and discard. Slice cucumbers into 1/4-inch thick slices. Pour boiling water over the cucumber slices and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Drain off the hot water and pour cold water over the cucumbers. Let cold water run continuously over the cucumber slices, or change water frequently until cucumbers are cooled. Drain slices well. Mix vinegar, 1 cup water, Splenda and all spices in a 10-quart Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil. Add drained cucumber slices carefully to the boiling liquid. Return to a boil. Place one cinnamon stick in each jar, if desired. With a slotted spoon, fill hot pickle slices into clean, hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling hot pickling brine, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let cool, undisturbed, 12 to 24 hours and check for seals.

- Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St. She can be reached at 843-7058.