Hi Alix,
I am a nutrition adviser and herbalist and I have seen first-hand the effects of consuming "white sugar" on our society. I am not trying to get on a soapbox or anything, but I think that alternatives to the "processed food industry" are the way to go. Since I have converted my family to an organic, whole foods type diet (not totally radical, but not typical American) I have noticed a difference in our health and attitudes! I know that jams and jellies are not "nutritive" foods, but I don't want to totally eliminate foods that can be "put up" for the winter! But, I also don't want to revert back to the "processed" white sugar. I have also been studying the effects of honey on diabetics (whom I have a few clients) and I have found that in LIMITED AMOUNTS, honey can be a safe addition to the diabetic diet (this is not recommended as medical advise, please seek medical advice if you have diabetes!). I have read many old recipes that call for just boiling down the fruit to the jell stage without ANY added sweetener, but I tried that a couple of times and it is a 50/50 deal. If you don't have the right balance of unripe to ripe fruit, then you will not have enough naturally occuring pectin to get a good jell. I would like a tried and true method using honey that will jel without adding chemicals. I am lucky in that I have a source for pure, RAW honey that is only a mile from my house! I absolutely LOVE this honey and have converted many of my recipes to using it. The baked goods are so moist and don't have that "wierd" aftertaste! I think it is because this honey is totally raw, unprocessed and therefore the flavor profile has not been changed by the heat used in typical honey manufacturing. I just can't tell you the difference in our health since we "kicked" the sugar habit! I know I could experiment (like I have with all my other recipes!) but fresh organic fruit is not cheap and I don't want to "waste" any on my experiments! Thanks for your reply! Warm regards, Lori