sugar-free pickled beets?

12 years ago

In a previous thread about pickled beets reference was made about using Splenda for sugar-free pickled beets and a comment was made "If you want to use something like Splenda, and the recipe called for two cups of sugar, you would only need a 1/4 - 1/3 cup of Splenda. Splenda seems to intensify its sweetness when it is mixed with acidic vinegar."

So, has anyone tried this and how did it turn out? We have some friends who are diabetics but LOVE pickled beets. It'd be great to surprise them with something they enjoy and could eat!

Here is a link that might be useful: various pickled beet recipes

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Comments (6)

Linda_Lou
12 years ago
Here you go....

Here is a link that might be useful: Sugar free pickled beets.
susancol
12 years ago
hi all,

I'm planning on making this recipe today (my garden produced beets for the first time). But I only have half pint jars. I know it would be safe to process for the full pint processing time, but will this overcook the beets? Is there a safe way to calculate a reduced cooking time? Do you think the beets will be fine processed in half pint jars for full pint time, or is the only good solution to go out and spend money on pint sized jars?

Thanks!
Susan
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Linda_Lou
12 years ago
Susan,
They will be fine in half pints. Process just the same as for pints. There is no way to safely do them otherwise.
readinglady
12 years ago
I don't think you'll find the texture is much, if any, different. A sugar-free beet is going to be softer and have a reduced shelf life anyway. You could compensate by adding some Pickle Crisp.

Carol
westmontco
Original Author
12 years ago
Linda Lou, thanks for the recipe. We'll definitely give it a try once the beets are ready.

Readinglady, thanks for the note that sugar-free will be softer and have a shorter shelf life. Do you mean softer as in "mushy" or not that bad? And, any idea how short shelf life might be? I never thought of the possible differences between sugar and sugar free besides taste.
readinglady
12 years ago
Well, beets are firm by nature, so I doubt they'll be mushy, just somewhat softer. I don't know how much softer; I think that would also be determined by variety and pre-cooking time. I would monitor carefully and remove the beets the moment they're tender.

There have been some studies regarding reduced shelf time for sugar-free products but no definitive timeframe I know of. Maybe Linda Lou has an answer since she has personal experience with sugar-free and reduced-sugar products.

Without the sugar the beets will soften in the jar, so texture-wise at some point they'll not be as appealing to eat. This is purely a guess, but if you assume a 12-month shelf life for standard pickled beets, 6 months might be the extent for sugar-free. However, storage conditions and exposure to extremes of temperature and/or light do play a role.

That's why I suggested the Pickle Crisp, which is a safe and convenient addition.

Carol