First of all, check out the website for Splenda. It's packed with information. Since you're not too familiar with the product, you might just try using some of it to determine the sweetness achieved. There are quite a few people on this forum who use Splenda in their fruits, pickles, and jams. You might even search this forum to see other messages about Splenda.

Here is a link that might be useful: Splenda Brand Sweetener Website

Splenda does come in two types. The small packets are tiny crystals and are much sweeter than the large bag type of 'fluffed up' granules. Splenda has a unique effect on vinegar, when making PICKLES. In most cases for sweet pickles, you would add about 5 POUNDS of sugar, but when using Splenda, that amount is way too sweet, and can actually be reduced to about a cup or two. Linda Lou didn't state this, I did. As to adding a cup for jams, its all up to your sweetness preferences. Here, I may use only a few cups of Splenda in a big batch of jam, but it also depends on what the jelly is made from. Some fruits tend to be quite sweet on their own, so a lot of Splenda isn't needed. You should TASTE the mixture while adding Splenda, so you can estimate how much to use. Here, in this harvest forum, I have had much more experience using Splenda in many home canning products, so I know what effect it has on most ingredients. When I contacted the makers of Splenda about the unusual effect it has when sweetening a vinegar bsed pickle recipe, they were amazed at its ability to achieve such sweet levels, which would not be found in most jelly/jam recipes. Because I also like a jam or jelly with 'character', I also prefer to add extra acid to some. This improves the overall flavor. Cloyingly sweet jams, can be made into a very flavorful and tasty jelly if you just add a small amount of an acid or a blend like malic, citric and tarteric. The blends are sold through wine making supply stores.

So, in conclusion, you read about the 1 cup of Splenda vs. 5 pounds of sugar here, and it started wth my posts.

I normally do use 2 cups Splenda to 4 cups juice with the Pomonas. It is the entire bag that will equal 5 lb. of sweetness, so they say. I use the bags of "puffy" Splenda, not the packets. It is supposed to be cup for cup for replacing sugar, so that would be like 2 cups of sugar.
Compared to regular jams,with say Sure Jell, they contain more sugar than fruit or juice.
It is up to your taste and the sweetness of the fruit how much Splenda to use.

Thank you, Linda Lou, for the explanation I was looking for. I did search this forum for Splenda, but found 116 threads, so with dial up I couldn't put much of a dent in those. I had been to the Splenda website, too, they only mentioned the Splenda for baking in the jam recipes I saw. I am hoping to use the little packets of stuff since that is cheaper/easier to come by.

Of course I would taste test while making it, but the thing is that I don't HAVE any Splenda yet, so I need some clue on how much to buy. Does anybody know how the little packets that people use to sweeten coffee translate to the fluffed up stuff that is made to substitute directly in quantity for sugar? Normally I avoid artificial sweeteners of any type, so I don't want to buy more Splenda than I need for a batch of jam.

Marcia

Wal-Mart has a generic version called Altern. Same thing as Splenda just a different name and cheaper price. In jams and jellies I don't use much, I'd say on the low end of what's listed on the Pomona recipe. So far I've gotten good reviews from friends and family. Good luck!

Lora

According to the Splenda website one packet equals about 2 teaspoons of sugar. JMO - but I think a packet is a tad sweeter than that 1 packet = 1 tablespoon of sugar.

There are sixteen tablespoons or 48 teaspoons in a cup. I have a vague memory that 22 packets were equal to a cup in sweetness, but don't hold me to it.

Thanks everybody for sharing your advice and opinions. I despise Wal-mart, so shopping there isn't going to happen. Unfortunately, in the past few years two different large grocery chains have gone out of business in Wisconsin, so there aren't as many other grocery choices as there used to be. I will check the local stores, and I also found Splenda on sale on Amazon.com (?) so I will get it someplace. I always make my jams much less sweet than 'normal' people do :-) so probably I won't need too much Splenda, either.

Marcia

Marcia, I've also had good luck with long cooked jams (not so much with jelly) using Splenda or Equal to taste. I just cook the fruit/lemon juice/liquid until until thick enough, then add sweetener to taste. Yeah, I know, that's really specific. LOL I like Equal better than Splenda and so does Dad, but I add it at the very end, it doesn't "cook" as well.

This method actually gives you a consistency less "jelled" and more like fruit butters, BTW.

I do find that the sugar substitutes don't keep as well, so be sure that the jam gets used promptly after opening.

Annie