Jelly for nutrition?

[Cassandra]

I was just reading some articles about food storage and what you need to survive. And one of the things listed was fruits & veggies for vitamins that you can't get from rice and beans.

I know that technically, Jelly is stored fruit. But nutritionwise, I mean... considering the possibility that you could eat half a cup of blackberry jelly (or would try really hard if you were trying to stave off vitamin deficiency health issues)... would it do you any good? Is there enough nutrition in there for it to even be considered food?

I ask because almost all of my fruit is stored as jelly. It's the only thing I have learned to make so far!


Cassandra (I will do better next year, I promise.)

 

[annmarie]

I found this information online:

Jams/jellies tend to be high in sugar and low in nutrients. The typical jam, jelly or marmalade offers little more than concentrated energy with a high sugar content - one tablespoon contains about 40 calories. Reduced sugar varieties of jam/jelly with half the energy content of regular jelly, are available but offer no more in the way of nutritional value. Although most jams/jellies contain fruit, the heat treatment used to boil these fruits during processing signficantly lowers their Vitamin C content.

Here's a nutrition label for jelly:
http://www.nutrientfacts.com/searchfood.exe?var=5&form=Jelly

Sorry, not the news you were hoping for!

 

[TanksHill]

Do you not like Jam? I find it so much easier that jelly. No cooking and straining. My husband says that if we ever have a disaster he will be living off jam. I hope it has some nutritional value. I canned 82 jars this year.

 

[Cassandra]

I found this information online:

Sorry, not the news you were hoping for!

Not at all, annmarie! I was not expecting my store of Jelly to get us through a global crisis, by any means.

The article I read just got me thinking is all. Here it is if you are interested.

http://sharonastyk.com/category/food-storage-quickie/

While reading it, it just made me look at what I am doing with new eyes, you know? I never really thought about it. The purpose of preserving food is not just to avoid wasting food... not just having it there in case you need it. It's supposed to nourish your body during times when fresh food is not available. That somehow seems more epic.

Cassandra

 

[annmarie]

82 jars? Oh my! I'm sure jam is a little bit more nutritious, since you're getting the natural fiber because there are still pieces of fruit in it, but I would imagine that just like with jelly, the heat kills off most of the nutrients. I agree with you though, I find jam much easier than jelly.

 

[sufficientforme]

I like to think of it as a morale booster rather than a nutritional superstar
Can you imagine how it would taste after blah survival food for months on end.

 

[Cassandra]

Do you not like Jam? I find it so much easier that jelly. No cooking and straining. My husband says that if we ever have a disaster he will be living off jam. I hope it has some nutritional value. I canned 82 jars this year.

All said and done, I admit, I prefer jelly to jam. But, that is not why I made all this jelly. I wanted to learn how to do it, right? Last year, I made two or three batches of jelly. I found it extremely challenging and wondered how anyone could consider doing that for survival.

Then, I tried it again this year and it was easy and fun! For probably three months, every time I saw a piece of fruit I thought "I could make jelly out of that!" At some point, I realized, "Holy crap, I have 40 something jars of jelly in that bookcase." I really do... mostly pint jars. A few half-pints.

(shaking head at myself... wondering how I let this happen.)

In all of my entire life, I have probably never bought more than 8 or 10 jars of jelly in any single year. We just never used it that much. And now, suddenly... I have over 40 jars of it. That I made myself.

When did... what... !!! What ARE you?!

Cassandra (I will try jam next chance I get. Though I may end up having to buy a new storage shed.)

 

[enjoy the ride]

Maybe jams and jellies should be thought of as making survival enjoyable-
Just survival at the expense of everything else would be pretty grim.

Jam raises morale!

 

[Cassandra]

here here!!



Cassandra

 

[FarmerChick]

vitamin C is needed to prevent scury. a bad disease actually. I definitely store fruit as a staple. Jam, jelly, whatever. In my pantry is mandiran orange segememts. unless you have fruit trees when needed, this vitamin c is vital!