# Sugar-free jelly made from real fruit . Huh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 24, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708 "2005-06-24T18:28:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/1 "2005-06-24T18:28:41Z")
How do they make jelly sugar-free if it’s made with real fruit? Doesn’t real fruit have fructose in it? Isn’t fructose one kind of sugar? How is naturally-occurring sugar removed? This bothers me intensely for no other reason than to satisfy my own curiosity once and for all. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/2 "2005-06-24T18:48:53Z")
Maybe it’s simply no _added_ sugar? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/3 "2005-06-24T18:52:50Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > How do they make jelly sugar-free if it’s made with real fruit? Doesn’t real fruit have fructose in it? Isn’t fructose one kind of sugar? How is naturally-occurring sugar removed? This bothers me intensely for no other reason than to satisfy my own curiosity once and for all. Is there such a thing? I’ve seen plenty of jam made with “no added sugar” or “all fruit”, but I can’t recall ever running into anything - jelly or jam - specifically labeled “sugar-free”. I suspect that the “no added sugar” stuff would be unpalatable if it really didn’t contain added sugar; they probably sweeten it with fruit juice concentrate or other methods that add plenty of sugar without actually having to be labeled “sugar”. I suppose someone could use artificial sweetener instead, but there would still be naturally-occuring sugars. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/4 "2005-06-24T18:54:55Z")
I know that _sugar-free_ jelly exists that contains real fruit because it’s right there in my refrigerator. My husband is terrified of developing adult diabetes so he watches his sugar intake like a hawk. There is such a thing as “low sugar” as well. but he makes me buy the Sugar-free stuff. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/5 "2005-06-24T18:56:24Z")
and the label clearly states that there are zero sugars in the jar ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/6 "2005-06-24T19:28:17Z")
Berries (specifically strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) are pretty low in sugar IIRC. As a “low-carber” I eat berries all the time. Perhaps when you reduce strawberries there’s not enough fructose left per serving (what is the serving on the SF jam anyway?) to register in the FDA’s requirements for food labeling. I believe it’s like if something has less than 1g or .5g (i forget!) per serving it doesn’t have to be added to the label as 1g. It’s sweet because they add artificial sweeteners. Polander, I know, uses Splenda. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/7 "2005-06-24T19:41:59Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > I know that _sugar-free_ jelly exists that contains real fruit because it’s right there in my refrigerator. My husband is terrified of developing adult diabetes so he watches his sugar intake like a hawk. There is such a thing as “low sugar” as well. but he makes me buy the Sugar-free stuff. What’s the maker of this jam/jelly? ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/8 "2005-06-24T20:12:09Z")
There’s no hocus pocus. The sugar isn’t removed from the fruit. It’s just that there is so [little fruit in the serving size](http://onlinestore.smucker.com/sugarfree.cfm?cat_id=32), that the remaining sugars don’t impact your blood sugar. In 17g (a tablespoon) of the jelly linked, only 5g are carbohydratess and none are considered “sugars”. You’ll also notice that Sugar Free Jelly/jam are considered “free foods” on diabetic exchanges, not servings of fruit. I am not a nutritionist. I am not a diabetic, but many in my family are. This comes from years of indoctrination about preparing meals for my family. For a more detailed information, you’d need to contact a nutritionist. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/9 "2005-06-24T20:16:30Z")
[How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label](http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html) - this might help with reading the nutrition label. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/10 "2005-06-24T20:29:26Z")
According to the USDA, a 1/4 cup of strawberries only has 2.67g carbohydrates, of which .86 is fiber. So about 1.8 g of sugars if I am doing the math right. I doubt if you are getting anywhere near 1/4 cup fruit in a given serving of jam, which is usually 1 TBSP (1/4 of a 1/4 cup), and typically contains pectin (a fibrous jelling agent), artificial sweetener, and water at the very least in addition to fruit. Also, if the grams are under 0.5, it can be labeled as “0” grams. (between 0.5 and 1g, it is labeled \>1g.) so if you are getting 0.45g naturally occuring sugar – what I calculate per TBSP of strawberries – it can be labelled 0g. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sugar-free-jelly-made-from-real-fruit-huh/309708/11 "2005-06-25T01:26:41Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > My husband is terrified of developing adult diabetes so he watches his sugar intake like a hawk. Erm … I thought that, while _obesity_ has been linked to adult-onset diabetes, the actual make-up of the diet has not. (Of course, once one actually **has** adult-onset diabetes or pre-diabetes, the make-up of the diet **does** matter, but that’s a different kettle of sugar-coated fish.)