Version 1:
4C mashed berries
2t Pectin powder
2t Calcium water
1/4C lemon or lime juice
1/2 - 1 cup of honey or other sweetener
In this case I would use the 4c of mashed blueberries so the ratio is right with the pectin
*Note I'm using a cooked recipe and comparing that to a cooked recipe -- you can also do freezer jam if you don't want to cook your jam, but the ratios are very different, so keep that in mind. Also, I'm using their information in regards to blueberries -- keep in mind different fruits have very different natural pectin amounts in them and so compare like fruits with like fruits so you get a properly gelled product. Apples will not jell the same as berries would.
So.. my "recipe" based on the original recipe would be like this.
Version 2:
4 c mashed berries- mix in 2 tsp. calcium water
2 T. - a bit shy lemon juice because we aren't using exactly the same amount of blueberries
1 tsp butter -- this is to prevent foaming at the end.. optional IMHO
and again I'd dissolve 2 tsp pectin powder in the 1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, whatever...**to start with and add as needed more sweetener of any kind.
TASTE AS YOU GO... that way you know you have a product that is meeting your needs.
** I've found when using stevia, if I keep some other natural sweetener in there too-sucanat, honey, whatever, and sub out 1 tiny tsp (tiny one that comes in the jar of stevia) per 1 cup of fruit I'm usually spot on for sweetness level.. that said I would ALWAYS start shy of that-- and work my way up testing as I go because if you get too much stevia, you get a nasty, nasty aftertaste. .. ick. So-- if I were to do this recipe I would start with 3 tiny tsp of stevia, and about 1/4 cup of honey, then add as needed. Tart fruits obviously will require more sweeteners.
Now let's say you wanted to make a lemon blueberry jam.. which as I'm writing this I'm wondering to myself-- "hmm, wonder if I have enough blueberries in the freezer to make some?" Anyway, it might look like this:
Version 3:
4 c mashed blueberries
1/2 cup lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T. limoncello
1/2 cup agave nectar ( I like that it doesn't alter the flavor of things it sweetens)
stevia to taste
2 1/4 tsp. pomona pectin powder
2 1/4 tsp. calcium water
I increased the amount of the pectin and calcium water a bit because I added some liquid in there.
Perhaps you want to make a blueberry syrup... take the original recipe we came up with and the only change you would make is to use half the pectin and half the calcium water.
Want to double it, triple it, quadruple it.. as long as your pan is big enough you can do it!!
The other spectacular thing about Pomona Pectin is that you can double and even triple or quadruple recipes successfully. Try THAT with your boxed sure-jell!! I know I've done both. Sure-jell doesn't work, Pomona Does!!
As long as you keep in mind the natural pectin levels of what you are using and match them similarly to the chart-- you are golden.
If it doesn't gel up when you do the spoon test I suggested above you can simply add more calcium water to your base and dissolve some pectin powder into a smaller portion of your base or more sweetener. I advise against adding more pectin powder straight into your jam without first integrating it into something else -- it globs up and you will be whisking your brains out to get it dissolved if you do.. not that I know this from experience or anything..lol
2 other important things to think about
1. I've had to start canning my jams, jellies, etc in only jelly jars or smaller because I've found that once open these items don't last nearly as long in the fridge as their full sugar counterparts. So keep em from sliding to the back of the fridge. (previously I canned jelly in pint jars)
2. Because there is no sugar or very low sugar in these jams and jellies I also would not fiddle with using low acid items in my jellies or jams as sugar can act as a preservative. That's my own personal take on things -- you may differ, but I would consider it an added risk of botulism and would compensate by using high acid like citrus juice or vinegar or keep the sugar closer to what the original recipe calls for, while sugar won't appreciably change the acid level it will act as a preservative.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about using pomona pectin or canning with low or no sugar. I have no training in canning safety, nor am I a safety expert, but since most jams and jellies are high acid and because they use fruit I feel comfortable with the safety of altering the sugar content.
**I don't advocate using Splenda as it's chemically based and toxic IMHO, but I suppose you could if you wanted to, I just couldn't begin to tell you how to do it.