Preserving fruits without sugar

Home preservation of fruits allows you to have more control over the caloric content of the product, a bonus for those with dietary concerns such as diabetes or those watching their weight.

Canning:

Fruits can be canned in water, in their own or extracted juices. To can prepare fruit in the usual way, handling it very carefully.  Instead of syrup, pour boiling water or juice around the fruit to fill the jars.  The juice can be that of the fruit itself, or another unsweetened complementary fruit juice, for example, can peaches using apple juice or white grape juice. Process as usual, being careful not to overcook, because without sugar, the fruit will break up more easily.  A non-caloric sweetener can be added just before serving, not during the preserving process as it may have the tendency to become bitter during long storage.  Also note, that sugarless canning may produce a product somewhat dissimilar to that canned with sugar in terms of color and taste; and canning without sugar does not mean the product is calorie free, as fruit does have natural sugars.

Fruit juice:

To make fruit juice, cook the less perfect fruit with double the amount of water, until soft, mashing the fruit to extract the most juice possible, as it cooks.  Press through a sieve to strain; bring it to a boil and pour over the fruit in the jars, leaving head space as directed by fruit type.  The amount of water added to make the juice can vary according to the fruit being canned.  Less water will give a fruitier flavor but will cause the canned fruit to have a cloudy appearance.

Freezing fruit:

Sugar is not necessary to safely freeze fruit.  Sugar can be left out, and, if desired an artificial sweetener can be added.  Sugarless dry packs work well for small whole fruits like berries.  Simply pack into a freezer container, label, date and freeze.  Or, spread fruit in a single layer on a shallow tray and freeze. Once frozen, repack and return to freezer.