Say no to imitators.

A friend of mine recently lamented on Facebook about the amount of sugar in freezer jam.  When you've never made jam before it's a common surprise.  Cooked jams have close to a 2:1 ratio of sugar to fruit, while freezer jams can be even higher. 

I tend to avoid freezer jams as it is (I find them runny; inconvenient, since you have to thaw before using; they don't last in the fridge as long once thawed; and they're not really much easier to make than cooked jam.  Not to mention my freezer is very small, so freezer space comes at a premium), opting instead for cooked jams, but the idea is still the same.

Let's just put it out on the table.  JAM HAS A LOT OF SUGAR.  I don't think this is a giant surprise.  It's kind of like saying there is a lot of salt in soy sauce.  Duh.  I don't understand what the problem is.  You use about a tablespoon of the stuff at a time.  It's a condiment, not a beverage.

There were a lot of responses to this friend suggesting agave nectar, and light pectins that use less sugar...

Back away very slowly. 

I've never totally understood this idea.  Think of it this way.  If I loved a specific kind of wonderful wine (you can also substitute coffee, tea, cheese, chocolate...  really, whatever you like), and found out it wasn't really all that great for me...  but then realized some sub-par version was better for me would I say "hey,  the wonderful wine is bad for me, but I could drink BOATLOADS of wine if I drink this sub-par wine... it only tastes a BIT like vinegar". 
No.

It doesn't make any sense.  Eating or drinking an imitation is pointless, since you usually end up unsatisfied and eat what you were avoiding anyway.  I never buy low fat cheese either, I'd rather eat less of the good stuff than suffer through a pizza with cheese that melts funny and tastes a bit like plastic.  It's a waste. 

I think I've already explained my love of fresh, homemade strawberry jam, so the idea of making it less good just to be "healthier"  (I put that into quotes because I wonder if added chemicals are really any better for us than sugar) sounds ridiculous.   Things like that just kill your soul a little. 

Eat what you love, don't settle for imitations, and when you do...  for pete's sake...  enjoy it.