During the pandemic, one of my jelly customers asked me to make her some Mountain Dew Jelly. She would buy the entire batch every time I made it. Recently, one of my YouTube subscribers requested a recipe for a sugar-free version of the Mountain Dew Jelly, and this is my response to her request.

In the video, however, I used 1/2 cup of the sweetener Truvia Baking Blend. This recipe resulted in a jelly that has a very good taste but is not sweet. So, if you prefer a sweeter-tasting jelly, use 1 cup of the sweetener rather than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Sugar-Free Mountain Dew or other Lemon-Lime Soda
• 1/2-1 Cup Truvia Baking Blend
• 4 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin
• 4 teaspoons Calcium Mixture

Directions:

1. Prepare a boiling water bath and heat to a full rolling boil. Reduce heat to keep hot until needed.
2. Sterilize canning jars.
3. Heat water in a saucepan to boiling. Reduce heat to keep hot until needed.
4. Prepare calcium mixture by combining ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon of calcium powder in a jar. Stir or shake well until blended.
5. In a jelly pot or Dutch oven, combine soda and calcium mixture and stir well.
6. Measure sweetener and mix thoroughly with pectin.
7. Bring juice to a full rolling boil and add sweetener and pectin mixture. Stir well until dissolved and bring back to a full rolling boil and boil for two minutes.
8. Bring water in the boiling water bath pot back to a full rolling boil
9. Fill jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims and jar threads with a clean, damp cloth. Add lids and rings and hand tighten.
10. Put the filled jars into the boiling water bath, making sure the water covers the tops by at least 1.5 to 2 inches. Boil for 10 minutes. (Adjust the time for higher elevation.)
11. Remove jars from the boiling water bath to a prepared area where they can remain undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals, wash and dry the jars, label them with the contents and date, and store them until needed.

Yield: 4 eight-ounce jars

Final Thoughts:

While this recipe results in a firmer jelly than most of the sugar-free, low-sugar, and alternative sweetener jellies I have made in the past, it is still not as firm as I had hoped. It is still rather loose or runny, but it spreads well and tastes good.

I plan to continue to develop recipes that will result in a firmer texture from time to time, and I will pass that information along if and when it becomes available.

Thanks for stoppin’ by!

Jelly Grandma

Anne James

Anne James—also known as Jelly Grandma—is a professional canner and lifelong food preserver with over 55 years of hands-on experience. A retired librarian, paralegal, and self-taught expert in traditional Southern crafts, Anne specializes in canning, jelly-making, cooking, gardening, and quilting. She even has extensive experience as a bartender.
She’s been featured in the Daily Commercial and on Hershey’s website, and is lovingly known as the “go-to canner” in her family and beyond. Her mission is simple: to preserve and pass on the old ways—skills that kept generations thriving without shortcuts or preservatives.
You can find more of Anne’s work at PreservingSweetness.com, on YouTube, and occasionally on SurvivalFreedom.com.