I use 4 1-gram packets of Sweet Leaf stevia to replace one cup of sugar. I have not experimented with other types of stevia. I suspect (although I haven’t tried this yet) that one could successfully replace up to two cups of sugar in a jam recipe with stevia.
I would be hesitant to replace all of the sugar with stevia because I’m not sure that the jam would set up properly, and I don’t know if it would be safe to can without ANY sugar.
I find that replacing one cup of sugar with stevia produces a fruit jam that tastes no different from all-sugar jam and reduces the calorie count by nearly 800 calories per batch.

Although some of Severson’s phrases in the locavore article did seem a tad dyslogistic--"a meal that reeks of community...” and “lazy locavores,” I don’t believe the tone of the entire article was to frame all locavores as elitists, but merely to explore how the wealthy can buy anything, even that “good vibe” we all feel from having a beautiful vegetable garden and eating locally.
Just because one employs a housecleaner doesn’t make them lazy, just because one has a nanny doesn’t make them a lazy parent, etc. It’s common for people with money to hire others to do some of their domestic chores. Almost everyone I know hires a housecleaner, a garden service or both. I wouldn’t call them lazy or elitist., and I wouldn’t consider someone who can hire a vegetable gardener elitist either.
Along the same lines, obviously, I was not going to slaughter and butcher my own pig--and I don’t think that means I am a “lazy locavore,” merely wise enough to leave a difficult job to the experts.
I think that is the point that Josh Friedland makes in his blog, and I agree. But I think it is unfair to chide Severson for the quotes in her Slow Food story. She is reporting what others have stated about Slow Food. When people like Alice Waters and Steven Shaw make spaced-out statements, it’s her job to report the quotes accurately, which she did.

It was great to read about miner’s lettuce, an item that I see occasionally at the farmer’s market, but have not come across in nature (but of course, I live in Seattle). The joys of foraging for your food are unknown to most of us, and your post makes me want to take a hike and enjoy a taste of the wild too. Your boyfriend’s proclivity for noticing nature and enjoying the natural world is a wonderful quality and it’s great that he shares that with you and your friends.

Yes, my doctor said it is unusual to be tested for it (most people just suffer through it), but campylobacter is not unusual in people. She said she has seen it before from raw milks, both cow and goat milk.
In my case, I was tested because my spouse is a medical professional who brought a sterile culture kit home and took it to the lab that day because she was worried that I might have e-Coli or salmonella. Fortunately, I did not.
I did email my farmer. He said he was not aware of other customers experiencing problems. This farmer DOES have his milk tested, but they do not test for campylobacter and he said he does not know how to have his milk tested for this specific bacteria.
My farmer follows the Joel Salatin method of rotating his chickens through the pastures where his cows graze so the chickens can eat the grubs. Because of that, I know that the cows are around chicken droppings, which is where campylobacter is frequently found. I am sure it was an anomoly, because I know he’s very careful, but bacteria are very small and crafty, so a little goes a long way.
I have read both of the materials you referenced already. I know that many people are passionate about eating food that is in a near natural state, particularly raw milk.
I’m still all for unprocessed food and farmer’s markets. But to state that raw milk is a “healthy” and “safe food” for babies and children as The Weston A. Price Foundation web site does, worries me. Even though I drank raw milk occasionally, I never gave it to my young daughter. On the other hand, if adults want to accept the potential risks from raw milk, I think they should have that right.

Ann Marie:
I’m not a vegetarian, but I keep a daily food diary because I see a nutritionist (see my previous post about Ellen, my nutritionist). In the three days prior to getting camphylobacter, I didn’t eat chicken, eggs, hamburger or pork. I was on a peanut butter, english muffin, cheese and olive binge with a few veggies tossed in.

No I didn’t eat any hamburger, pork, chicken or eggs in the days before I became sick. I drink Seattle water right out of the tap. No one else in my family was sick, and no one else in the family drank the milk. I’m pretty sure it was the milk.

Re: anon 1 and anon 2: Good point about the bisphenol-A (BPA); it seems best to minimize one’s exposure to any chemical. Frozen fruits and veggies are fine choices when you have to have an out-of-season ingredient. Fresh and in-season produce will always taste better, I think.

Thanks for sharing your opinions on my recent post. My book IS about making educated choices when buying local, organic or non-organically grown food. I wrote the book after I actually spent $11 on a single organic cauliflower at the grocery store—and then wondered the entire way home if that purchase was excessive and foolish. I’m sure many people can relate.
I became well informed about farming and growing methods so I could make wise and economical food choices. The fact is that organic growers do use (approved) pesticides as needed, and non-organic growers don’t always use pesticides. Many factors come into play, including the climate, the crop, the soil, history, weather, and economics.
As I talked with farmers throughout the US, and many others in our food supply chain, I discovered that there is no simple rule, such as “always buy organic to save your health and save the environment.” Most of the smartest and most environmentally-responsible farmers I know are NOT certified organic growers. Surprised to hear this? I was too. That’s another reason I wrote my book—the world of organics has changed dramatically in the past 10 years, and many consumers are not aware of how these changes affect the organic food you buy at premium prices.
My blog post next week will discuss the differences between Grade A organic producers and Grade B (agribusiness) organic producers.