Bakers avoiding added sugar
If you are adding fruit to biscuit dough, a sandwich filling or a topping, compare the packing liquid, ingredients and sugars per 100g. Fruit in juice can still contain sugars, even when the pack says ‘no added sugar’.
Who is this for?
Bakers managing texture
If extra liquid would make your dough or filling too wet, look for fruit you can drain and cut to the size your recipe needs. Princes advises draining and chopping its peach slices in a preparation recipe.
Bakers planning a batch
If your recipe calls for a measured amount of fruit, compare drained weight rather than relying on the tin’s total weight. Check the pack’s instructions for storing anything left after opening.
What matters when choosing fruit?
Packing liquid and ‘no added sugar’ describe different things: a juice-packed product can carry that claim yet still declare sugars. Once you have checked the label, consider how much drained fruit the bake needs and how you will handle the liquid.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding added sugar and syrup | Check whether the fruit is packed in juice or syrup, then compare ingredients and sugars per 100g. | If I want fruit flavour without relying on syrup for sweetness, the packing liquid matters before I adjust my biscuit recipe. About 45% of consumers put avoiding added sugar and syrup first. |
| Controlling moisture and pieces | Choose a format you can drain and cut; inspect peach pieces for possible stone fragments. | For a dough or sandwich filling that could become too wet, I need control over the fruit pieces and the liquid I add. About 33% of consumers prioritise that texture control. |
| Getting enough usable fruit | Compare drained weight with the recipe quantity and read the opened-storage instructions. | When I am making a larger batch, the amount of fruit left after draining determines whether one tin will do. About 22% of consumers put usable yield and leftover planning first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Reading ‘no added sugar’ as sugar-free
These are not the same claim. Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Finest peaches as ‘No Added Sugar’ while declaring 12.1g sugars per 100g.
Use the claim to narrow your choices, then compare the ingredients and per-100g nutrition panels on the exact tins.
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Choosing syrup for a reduced-added-sugar recipe
Syrup may not fit the aim of reducing added sugar. The NHS advises choosing tinned fruit in juice rather than syrup.
Start with a juice-packed tin when that is your priority. Choose syrup only if your recipe calls for that packing liquid.
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Counting the liquid as recipe fruit
Net weight includes the packing liquid: Tesco Groceries lists 410g net contents and 250g drained weight for its peach slices in juice.
Measure the drained fruit your recipe requires. Drain before chopping, and add liquid only if the recipe calls for it.
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Overlooking stone and storage instructions
Tesco Groceries warns that stones may remain in its peach slices. Instructions for storing an opened tin can also differ between products.
Inspect the fruit as you chop it, and follow the storage directions on the pack you use.
Brands to consider
Tesco
A reference point for peach slices packed in juice, with drained-weight and nutrition information on its grocery listing.
- Tesco Groceries lists its 410g peach slices in pear juice from concentrate with a 250g drained weight and 9.7g sugars per 100g.
- That listing does not label the product ‘No Added Sugar’; compare the exact pack if that claim matters to you.
Princes
Peach slices with juice in listed 410g and 220g sizes.
- Princes lists peaches, grape juice from concentrate and water as ingredients, and suggests canned fruit for baking.
- Its general baking suggestion does not establish how much liquid or added sugar a particular biscuit recipe needs.
Del Monte
Fruit in juice in different formats, including pear halves and peach slices.
- Del Monte Europe describes its pear halves in juice as usable for baking desserts; Sainsbury's lists Del Monte peach slices in juice.
- Check the packing liquid and nutrition panel for the specific fruit and variant you choose.
Sainsbury's
Its tinned-fruit listings distinguish peach slices in fruit juice from peach slices in light syrup.
- The separate listings make the packing liquid a useful starting point when narrowing down peach options.
- Read the exact product label for its ingredients, nutrition and drained weight.
M&S
A tinned-fruit range that Marks & Spencer presents for cupboard use and desserts such as pies and crumbles.
- Its listed fruits offer formats to consider when a bake calls for a particular fruit.
- Check the individual tin’s packing liquid and label before using it for a reduced-added-sugar biscuit recipe.
Joybuy fruit-in-juice options
These juice-packed peach, pear and mixed-fruit tins offer different ways to add fruit to biscuit dough, fillings or toppings. Choose by fruit format and the amount your recipe needs; juice packing alone does not establish a lower total-sugars figure.
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Morrisons Peach Slices in Juice 220g, six-pack
The sliced format can be drained and chopped for a biscuit filling or topping. The title specifies six 220g tins; check drained weight if your recipe calls for a measured quantity of fruit.
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Del Monte Peach Halves in Juice 415g
Peach halves let you cut pieces to the size a biscuit recipe calls for. Drain them before adding fruit to dough or a filling, and compare the exact pack’s sugars per 100g when choosing between tins.
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Del Monte Peach Slices in Juice 415g
The slices can be drained and cut smaller for biscuit pieces or toppings. Joybuy lists clarified pineapple juice from concentrate among this product’s ingredients; check the pack’s drained weight if the recipe specifies a quantity of fruit.
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Del Monte Pear Halves in Juice 415g
Pear halves are an option when you want pear pieces cut to fit a biscuit filling or topping. Del Monte Europe describes pear halves in juice as usable for baking desserts; drain and cut them as your particular recipe requires, and check the drained weight before buying for a measured bake.
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Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Juice 415g
Consider this mixed-fruit format when the recipe can accommodate a mixture rather than one fruit. Check the pieces after draining and cut them if an even size matters; confirm the drained weight against any specified recipe quantity.
Questions about baking with tinned fruit
Does ‘no added sugar’ mean tinned fruit is sugar-free?
No. Sugars can still be present: Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Finest peaches as ‘No Added Sugar’ with 12.1g sugars per 100g. Compare the ingredients and nutrition panel as well as the front-of-pack wording.
Should I choose fruit in juice rather than syrup for biscuits?
Choose juice rather than syrup when reducing added sugar is the main aim, in line with NHS advice on tinned fruit. Juice-packed fruit still contains sugars and liquid, so compare labels and drain the fruit before deciding how it fits your recipe.
How do I prepare tinned fruit for biscuit dough or a filling?
Drain it, then chop it to the size your recipe needs; add packing liquid only if the recipe calls for it. Princes gives drain-and-chop instructions for its peach slices, while Tesco Groceries advises checking its peach slices for possible stone fragments.
What should I do with peaches left after opening a tin?
Follow the instructions on that tin. For its peach slices in juice, Tesco Groceries says to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, cover, refrigerate and consume within two days; another product’s directions may differ.