Strawberry Jam with less sugar

With Type II Diabetes on the rise there is a need for food items with less sugar. I do not have diabetes, however my mother does and my sisters do so when I was blessed with several containers of beautiful, ripe strawberries I looked to find a recipe for jelly or jam that I could make for them to enjoy. Mom is allergic to most artificial sweeteners so that was not an option.

I found this recipe in an old magazine I found in the doctors office and copied it down. Unfortunately I did not get all the publishing information because I wasn’t planning to do anything other than make the jam for my family. I believe it was from a Woman's Day magazine sometime in 2015 or 2016.

The jam uses sugar, but quite a bit less than “regular” recipes. Follow along if you want to make a great strawberry jam that has less sugar and no artificial sweeteners.

First gather together your materials and equipment.

You will need

• A 6 quart saucepan
• 6 cups of berries, cored and crushed
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 ounce jelly jars
• lids and rings for the jars
• one box of Sure Jell pectin

  

  • waterbath canner with lid
  • canning funnel

  

  • jar lifter
  • de-bubbeling wand
  • magnetic lid lifter
  • ladle
  • spoon for stirring hot jam mixture
  • First, prepare your jars, lids and rings. Sterilize the jars in either the dishwasher or in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes minimum. Soak the lids in a bowl of boiling water to soften the rubber gasket. You can keep the clean jars warm in the oven, set very low (about 150 to 200 degrees F)

  

  • Wash and core strawberries. Then cut into smaller chunks. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes then mash the berries with an old fashioned potato masher. This will release more of the juice and make the berries easier to handle.

  

  • Combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the package of pectin and mix to be sure it is fully incorporated.
  • Place the berries in your pan and add to it the pectin/sugar mixture. stir well. Add 1 Tbsp butter to reduce foaming if you wish.
  • Bring the fruit mixture to a full rolling boil.
  • Stir in remaining 3 ½ cups sugar and bring to boil again. Continue cooking for 1 minute.
  • Skim foam from berry mixture.
  • Ladle hot berry mixture into hot jars, using canning funnel and taking care to keep the jars clean. Remember to leave at least ¼ inch headspace in each jar.

  

  • Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean paper towel dipped in vinegar. This removes any sugar or other matter from the rim of the jar.
  • Center the lid on the jar and add the ring tightening until resistance is met. Then continue tightening until “finger tip” tight.
  • Using the jar lifter, lower each jar into the canner where you have kept several inches of water simmering. Remember to use your rack in the cnner to protect the jars and keep them off the bottom.

  

  • When all jars are in the canner, add boiling water to ensure that the level is at least 2 inches above the top of the jar.
  • Bring water in canner to a rolling boil and cover.
  • Process your jam for 10 minutes. Then turn off heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
  • When rest time has ended, using your can lifter remove each jar from the jot water and place on a folded towel to cool for 24 hours. Be sure that the jars are not in a breezy area as the cool air could crack the jars and your hard work would be ruined.

  

  • When 12 hours are up check each jar to be sure that it has sealed by removing the ring, and lifting the jar by the lid. If a vacuum has formed you will be able to lift the jar with no problems.
  • Allow your jars to cool another 12 hours. Clean the jars with vinegar to remove any hard water stains. Label and store your jam on your pantry shelf.

  If any of the jars did not seal, place them in the refrigerator to be used first.

  Please note, I am not an expert in food preservation, or pickling, or even homesteading. I am just a woman who loves to put up food to feed my family. These are the steps I followed to make my version of Strawberry Jam.

  If you found something interesting educational or inspirational in this post, stay tuned for more adventures in food and everyday life with:

  Kate, the Busy Boomer