The recipe below is a repost from last summer. Berries are beginning to ripen around here, thought later than usual this year. Modify this recipe with whatever berries you have on hand!
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We make our jam with honey, and not much of it. We don't eat a ton of sweets around here so no one seems to mind if our jam is more fruity than dessert-y.
While apples, pears, and citrus are in a different jamming category, feel free to improvise the recipe below with whatever berries you have on hand. The batch below included some rhubarb mixed in with the strawberries.
For thickening without much sugar, we use natural pectin from the coop called Pomona's. It is a two-part process with a calcium water component and a pectin component. When combined they thicken the jam. So cool.
Pamona's is the only way I have found to successfully make a thick, low-sugar jam. We tried making our own pectin last year out of apples but made more of a sauce than a jam. A worthwhile experiment that I may try again some day, but for now I'm happy with the store-bought version and crazy thick jam.
Honey Sweetened Strawberry Jam (or Any Berry Jam)
4 C berries (ripe, stemmed, and mashed)
1/3 – 1 C honey (we used 1/2 since we added rhubarb)
1/4 tsp stevia (optional)
1/4 package of Pamona's pectin
Wash, stem, and mash berries with a potato masher. Proceed according to the pectin instructions, adding the calcium water to the fruit mash and the pectin to the honey. Cook for two minutes. Fill sterilized jars, cap, and hot water bath can for 5 minutes.
I will share the info about the natural pectin with my hubby — he has an aversion to pectin. Doesn’t want/like to use it. We ended up with strawberry sauce too. At least it was a delicious flavoring on ice cream!
This is really cool…I wonder if I could find Pamona’s somewhere in Canada? I would love to be able to make jam that is only lightly sweetened.
And I have to ask, is the sugar content of the honey enough to safely preserve and inhibit bacteria? We’ve been wanting to do a low/no-sugar jam but have been thwarted by the bacteria concerns…
The low sugar jam is good to preserve or freeze, but because its doesn’t have that high sugar content it only lasts for about 3 weeks once opened.
I just made jam this way last week. I love how using honey mellows the sweetness of the jam. I could never go back to store bought jam.
http://littlehomesteadinthedesert.blogspot.com/2011/06/processing-raspberries-in-3-ways.htm
Is the pectin easily available? And do you think it could be used for freezer jam?
Rosemarie,
I would think so. My natural foods coop stocks it in season. And yes, Ive used it for freezer jam too!
~ Rachel
Casey,
It doesnt keep long in the fridge (a couple of weeks?) but preserves well on the shelf or in the freezer. Try one batch and youll know how you feel about it. We love it!
Got it. Charlie’s off to JenEhr picking strawberries his morning! Great timing.
HI Rachel,
I found it at my local natural food store and we made freezer jam with the honey. It came out great. Thanks so much for this post.
I posted about it today
http://sweethomedays.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberries-and-jam.html
I made this yummy jam today. 1/2 C. honey was perfect. Much fun for my little and I. Thanks!
This is a great recipe, strawberries are hand to find here but i will try it anyway.