There is nothing like the taste of fresh strawberries in the winter. Freezing bags of them can take up so much space and if you’re like me, you hardly think to use them aside from smoothies. That’s why jam is such a great option! It can be stored anywhere, no electricity required, and you can easily take it with you. Jam doesn’t need to be refrigerated making it a great option for camping trips, we’ve taken it on many such excursions. This recipe uses half the sugar of the old one I was using out of the Ball Canning Book.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Our goal when we preserve food is to have it as close to nature as possible, which is why we try to avoid using store bought pectin if we can. Not that we think its bad for your health, we just like things more natural. So if there’s a way to preserve something without using a processed ingredient, we take on the challenge. This jam recipe using the natural pectin found in lemons to thicken the product. Aside from having cleaner ingredients, the taste is beyond phenomenal. Literally the best strawberry jam I’ve ever tasted.
Don’t Worry, It’s Easy!
If your scared or unsure of how to can, I have a post that covers all of it. Jams are pretty easy so if you’re a beginner this is a good place to start. Worst case scenario, if you try and the jars don’t seal, throw it in the freezer and now you have freezer jam. Just make sure you take some out of the jars if you throw them in the freezer. 1/2 inch isn’t enough head space for freezing and the jars could crack from the jam expanding.
Low Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe
Prep Time
25 Minutes
Cook Time
1-3 Hours
Yeilds
8 Pints
Ingredients
- 20 Cups Mashed Strawberries
- 10 Cups Sugar
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice (about 8-10 Lemons, save the peels)
- 1/2 Tablespoon Butter (optional)
Steps
1
Collect all the ingredients and supplies you will need. Wash your pint jars in hot soapy water if you plan on canning. Thoroughly wash the lemons. Cut the lemons in half and extract the juice. Do not throw away the peels, just set them aside.
2
Put the mashed berries and lemon juice in a large stockpot and turn to medium/ high heat. Once the mixture is warm add the sugar and stir until well combined. When the mixture is close to boiling add the lemon peels. Turn the heat to medium and continue boiling. Once the mixture is boiling you can add the butter to eliminate the foam at the top if you want. This is entirely optional, its for esthetics not taste. Continue boiling and stirring until thick. This will take up to 3 hours, it doesn’t hurt to have a friend so you can take turns stirring. The higher the heat the faster it will thicken but the more likely it is to burn if not stirred constantly.
3
Once the mixture is thick (see notes to determine when it’s thick enough) you’re ready for the next step. If you are freezing, turn off heat and let cool then put into bags or containers and freeze. If canning keep the heat on low to keep the mixture hot. (I have an article all about water bath canning if you want to try it but aren’t sure how to go about the process.) Get your water bath canner on the stove boiling with your pint jars in the water to sterilize.
4
Once the jars have been sterilized for 10 minutes, pull the jars out of the water and place on a clean dry towel. Fill the jars with jam leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and cover with a new lid and ring. Tighten rings and put jars back in the hot water.
5
Process pint jars for 10 minutes. Once finished pull jars out of water and set on a clean dry towel. Allow to sit for 24 hours before moving to their final storage place. If any jars didn’t seal stick them in the fridge and use those first. Enjoy!
Notes:
Is the Jam Thick Enough?
To determine if your jam is thick place a saucer in the freezer before you start. When you want to test it, pull out the saucer and add a little jam, then stick back in the freezer for a minute. You’re just cooling the jam down to see where the thickness will be when it’s done. If it’s not where you want it, stick the saucer back in and boil longer until you’re ready to check it again. You should be able to turn the saucer on its side and not have the jam run off.
How Many Frozen Strawberries Should I use?
If you froze strawberries in gallon bags it takes 3 gallon bags to make this recipe. We save strawberries little by little during the season then make jam in the fall, so we can use all homegrown. It makes it taste just a little better trust me! If you use frozen simply take them out ahead of time to unthaw that way you can mash them and get an accurate measurement of how many cups of mashed berries you’re dealing with.
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