It’s strawberry season so let’s make some homemade strawberry jam! But not just any strawberry jam. Let’s make strawberry jam that’s low sugar, diabetic friendly, and keto diet approved! Jam is usually heavy in sugar, but this recipe will have a surprising twist. I am diabetic and am constantly looking for alternatives. At times this can be such a challenge. Even a low sugar option is full of sugar.
Let's Compare Regular Jam to Low Sugar Jam
Recipes for regular jam typically call for 5 cups of fruit and 7 cups of sugar. As you can see, it’s mostly sugar with a little bit of fruit. Low sugar recipes cut the sugar down to 3 cups, and substitute special low sugar brands of pectin like Pomona’s Universal Pectin. While this is less sugar, it is still too much for me as a diabetic. However, you can make it shelf stable by canning it. There are other recipes that are advertised as being lower in sugar, which use honey as an alternative. Honey isn’t a refined sugar, but can still affect glucose numbers. I personally don’t use honey for canning or when heating it up as it removes the properties which give you the health benefits of having raw local honey.
Use Ripe Fruit
Ripe fruit has great flavor. So, using ripe fruit at its peak for canning makes the most sense because you will get the best flavor. I want to taste the fruit and the sugar as part of the preservative. Not the sugar first with a little fruit as an aftertaste. If your fruit is not quite ripe, wait till it ripens, you will be so much happier with your finished product. I went strawberry picking at a local UPick farm and was able to select the berries I wanted. If you are able to visit a UPick farm, I highly recommend it. You can hand select the fruits and get a great deal. Do you grow your own? Now you have your own UPick location!
If you are not using all your strawberries for this recipe, make sure to wash and store them. If you need a refresher on how I wash and store my strawberries check it out here. With summer comes an abundance of fresh garden fruits and vegetables. If you have chickens, you may even have an excess of eggs. Summer provides so much variety. If you have some extra watermelon, or want a fresh twist try my Cucumber Watermelon Juice. Do you have extra cherries around? Try my Cherry Barbecue Sauce. Want to try your hand at sauerkraut with your extra cabbage? Are your chickens producing more eggs than you can eat? Try water glassing your eggs to preserve them for this winter.
Fridge/Freezer Jam
I was experimenting this weekend with a really low sugar option and it turned out amazing! This jam is made with chia seeds. The chia seeds are what creates the jam effect. Chia seeds contain quercetin, an antioxidant that has a handful of great health benefits. The seeds are high in fiber which is an added bonus. This recipe uses a small amount of chia seeds, just 3 to 4 tablespoons.
Low Sugar Strawberry Chia Seed Jam
Equipment
- 3 8 oz. Jelly Jars
- 1 Grinder, like a Magic Bullet or Coffee Grinder
Ingredients
- 4 c. Strawberries, hulled
- 2 T. Lemon Juice
- 3 T. Monk Fruit 3-4 T., depending on how sweet your berries are and your sweetness preference.
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, bring the berries and lemon juice to a boil.
- Simmer for 10 minutes while continuing to stir so it doesn’t burn.
- Mash the berries to your preferred consistency with a masher or immersion blender.
- Remove from heat and add the monk fruit sweetener.NOTE: The monk fruit sweetener can be adjusted to how sweet your berries are or how sweet you want your jam to be.
- Grind the chia seeds in a grinder. *Optional, see note 1 below. I used a Magic Bullet.
- Stir the chia seeds into the mashed strawberries.
- All to cool for 15 minutes.
- Pour into 3, 8 oz. jelly jars.*See Note 2 below for fridge/freezer storage instructions.
Video
Notes
- You don’t have to grind the chia seeds but your jam will seem like it has seeds if you don’t. Chia seeds are being used in this recipe instead of pectin to thicken the jam.
- This will last for 2 weeks in the fridge, or can be placed in the freezer for longer storage.
- If you are putting jam in the freezer leave 1” of headspace to help reduce cracking of the jars, or use freezer jar containers and follow their instructions for safe freezing.
- If you are using a different container, remember, the jam will expand in the freezing process; that is why there is head room.
- Cool the jars to fridge temp before putting them in the freezer; this will keep your glass jars from cracking in the freezer from shock.
Nutrition
I am always looking for low sugar, diabetic friendly recipes. Are you looking for that too? Will you be trying this low sugar homemade strawberry jam? If you do, let me know how you like it.
In the next few weeks, I will be sharing some more fresh summer recipe ideas. Are you looking for anything specific? Let me know.
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