The first thing that I want to say in this post is that I did not come up with the recipe on my own. It is a recipe that I got off these cute freezer cups from Ball's Canning Supplies. Once I seen the recipe I knew I had to try it, the fact that it has only 1 cup of sugar in it compared to the 4-6 cups of sugar in most jam recipes really made me curious! And all I have to say is wow, this stuff tasted amazing. It tastes a lot more like the delicious fresh fruit that you put in the jam, rather than tons of sugary strawberries. And for those of us trying to cut back on calories a little, you can't go wrong with fresh, homemade low-sugar jam. (:
Above is the recipe, I did do some slight modifications which I will explain in a minute. However, I also liked the option they gave of using Splenda or Stevia for a sugar-free option for those who need it or to make it even less calories! I opted to use one cup of sugar, and using that made the recipe come out to be right around 40 calories for 2 tablespoons of jam, not bad and it matches up to most Low Sugar Jams that are sold in supermarkets without all the added preservatives.
So let's get started...
What you will need:
2-1/2 cups crushed Fresh Strawberries (I got mine from the local Farmer's Market)
1 cup Granulated White Sugar
3 Tbsp Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin
First thing to do in the jam making process is, of course, mash those strawberries!
I usually mash up about a cup of strawberries at a time, and then I measure with a liquid measuring cup. Once you've mashed up enough for the called for 2 & 1/2 cups crushed strawberries you put that aside. I then put the remaining mashed up strawberries in an airtight container in the fridge to use as a topping for my yogurt, as I told you guys a couple days ago.
Now that you have the strawberries add in the one cup of leveled granulated white sugar, stir it in very well. Here is where some deviation from the recipe comes in, at this point I place the mixture into the microwave and microwave it for 2 minutes. This helps to dissolve some of the sugar so that it does not have a grainy taste. Once it is done in the microwave take it out and stir some more. Finally add the 3 tablespoons of Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin and stir for 3-4 minutes.
Then ladle the mixture into three 8 oz (1/2 pint) freezer friendly jars. This recipe makes exactly three. Place the lids on the jars very tightly and then let stand for 30 minutes to one hour. This allows the jam to set up and thicken, once it has done this you can place one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Don't forget to label the jam with the month and year it was made!
Later on in the day I tried out my homemade jam (1/2 Tbsp which is around 10 calories, since 1 Tbsp has around 20 calories) on 1/2 thin bun (w/ 50 calories) along with my daily smoothie. It was a perfect snack with only 60 calories! And what can I say, it was amazingly delicious! I am so happy that I did this recipe and it will become a staple in my fridge.
Do any of you make homemade jam? If so, is it low in sugar? What are your favorite types of jam to make? I think in this next week I am also going to try Seedless Blackberry Jam, using the same recipe. I will keep you posted!!
Cheers! (:
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