Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

I love homemade jam.  The color, texture, taste, smell.  I love it all.  I also love making it.  It can be a big undertaking, but it is totally worth it.  In early May our family goes to a local U-pick strawberry farm to pick fresh strawberries.  There is nothing like the taste and sweetness of a fresh picked strawberry right from the field.  It is incredible.  This year we picked 30 lbs of strawberries and that yielded 19 pints of jam.  We did eat a few (or maybe a lot) and saved a few for eating over the next few days. For the last few years I have been making this low sugar strawberry jam recipe and it is amazing.  It uses a lot less sugar than your typical homemade jam recipes.  A traditional jam recipe will use a 1:1 ratio of sugar and fruit.  So you have just as much sugar and you do delicious, fresh fruit.  I prefer to have less sugar taste and more fabulous fresh picked strawberry taste.  This recipe does just that.  It is just sweet enough to make it delightful, but you really can taste all the wonderful strawberry flavor.  It also has a great texture, not too runny, not too stiff.  It is just right.  Plus it is easy to make.  Strawberry jam is my favorite to make because the berries are so easy to prepare.  You simply wash, pop of the tops and slice and you are good to go.  We usually go through a whole jar of this jam at one sitting, especially if I have some homemade bread to go along with it.  It is also great to use in these fabulous strawberry pecan bars, or jam tarts.  Any left over fresh strawberries would also be great in this strawberries & cream torte.

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Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam

a low sugar strawberry jam that tastes amazing

Ingredients

• 5 cups crushed fresh strawberries
• 1 package low sugar powdered fruit pectin
• 2 1/2 cups sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare 3 pint canning jars and 1 1/2 pint jar with lids and rings for processing.
2. Heat jars in canner with enough water to cover, bring to a boil
3. In a large bowl crush berries with a potato masher, enough to make 5 cups
4. With wire whisk, gradually stir pectin into mashed berries
5. Let mixture stand 10 minutes
6. Meanwhile, place lids and rings in small saucepan and cover with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer until needed
7. Heat strawberry mixture in a large dutch oven to boiling over high heat, stirring constantly.
8. After it starts to boil, stir in sugar and return to a rolling boil.
9. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
10. Remove jam from heat. With a metal spoon skim foam off top
11. Place hot jars on wire rack, upside down to drain
12. Spoon hot jam into hot jars to within 1/4 inch from the top of jar
13. Wipe rim clean and add a lid and a ring. Tighten
14. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
15. Cool jars on a wire rack to room temperature, making sure each is sealed before storing.