A post about how to make your own, pectin free strawberry jam with just three ingredients. This recipe is simple to make and pull together quickly. Once you taste it you won’t go back to shop bought strawberry jam again.
Making your own Pectin Free Jam
If you’re anything like me then sometimes these recipes to make jam, preserves and even breads can seem like a huge commitment and even bigger undertaking. As someone who enjoys pottering around the kitchen but is still growing in many of her urban homesteading skills, I sometimes tend to doubt my abilities. Jam is one of those things where I have tended to not trust myself.
When I was given some Quince by a friend in the autumn I didn’t quite know what to do with it, so quickly found a recipe for Quince Jam and oh my, was it good.
It was from learning about quince and how to use it to make jam did I find out more about fruits that have natural pectin in their skins, making it easier to make into jam without actually needing pectin in the ingredients.
What is pectin?
Pectin is a soluble fibre that is found in many fruits and often used in Jam, preserves and jelly to help bind or thicken food. Now forgive me if I am wrong here, but the internet tells me it is an extract made from apples, together with citric acid and dextrose. I didn’t actually set out to avoid pectin in my cooking, despite our family eating as naturally as possible most of the time. For me it came from ease, from being able to do something there and then without having to go to the shops and purchase something more. Now I know many jam’s can be made without the assistence of Pectin, and knowing that there are some extra ingredients in there that we can realistically do without, I am quite pleased. But that was just a happy coincidence.
Living a life of balance
That’s not to say I wouldn’t ever use pectin however, it’s just that I found out that I can make these really simple jam recipes that taste incredible and don’t need any additional ingredients at all. Let’s be honest here though, jam is full of sugar, both naturally occuring from fruit and added sugar too. For us at least, life is about balance and there is no strictness around food in these quarters, we just eat what we eat and try and nourish our bodies the best we can. Simple whole foods, as natural as possible. But you will still find me drinking the occasional Starbucks, grabbing a doughnut from Tim Hortons or just having a bit of what I love. To me, health but also balance is the most important thing.
What is pectin free strawberry jam like?
I guess the title is a bit of untruth actually thinking about it, because the jam itself isn’t totally pectin free at all, but it doesn’t require any added pectin. That would have made for quite a long and specific title however.
So onto the jam itself, what is it like? Well, it is actually amazing. Not only is the taste phenominal because you will be using fresh strawberries but the texture is great too. If you’re looking for a solid jam much like the kind you will purchase in a shop then this is not for you. Store bought jams include added pectin and therefore have a very different consistency. This is softer but perfect. It stays on the bread and doesn’t roll off, which for me is the main thing I am looking to achieve when making jam. I once made the most perfect tasting plum jam but it didn’t not stay on the bread.
Instead, this jam is smooth, with fresh strawberries running through it and just tastes so much better. My advice is that you will get the best tasting strawberry jam when you use in season strawberries from your home country (if that’s a possibility).
I generally save jars from when we finishing things in jars that we have purchased from the shops. If you don’t have any spare jars then my go to is always Kilner Jars. I have been using them for years and then really do stand the test of time and are perfect for storing your homemade jams and perserves.
Right, onto the pectin free jam recipe.
What you will need?
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Side plate
- Fresh Strawberries
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Sugar
How to make pectin free strawberry jam?
Simple Pectin Free Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 450 g Fresh strawberries, Chopped
- 150 g Sugar, As natural as possible
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice, Fresh
Instructions
- Place a side plate in the freezer for testing the jam later.
- Cut and hull your strawberries and weigh them out by their cut weight, this is so you can account for removing the hulls.
- Squeeze your lemon and set aside.
- In a pan, add your strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and stir.
- The strawberries will begin to reduce, keep stiring to ensure the jam doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and bring to a rolling boil.
- When the jam looks liquid and smoother (you can mash your strawberries before or during cooking if you want a smoother jam) place a small amount on a cold plate to check consistency. You are looking for a thicker consistency, but not like a shop bought jam.
- Allow to cool.
- Transfer to sterilised jam jars.
- Refridgerate and use within 2 weeks.
- To use longer, you will need to look up instructions to make these shelf stable.
Can I make other fruit jams pectin free?
Since perfecting this recipe I have tried a number of other fruits and I am happy to confirm many of them work just the same, and make. a wonderful fresh tasting jam. Some I have tried are: Quince, Cherry, Persimmon and Blackberries.
If you try this recipe, or even a different fruit than these I would love to know how you got on. You can leave me a comment below or come and follow me over on Instagram and drop me a DM.
Until next time,
