Low Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe

Over the last few summers, I have been learning about and attempting to can our own jam and pickles. I had mostly been following the pectin package directions for cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry jam and getting good results. The only issue I had was the extreme amount of sugar in there! Often times, the recipe called for as much sugar as fruit! I use the jam mostly for making PB&J's for my 2 year old throughout the year, and I didn't like the idea of pouring out fruit flavored sugar on her sandwich everyday. So, I started looking into "low sugar" or "no sugar" jam recipes. Much to my surprise, there was not a whole lot out there. Most low or no sugar recipes call for an artificial sugar substitute, like Splenda, which just won't work for me. We don't do artificial sweeteners in our home at all, but that is a whole different story! A few recipes that I found called for apple juice rather than sugar, but the recipes that I could find stated that they would have a "soft set," which in my world means runny jam. No thanks. So, I started pulling bits of recipes together and experimenting to try and find a solution. Raspberries and strawberries are in season now here in TX and the prices are unbeatable, so I bought a ton of each. After a week of nap times in the kitchen putting up different jam "testers," I think I finally found the best recipe. It is a "low sugar" strawberry jam that is sweetened with mostly apple juice, but also with a little bit of sugar. It set up perfectly and tastes just like better than full sugar jam. Now our family can enjoy the unbeatable flavor of fresh strawberry jam without worrying about the sugar high.

Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
Yields 4-5 cups

Ingredients: Large carton of strawberries, double the normal sized one, one box of Sure Jell's No Sugar Needed Pectin (pink box, don't get yellow, it doesn't work), 1/2 C sugar, 12oz. can of frozen 100% apple juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter, juice from half a lemon.

Tools: Ball, Kerr, or Mason jars with rings and lids (you need NEW lids, so if you have old jars, you can purchase a box of just the lids), canning funnel, magnetic lid wand, canning tongs, ladle, and a potato masher. I got my canning supplies from Walmart at a good price, probably no more than $15 for the lot.

Step 1: Wash your jars, lids, and rings in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.

Step 2: Put clean jars without lids into a large stock pot or canning pot and fill with just enough water to cover the tops of your jars. Put it on the stove over high heat to bring water to a boil.

Step 3: Put your lids in a small saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a to a simmer. Once it is simmering, reduce heat to low and let it sit. You won't need this until the end, so you may want it on  back burner, out of the way.

Step 4: Wash the strawberries and cut off the greens. Place them in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until they are broken down into little pieces and are mostly liquid.

Step 5: In a small bowl, stir together the pectin powder and the sugar until well blended.  Put your strawberries, apple juice concentrate, lemon juice, butter, and pectin mixture on the stove in another large pot over high heat.

Continue stirring until the jam comes to a full rolling boil, so that even when you stir, it continues to boil. Maintain a full rolling boil for 1 minute, then remove it from heat. Careful! This stuff is SO hot and sticky!

Step 6: Use canning tongs to remove your mason jars from the hot or boiling water and set them face up on a clean dish towel on the counter. Jars are hot! Don't touch them with your hands, use a hot pad! Using the canning funnel, ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4" of space at the top of each jar. If you have a little extra, put it in a tupperware in the fridge, it'll set up like processed jam and keep for up to 3 weeks.

Step 7: Use a clean dish towel or paper towel, wipe off any excess jam that may have gotten along the rims or edges of the jars. Then, one by one, use your magnetic lid wand to remove lids from the simmering water pot, dry on a clean or paper towel, press onto the jars and screw on lids to finger tight.

Step 8: Use canning tongs to put the lidded jam jars into the big stock pot of boiling water. Set the timer, and let them boil for:
* 10 minutes: if you live at 0 to 1000 ft above sea level
* 15 minutes: if you live 1000 to 2000 ft above sea level
* 20 minutes: if you live above 2000 ft above sea level

Step 9: Carefully remove the jars from the boiling water using your canning tongs and let them rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours. If you processed them correctly, you should start hearing the lids "pop"  after a few minutes, indicating that they are sealed. After 24 hours, all the lids should be indented and you should not be able to make them pop by pressing on the middle. If any of your jars did not seal correctly, place it in the refrigerator to use immediately. It will be good for about 3 weeks. You can also freeze the jam for later.



I like to store my finished jam in the box that my jars came in, nice and tidy. Keep them in a cool dark place and use them within a year. Some people say you can keep them for several years, but they start to discolor and loose the fresh fruit taste after a year. Plus, don't you want to do this again next June?!