Jam is one of my favorite ways to compliment the flavor of biscuits or a piece of toast.  I grew up eating breakfast sandwiches and biscuits with grape or strawberry jam on them.  Most of my life I’ve eaten Smucker’s brand jam.  My husband loves buying homemade jam and he asked if we could try making our own jam at home.  I’m currently preparing for a fitness challenge, so I decided to make two types of jam.  One with sugar added and a no sugar added jam.  Since I am such a big fan of jam, I thought it would be nice to have a jam that was healthier to eat while doing the challenge.

After doing some research, I realized that jams have few ingredients.  My goal was to find a recipe that didn’t need pectin added. Berries are easier to make into a jam because they already have pectin natural in them that give the jam a natural “jelly” like texture.  It’s best to use berries that are not overly ripe.  My first two jams were blueberry jam and strawberry jam.  I used the same base for both jams: 3 cups of fruit and 1 1/2 Tsp of lemon.  For the sugar added jam, I added 1/3 cup of sugar. For my no sugar added jam, I added some additional flavors to the strawberry and blueberry jam since I wasn’t adding sugar.  In addition to the fruit and lemon juice, I added chia seeds for fiber, honey, and lemon peel.

In addition to using the jam for toast and biscuits, the no sugar added jam can also be used in pancakes or muffins.  The jam is a great way to get a sweet and fruity flavor without added sugar.

You can use the recipe below to make any type of berry jam.  I’ve shared both my no sugar added jam and sugar added jam recipes.  Since no additional pectin was added to these recipes, the jam definitely doesn’t have the same texture as store bought jam, but it does have the flavor.

Jam Ingredients

Recipes make enough jam for a pint jar (16 oz)

You will need a jar with a lid and a masher for the fruit.

No Sugar Added Strawberry Jam

• 3 cups strawberries washed and sliced
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Peel from 1 small lemon
• 1 1/2 Tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp honey (I like mine on the sweeter side, adjust based on sweetness)

 

Sugar Added Strawberry Jam

• 3 cups strawberries washed and sliced
• 1 1/2 Tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

No Sugar Added Blueberry Jam

• 3 cups blueberries washed
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Peel from 1 small lemon
• 1 1/2 Tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp honey (I like mine on the sweeter side, adjust based on sweetness)

Sugar Added Blueberry Jam

• 3 cups blueberries washed and sliced
• 1 1/2 Tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

Jam Instructions

1. Add fruit to the pot.
2. Add all additional ingredients, stir and cook on medium.
3. Once the mixture because to bubble.  Turn on low.
4. Mash fruit in the pot.  You can do this before putting the fruit in the pot, but it is easier to mash when the fruit is heated.
5. Cook on low for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  Make sure the fruit is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
6. Pour jam mixture into the jar.
7. Let cool completely on the counter.
8. Once cool, put a lid on the jar and store in the refrigerator.
9. Eat and Enjoy!  Jam is good for 1 week.

Do you have a favorite flavor jam?  What yummy recipe are you making that would go great with one of these jam recipes?