The Cooks Kitchen – Page 4 – White River Kitchens

These two easy to make blueberry jam recipes show you how to make blueberry jam without sugar. One is completely natural while the other uses a natural sugar alternative. If for health reasons or diet reasons you want to keep your sugar intake down there are a couple of options you can user. You can replace the sugar with something else or you can omit it entirely. That is what we have done here. We will explore both options and the advantages, disadvantages, and reasons behind each method along with the recipes for you to make. You don't need any fancy equipment although a good jam thermometer and a deepish pan help. How to Make Blueberry Jam Without Sugar - Two Easy Recipes Without Pectin One of my favourite fruits are blueberries, but just recently I have removed sugar from my diet for health reasons (I am not a nutritionist so anyone wanting to use this jam for health reasons would need to consult an expert). So this leaves the difficulty of an allotment full of fruit and berries and not being able to have a jam. Any reduction of fruits intensifies the natural sugars in them so for some jam is a no-no anyway. But I don't like to be that restricted. I have made jams before using artificial sweeteners but am not using them anymore so they, like the sugar, need replacing. The easiest, albeit not the cheapest method is to simply replace the sugar with Xylitol on a 1:1 ratio. Equally, you can use other natural sweeteners like honey or stevia etc. The challenge with this is that sugar doesn't just add sweet, it also acts as a preservative and antibacterial protection for the fruit. Without it, it may affect the length of time the jam will keep for. However, if you are not using sugar at all you may not want to add the extra sweetness to your jams. Make This Sweet & Easy Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam Recipe This is an option for a blueberry jam for those that like things sweet but don't want to use unnatural sweeteners. For this recipe I have used stevia, however, you could use other natural sweeteners that work in jam making and adjust the quantities. Be aware thought hat some are high in sugar. 600 g Fresh Blueberries ((frozen 700g))250 g Stevia for Baking ((I use Truvia))200 ml water60 ml Lemon Juice2 teaspoons lemon rind ((grated)) Pop your lemon rind if you are using it into a muslin square and tie off.Wash your blueberries and top and tail if needed.Pop your blueberries into a saucepan or maslin pan if you have one and squish them all down.Add your lemon juice and mix in.Add your water.Bring to a low rolling boil and heat for about 20 minutes until your mixture has thickened up and your water has reduced right down.Remove from the heat and pop into your warmed jars place the lids on and seal.Allow your jars to cool. Make This Simply Natural Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam Recipe If like me you have gotten used to not having added sugar in anything you may prefer this simple completely (added) sugar-free alternative. Just make up small batches as it won't keep or alternatively freeze it. 600 g Fresh Blueberries ((frozen 700g))60 ml Lemon Juice Gather your equipment together and sterilize and warm your jars and lids.Wash your fruit.Pop your blueberries into a saucepan or maslin pan if you have one and squish them all down.Add your lemon Juice and mix in.Bring to a low rolling boil and heat for about 20 minutes until your mixture has thickened up.Remove from the heat and pop into your warmed jars place the lids on and seal.Allow your jars to cool. The method could not be simpler here as basically, you are simply condensing down the fruit. Even so, some preparation is needed. These jams will make a soft jam if you want to you can add pectin to make them firmer. Add it to the beginning if you are using it. However, the shelf life is not very high anyway so I have left it out.