Strawberry Conserve, Low Sugar (Jam)
Strawberry Conserve (Low Sugar)
Irene HS
This is a delicious jam and suitable for diabetics (has some sugar). It is never rock-solid (tastes like jelly if you put that much pectin in). If kept in the fridge it's a nice, soft set. I find it will keep in the fridge for a month or more, although you have to keep an eye on it, as it lacks the preserving sugar.
Ingredients
500 gm. strawberries (must be sound; cut off any damaged or over-soft pieces and discard)
20 gm. (1/2 oz.) dark muscovado sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
125 ml. Pectin like Certo or other pectin (see step 3)
Sweetener to taste, see step 4
Heavy bottomed, high-sided pan
A heat-resistant measuring jug
Instructions
Clean, de-hull and halve strawberries.
Place in a heavy pan over a very low heat (I use a heat diffuser over gas), sprinkle with sugar, cover and heat very slowly, until the juices run - you don't need anything else in the pan. After about 40 minutes, strain the juice into a measuring jug, and put the strawberries aside for the moment.
You should have about 200 ml. of juice, don't worry if there's more, that will be corrected shortly.
Add the juice of half a lemon and 125 ml. of pectin to the juice. Return the mixture to the pan, and bring to a rolling boil. At this stage, it will froth up, hence the need for a high-sided pan. Boil until only 150 ml. of the mixture remains. If you overdo it and there's slightly less, it doesn't matter; if there's a lot less compensate with some fresh apple juice or simmer a few extra strawberries until they release enough juice.
Allow to cool a little, taste and add amount of sweetener needed.
Return liquid and strawberries back to the pan and turn the heat up high. Bring back to the boil as quickly as possible. Bubbles must be visible across the surface of the liquid, but if you heat it too slowly, the fruit will release more juice and thus stop it setting. Be careful the fruit doesn't catch at this stage.
Boil for a few seconds (say 20 or so), switch off and allow to cool to a safe temperature before putting in a clean jam jar.
Leave overnight in coolest part of fridge to set. If it is still runny in the morning, remove fruit and reduce juice by 1/2, then repeat steps 5.
Notes
This MUST be kept in the fridge; also, be careful not to introduce crumbs into it when using.
Certo apple pectin contains; Water, pectin extract solids (10%), acidity regulator: potassium citrate, preservative: sulphur dioxide.
It can be mixed with natural yoghurt to make strawberry yoghurt.
It can also be used to fill cakes instead of jam provided they are kept cool.
