Pomona’s Pectin is an alternative to conventional pectin, which allows you to make jams with reduced, or no, sugar.

Due to the very mild winter we have had this year, strawberries have come into season early and very sweet. What else could I do apart from make some jam? And as I have Pomona’s Pectin, and some local honey, well… that’s pretty much a match made in heaven!

Prepare your boiling water bath canner along with 7 jam jars, lids, and rings.

Put the strawberries and calcium water into a large cooking pot. Mix the pectin into the honey very thoroughly. Bring the strawberries and calcium water to a full boil, stir in the blended honey and pectin while returning the strawberries to a full boil. Once the jam has returned to a full boil, allow it to stand for a couple of minutes then stir thoroughly – this short rest should make sure that the fruit gets distributed evenly throughout the jam.

This will make a jam that is semi-solid with a nice juicy texture. For a thicker jam, try a sliding scale of up to double the pectin and the calcium water. If you double the pectin and calcium the jam should set almost solid.

Put the jam into the jars, boil for 10 minutes, allow to cool for at least 12 hours, label, and store in a cool, dark place. Jam!

Check this ingredients list against commercially made jams. What do you notice? No preservatives, no High Fructose Corn Syrup, no artificial colouring. Just fruit, pectin, honey, calcium, and a little water. In other words… food.