Sugar Free Strawberry Jam

SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY JAM

Jam is something I missed when I gave up added sugar.  But regular homemade jam is ridiculously high in sugar.  Most jam recipes call for almost TWICE the sugar as fruit.

4 Cups fresh strawberries, crushed - I use a pie dough cutter for this, it's a very handy tool!
2 packages sugar free pectin (yes, two, not sure why but mine never sets up well enough with just one)
4 Cups Swerve, Truvia or other sugar substitute - make sure yours can tolerate heat like these do.
Optional:  1/4 C lemon juice - extra tartness will help it set up better, but taste yours to see if this might make it too tart.  If so, better to boil it longer.

Sprinkle pectin on crushed strawberries, add sugar and bring to a boil.  I often use my microwave for this, because otherwise I tend to burn things to the bottom of my pans.  If you used your microwave this grows to huge dimensions when it boils, so put it in a microwave safe dish that will hold AT LEAST twice the jam you are putting in, to allow for it to boil up.

Test the jam by putting a Tablespoon or more on a plate you have had sitting in the freezer.  The jam should be pretty firm and not drip if you tip the plate on it's side.  You may have to boil for 10-20 minutes or even longer.  Just keep testing it periodically and stick it back on to boil more if it's too runny.

Ladle the still hot jam into canning jars.  I put my jars in the dishwasher and run it while I'm cooking the jam, so they stay clean and hot.  Put lids on.  You can actually "process" your jam with a regular hot bath canner now if you want, but I have room in my freezer, so I'm done at this point.  Just let the jam cool for 24 hours and stick it in the freezer.

Counting your carbs?  1/2 C strawberries has only 6.5 g of carbs!  It's one of the lowest fruits.  Others with similar counts are melons and cranberries.  The "no sugar needed" pectin will add less than 1 gram per Tablespoon of jam.

Aren't they beautiful? - One batch of sugar free on the left, 

one batch of regular jam (to give away) on the right.