Want your jam to taste of fruit, rather than sugar? Then whip up a small batch of my Low Sugar Strawberry Vanilla Jam. It is great on scones, fresh crepes or even eaten straight off the spoon.
There is something special about homemade strawberry jam. Shop bought jam never quite compares, although this may have something to do with the low levels of strawberries in some brands. Making your own jam means you control both what is in it and the amount of sugar you use. I have played with many low sugar jams over the years, and many different variations of strawberry jam, but this jam with a good dose of vanilla is by far my favourite.
Sugar is the preservative in jam that prevents the fruit spoiling. Although most jam recipes use equal amounts of sugar and fruit, it is possible to substantially reduce the amount of sugar and still have a product that can be stored on a pantry shelf rather than in the fridge. A word of warning though, whilst I have had jars of traditional jam lurk in the pantry for a few years that have still been fine when opened, this will not be the case with low sugar jams. These jams have a much shorter shelf life (a maximum of 12 months) and will need to be heat processed if you wish to keep it for longer periods.
For the longest time I used a 70% sugar:fruit ratio (700g sugar:1 kilo fruit) in my jams. There are some jam makers who dare to push the boundaries and use quite low levels of sugar (as low as 20%) with delicious results. It was discovering this that led to further experimentation. I have now settled on a personal level of 40% sugar:fruit ratio (so 400g sugar/1 kilo fruit) in my jams. For me this is a good balance between tempering the sweetness and retaining some shelf stability.
We don’t eat loads of jam, but I do love to make it. If you arrive on my doorstep at the right time you will find yourself leaving with a jar. I find jam very useful in baking, tucked into the middle of a jammy scone or scooped into the centre of thumbprint biscuits, so I always like to have a few jars on the shelf. As I am forever tinkering with flavour combinations, I only make my jams in small batches so as to leave room on the shelves for further experiments.
Decreasing the sugar will give you a softer set than you would normally get in a full sugar jam. I’m OK with this. I am happy to have softer jam in exchange for being able to taste the fruit. I have still achieved a firm set with high pectin fruit such as plums, but this strawberry vanilla jam is of a much softer consistency than your standard strawberry jam.
Low Sugar #Strawberry #Vanilla Jam. Jam that tastes of fruit, not sugar. Click To TweetStrawberries are in season at the moment, and as I have no jam left on the shelves it is a perfect time to restock. If you have never made jam before, I encourage you to give it a try. It is only a small batch, and the worst thing that can happen is the jam doesn’t set. If this does happen, bottle it up, label it as strawberry vanilla sauce and use it for gifts. No one need never know that wasn’t your intention in the first place.
Low Sugar Strawberry Vanilla Jam {Small Batch}
Make sure that your jars are well sterilised prior to bottling the jam to maximise the storage time. Heat process the jam if you wish, but personally I never do and have never had a problem.
I use a traditional French jam pan for making my jam, but jam can be made in any pan you may have. It is better for the pan to be wider with lower sides than a deep pot as this will help the water to evaporate, but if a pot is all you have do not let this put you off. The jam may just take longer to cook. .
It is important that the jars used to bottle the jam are warm. I get around this by sterilising my jars in the oven (see Notes).
This jam must be kept in the fridge once opened.
Ingredients
- 1 kg strawberries hulled and halved (or quartered if large)
- 400 g raw sugar
- 1 pieces small lemon cut into 4 and pips removed.
- 1 vanilla pod split
Instructions
- Place a small plate into the freezer. This will be used to test the jam for set and must be cold.
- Place all of the ingredients in the pan over a low heat.
- Allow the sugar to dissolve, stirring occasionally. The juices will start to weep from the fruit.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium-low and allow the jam to gently bubble for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The fruit will start to soften and visibly appear darker.
- Increase the heat to high and allow to boil until the jam has darkened and thickened. Stir the jam frequently and don't walk away during this stage as the jam can catch and burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the jam has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and test it for set. To do this, place a small spoonful of jam on the cold saucer and run your finger through the jam to test the consistency. If the jam is set there will be a clear line through the centre of the jam, and there will be no liquid seeping back into the line. (see photo).
- If the jam is still slightly watery, and liquid seeps into the line you created with your finger, return the jam to the heat and cook for a few more minutes. Repeat the saucer test.
- When the jam is set, place the warmed jars on a cutting board or tray. This will prevent the jars cracking as you pour the hot jam into the jars.
- Fill the warmed jars with the jam. With a clean cloth, wipe the top of the jars to remove any spills or stray globs of jam, then seal the jars well with a lid.
- Allow the jars to sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours or overnight to allow the jars to seal properly and form a vacuum. If you suspect that a vacuum has not formed in any of your jars, store these in the fridge and use them immediately.
This jam looks really great Tania! A lot of jam recipes seem to have waayyyy to much sugar in them, more than is necessary. We don’t use a lot of jam so buy St Dalfour’s from Woollies, it’s French and uses fruit juice to sweeten the jam. It is a tad expensive but as I said we don’t eat a lot of it and tend to buy it on special.
I’ve only ever made Rosella jam but absolutely love the process. I made a very tiny batch the other day – one jar – as that was all the fruit we had. I use Rapadura in all of our cooking and it works really well in this jam too, I also use it in chutneys. I made a big batch of green tomato chutney with my Mum the other day and it is so yummy!
Hope you have a good week,
Sarah x
Thanks Sarah. I used to buy the St Dalfour’s but then got hooked on making my own so never buy jam any more. We don’t eat a lot either but I do give a lot away which means I can justify making more 🙂
I use a lot of Rapadura too but don’t like it in jams and cordials as I find the caramel flavours mask most of the fruit flavours, although I might try Rapadura in some apricot jam this summer as I think the caramel flavours would work well with that. I am with you on the chutney though, I have used it in those. I have never seen Rosellas here but will give it a go if I ever stumble across some.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi! Did you use raw cane sugar, or turbinado sugar? 🙂
Hi Sarah. I used raw cane sugar. I don’t tend to use turbinado when making jam as I feel that the strong flavour interferes with the flavours in the jam.
Hi, this may sound silly but when do I take the lemon out? I can’t wait to make this as my son loves strawberry jam but I’m not happy with sugar and preservative content in store bought ones.
Not silly at all Chantelle. I tend to pull the lemons out as I am bottling the jam. You can pull them out just before you start bottling if you prefer. I hope you enjoy it. I love this jam.
Hi Tania, thank u for the reply. I made the jam last night. It was so easy. Although, was amazed how quick it went from liquid to a thickened jam. Will definitely know for next time.
Quick question, do I need to use the vanilla pod? It’s just that it is quite expensive and adding the price of strawberries, this could be quite exy.
Can’t wait to try the jam. I did try it before bottling, yumbo!
I’m glad it worked well for you Chantelle. You don’t need to use the vanilla pod, and can just make straight strawberry jam. I love the addition vanilla gives to the jam though. I never buy vanilla pods retail, for exactly the reason you mentioned – they are far too expensive. I have a large amount stashed in the freezer from our last trip to Bali (In My Kitchen January 2014). If you don’t have a trip to Bali planned 😉 (or don’t know someone that does) then I would buy them on eBay. This is what I intend to do when my stash runs out.
You can use the pod more than once. Just rinse it off and allow to airdry. I sit it on a piece of paper towel to dry. When you have used it a couple of times, slip the dried pod into your caster sugar. The pod will gently fragrance the sugar to give you vanilla sugar.
Oh gosh, wish I could go to Bali anytime soon. But thank u so much for the tips above. I didn’t realise I could use it more than once.
I tried the jam & it was delicious. My son loves it also.
I’m with you there Chantelle 😀 I’m glad you liked the jam.
Hi tania,me again. So I’m down to the last little bit of jam and ready to make my next batch. I have a heap of strawberries in the freezer, would I make it all the same way? Would I need to defrost the strawberries first or just chuck them in and let simmer for longer to absorb the extra water?
Sorry a few questions. Ta, Chantelle.
Hi Chantelle. It really just comes down to how much time you have. If you remember, I would defrost the strawberries first, just because it helps the whole process go faster. However you can absolutely throw in the frozen strawberries and go from there. It shouldn’t make all that much difference in the end. Always happy to answer questions 😉
Hi Tania,
Thanks for the advice above. I made it last night and defrosted the strawberries. My god they were soft after defrosting, but still worked a treat 🙂 I think the jam ended up with a nicer consistency as I lightly mashed the berries in the pan once they were cooked (before turning to high). And I used your tip re the vanilla bean, took it out washed it off and will reuse in the next batch.
Thanks again, Chantelle.
Pleasure Chantelle. I am glad it worked out for you. Now you can freeze extra strawberries next season for year-round jam 😉
Another tip for the vanilla pod. You can also blitz spent pods with sugar, sieve out any chunky bits, and use the vanilla sugar in baking. There are so many ways to make those expensive pods stretch just that little bit further.
Hi tania,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. two questions, can I use pure vanilla extract? and i don’t see anything about processing the finished jams. Do you not do that?
Thanks!
Holly
Hi Holly. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use extract. I haven’t done so as I like the vanilla seeds in the jam, and I feel that cooking the jam with the vanilla pod adds more flavour. However I would absolutely use extract if that was all I had. I would probably stir this in just before bottling though. And sorry, I can’t give you an idea of quantities. I would probably just slosh some in 🙂
As to processing the finished jams, this is not something I do. It is probably the significant difference between British/Australian and American jam making instructions. It is the sugar in the jam that assists the preserving process, and low sugar jams should be consumed within six months for optimum taste. This is why I make this jam in small quantities. There is absolutely no reason why you couldn’t process the jam if you would prefer, which should also extend its shelf life. Unfortunately I cannot give you any instructions for doing so as I am unfamiliar with the process. If you do decide to process them, I would love to hear what you did.