Reduced Sugar Jam
Servings
makes 1 quart
Prep Time
5-10 minutes
Cook Time
20-30 minutes
"This recipe is written a bit differently because it’s a recipe in progress. You can use different fruit and vary the sugar levels."
Andrea Nguyen
Ingredients
1 quart halved, hulled strawberries
4 plums, chopped
2 cups sugar, or to taste
2 tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, quartered
¼ cup finely slivered ginger
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½ - 1 tsp cardamom or almond extract
Directions
Put the jam base in a 3-quart pot, squeezing the lemon to release its juices before dropping it in.
Simmer the ingredients until thick like a loose jam, pull off the heat, and remove the lemon.
Set aside to cool, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Check the texture.
Taste and if you want a touch of flair, stir in cardamom or almond extract by the 1/2 to 1 tsp.
When satisfied, let cool completely. Finally, use a canning funnel to easily transfer to a jar. Keep the jam refrigerated.
Recipe Note
Instead of apples and citrus for pectin, try ground or whole chia seeds. The seeds are tasteless but thicken well, with a slightly slippery texture. You can greatly reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe below. I’d cook the jam to taste, turn off the heat and add the chia. Finesse the amount used remembering that a little goes a long way.
Ever-Green Vietnamese by Andrea Nguyen is available for purchase here:
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