Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe with no Pectin. (2024)

FAQs

What thickens jam without pectin? ›

Lemons - Juice of one lemon and zest. Sugar - To help thicken and sweeten. I don't recommend substituting for a sugar alternative. Cornstarch - Optional, but works well as a thickener in place of pectin.

No extra pectin– You may wonder if strawberry jam is better with or without pectin. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so some people prefer to add additional pectin to jams and jellies. However, I actually prefer homemade jam without extra pectin. They are a bit softer in texture, making it more versatile.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice is essential for getting the pectin to gel properly, setting the jam. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

Cool to room temperature. Seal, label with the fruit and the date, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Throwing in an extra tablespoon of lemon or lime juice at the end can help, but avoid adding any more than that as it could make the jam runny.

Strawberry jam with added pectin can be cooked in as little as ten minutes, preserving that fresh berry flavor and quality. Strawberry jam without added pectin needs to be cooked up to four times longer to reach the gel stage, resulting in a much sweeter, less fresh-tasting jam.

To set, jam needs the right balance of acid and pectin. High-acid fruits include citrus, cherries, green apples, pineapple, raspberries and plums. If you're using low-acid fruits, such as rhubarb, apricots, peaches and strawberries, you need to add lemon juice.

Cook over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. 3. Turn heat up to high and bring mixture to a boil. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, until mixture thickens and darkens in colour, or until mixture reaches 220°F (105°C) on a candy thermometer.

Unfortunately, now that the pectin is dissolved and free, the strands of pectin repel each other because they carry an electric charge that is negative. Without a little help, the pectin strands can't come together to form a network that will set your batch of jam — that's where the lemon juice comes into play.

How long should I boil jam for? ›

Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn't flood to fill the gap, it is ready.

You can use bottled lemon juice or fresh. However, I personally look to use other complementary juices to certain fruit jams. Rather than rely on lemon juice I would for example use redcurrant juice from fresh redcurrants in a strawberry jam instead, or an acidic type of apple and apple juice in a blackberry jam etc.

To remake cooked jam or jelly without added pectin, for each 1 L (4 cups) jam or jelly add 25 mL (2 tbsp) bottled lemon juice. Heat to boiling and boil jam or jelly hard 3 to 4 minutes, then test for signs of gelling.

Orange juice is a good one-to-one substitute for lemon juice in most recipes. It's less acidic, sweeter, and less tart than lemon juice. Plus, it has a different flavor profile. In recipes in which a large amount of lemon juice is needed, substituting for it with orange juice may significantly impact the flavor ( 4 ).

The acid in lemon juice can help pectin to gel which is why it is often added to lower pectin fruits in jam-making, but it is not a straight replacement for pectin. As the recipe contains (apple) cider vinegar there is already a reasonable amount of acid in the chilli jam and extra lemon juice shoud not be needed.

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits like lemons and oranges contain pectin, and the zest and juice can be added to the fruit mixture to help it set. Chia seeds: Chia seeds can be used as a natural thickener for jams and jellies. Simply mix them with water to form a gel, and add the gel to the fruit m.

If you simply take fruit and cook it with some sugar to sweeten it a little, it will get thick enough to turn into jam by the naturally occurring pectin in the fruit and the process of reduction. Reduction occurs when we simmer the fruit, and the liquid turns to steam and evaporates, which thickens the jam.

The acid in lemon juice can help pectin to gel which is why it is often added to lower pectin fruits in jam-making, but it is not a straight replacement for pectin. As the recipe contains (apple) cider vinegar there is already a reasonable amount of acid in the chilli jam and extra lemon juice shoud not be needed.