Here you will find recipes for three healthy jams without sugar. If you use ripe strawberries in summer, for example, you can do without any additional sweetness. In addition, you can add honey and dates for a healthy sweetness. We have also put together alternative gelling agents for you in this article.
This is how sugar-free jams succeed
Not everyone wants to use industrially produced jam sugar for their jam. We have prepared some healthy alternatives for you. For example, you can use dates or honey to sweeten. To create the right consistency, apple pectin, agar-agar, and chia seeds are suitable as gelling agents.
1) Strawberry jam with chia
This jam consists of only two ingredients and is quick to make! However, it needs one night to swell. Because the chia seeds swell overnight, you have fresh, healthy jam without sugar the next morning. Incidentally, this option is recommended for small quantities for the upcoming breakfast. The chia seeds do not make the jam durable, they only give it a jelly-like consistency. This jam can only be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. By the way, chia seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids and vegetable protein. So this jam without sugar really packs a punch! You only need two ingredients:
- 200 g ripe sweet strawberries
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Preparation of the chia jam
This healthy jam is prepared in less than 10 minutes and then only needs to swell. Follow our step-by-step guide:
- Wash the fruits and then puree them in the blender.
- Mix the fruit with the chia seeds.
- Place the mixture in the refrigerator overnight.
2) Jam with dates and apple pectin
This strawberry jam is sweetened with dates. The gelling agent in this recipe is apple pectin, which is made from dried apple pomace and lemons. It is ideal for preserving jam and jelly. So you get a healthy jam without sugar. You need the following ingredients for the jam:
- 500 g ripe sweet strawberries
- 10 dates
- half an organic lemon
- 20 g apple pectin
The preparation of jam with apple pectin
Useful kitchen utensils for making jam are a grater, a lemon squeezer, a blender, and a saucepan. You also need clean jars with screw caps. Just follow our step-by-step instructions for making apple pectin jam:
- Wash the strawberries and lemon.
- Cut the berries and dates into pieces.
- Grate the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon.
- Add berries, dates, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the saucepan.
- Blend everything and simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Gradually sprinkle in the pectin and stir.
- Let everything simmer for another 3-5 minutes while stirring.
- Definitely do a jelly test.
- Pour the jam into clean jam jars.
3) Sugar-free jam with agar agar
Agar-Agar is a powder made from dried algae. It dissolves when cooked and solidifies when cooled from 35° Celsius. The algae powder contains vegetable proteins, vitamin K, beta-carotene, and several B vitamins, as well as vitamin C. The agar is purely vegetable and therefore also suitable for vegan diets. If it smells “of the sea” while cooking, don’t worry! The smell disappears and you can’t taste it in the finished jam. You need the following ingredients for the jam with agar:
- 500 grams of strawberries
- 1 teaspoon agar agar
- lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- 125 grams of honey
This is how the jam with agar succeeds
With a few simple tools, this jam is easy to prepare. You need a blender, a saucepan, and clean jam jars. Here is our guide in five easy steps:
- Heat the fruit along with the honey and lemon juice. (But don’t cook yet!)
- Now puree the mixture with a hand blender in the saucepan.
- Add the agar-agar and cook the mixture bubbly for 3 minutes, stirring.
- Do a gel test to see if the consistency is right.
- Pour the jam into clean screw-top jam jars.
