No Added Sugar Strawberry Jam

One of the biggest struggles I had in the past, and that I see my clients encounter now, is knowing what to eat at family celebrations and other events where there are goodies on the table that could potentially cause us a flare-up. For me, it wasn’t really the missing out on that specific food that was hardest, but just missing out on the act of enjoying something sweet with everyone else in general.

My motivation for creating a healthier jam version was when I was planning a party for my sister. She’s obsessed with afternoon tea and so I was doing the works, including scones, jam and cream, and even though I’ve actually never been a fan, I couldn’t stand the idea of not being able to join in!

I went about perfecting a gluten-free scone recipe, cashew clotted cream, and this super easy strawberry jam. What was hilarious (and sort of annoying) is that half my family preferred my scones, cream and jam over the conventional type, and ate them all!

This recipe is super simple, easy to do and requires just four ingredients. Berries are naturally low in sugar and are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, so get stuck in!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Overnight
Makes 1 regular sized jam jar

Ingredients for no added sugar strawberry jam

• 200g/7 oz strawberries
• 1½ tablespoons chia
• ¼ tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, to taste

Directions for no added sugar strawberry jam

1. Wash strawberries and remove the stalks. If using a vanilla pod, slice lengthways and scrap out the beans from the inside. Add both and remaining ingredients into a food processor (I use the smallest bowl on my Magimix).
2. Leave to run for roughly 1-2 minutes, stopping halfway to check the smoothness. If you like jam with some fruit chunks in it, then 1 minute is probably idea as it’ll leave some of the strawberries partially intact. If you prefer smooth jam, keep the food processor going for the whole two minutes for a runnier consistency.
3. Pour into a standard sized jam jar, ensuring that the jar is very clean and dry and that you screw the lid back on tightly, to avoid any bacteria from entering and spoiling the jam.
4. The jam lasts in the fridge for a minimum of 4 days. To help preserve its freshness, always reseal after using and always use a clean knife free of toast crumbs and cake before digging in!