Strawberry-xylitol jam

Based on this recipe. Lemon juice is the only type of juice I have in the house so I substituted lemon juice and water for the juice the recipe called for. I made this using the 4 lb/$5 strawberries from the market – it’s noticeably blander than the jam I’ve made with in-season berries, but still better than store-bought.

4 cups (1000 ml) crushed strawberries (I started with about 9 cups of frozen strawberries)

1/4 cup (250 ml) lemon juice

3/4 cup water

1 pkg (49 g) BERNARDIN® No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin

1 1/2 cups xylitol

1/2 tsp stevia

• Place 6 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Heat SNAP LID® sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.

• Crush strawberries one layer at a time. Measure crushed strawberries, lemon juice, and water into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin until dissolved.

• Stirring constantly, bring fruit mixture to a boil over high heat.

• Add xylitol and stevia and return mixture to a boil.

• Stirring frequently, boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam.

• Quickly ladle hot jam into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more jam. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining jam.

• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. Boil for 5 minutes.

• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.