Preserving food has become an important part of our life. In this Blog post I am going to share with you how to can your own sugar free jam and share with you why we started urban homesteading.
I spent over 10 years of my life chronically ill and relying on other people to cure my chronic illness and ease my anxiety. At one point, I spent over 8.5 months bed ridden going through withdrawals from all of the medications I had been on for years. I felt defeated , unsupported and spent most of my days in pain, suffering from wave after wave of panic attacks…
So what changed? I took 100% responsibility for my health , both physical and mental , along with my financial health.
I became very conscious of what I was putting in my body , my mind and allowing to enter my space energetically.
I began to ditch all of the chemical laden products I had been using for years. My home is now stocked with chemical free , plant based alternatives and products I have made myself and food I have preserved myself.
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Urban Homesteading - Canning Your Own Food
@jenniferdawnweltz Who else think it’s important to preserve your own food? Comment your favourite thing to preserve. #urbanhomestead #canningtiktok #preservingfood #fibromyalgia #chronicillness #sustainability @jenniferdawnweltz ♬ she's all i wanna be - Tate McRae
We had visited the local market and got some great deals on some produce, fresh strawberries were one of the things we scored, so I decided to take the day and do some canning. This sugar free strawberry jam turned out AMAZING ! It is so rewarding to preserve your own food and I feel good knowing exactly what is in my food!
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam Recipe
This jam is sooo easy to make and takes very little effort.
INGREDIENTS:
4 CUPS STRAWBERRIES
2 CUPS PINEAPPLE JUICE
2 PACKAGES SUGAR FREE PECTIN
3 CUPS SPLENDA
Preserving Food
I started by putting my jars in the dishwasher to make sure they were clean and sanitized . I then washed and hulled the strawberries ( I clean mine in Kangen water first to ensure I am removing any potential chemicals or bugs) . I then put a layer of strawberries in a glass casserole dish and smashed them with a potato masher. ( it is easier if you cut them up). Once of all of the strawberries were mashed, I measured to make sure I had 8 cups and dumped into a stainless steel pot and set it to medium heat. I then added the no sugar needed pectin and whisked it until dissolved. Turn your heat up and bring to a boil , add your Splenda and boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and skim the foam from the top.
I laid out all my jars on towels on my counter and then filled , leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace. I then wiped down my jar jars with vinegar and topped with my sanitized lids. I put on the rings and tightened finger tight.
I then placed the jars into the water bath canner with the lid on, making sure they were covered by an inch of water and when it came to a rolling boil, started a timer for 10 minutes ( based on my altitude).
I then turned off the heat and removed the lid, let them sit for 5 minutes and then transferred to the counter to cool and left undisturbed for 24 hours.
I used the Bernardin Recipe here.
How long will home canned sugar free jam last?
For sugar free jam , it typically will last for approximately a year. Jams made with real sugar do have a bit of a longer shelf life and people have claimed that their canned goods are still good several years later. As with anything , use your own discernment and make sure there is nothing visibly wrong with it or that it does not smell off. And ALWAYS check your seals!
Where can I buy Canning Supplies?
I purchase a lot of my supplies locally from hardware or farm supply stores but I also purchase supplies from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca , Cabela’s and other online stores that cater to homesteaders.
