The strawberry patch is reaching the end of production for this year. It’s been an OK year – so far we have gotten about 18lbs of berries. Not bad but nowhere near the 55lbs we brought in one year. Some went in the freezer, I made a strawberry pie (it’s not summer without this pie for me!), a strawberry buckle and a chocolate strawberry bundt cake (recipe coming soon.) We ate many spinach and strawberry salads and I paired the small rhubarb harvest to make a strawberry rhubarb custard tart. I had one last goal for this year and that was to add some more low sugar jam to the pantry. When I didn’t have enough strawberries to make a batch of jam I added in some of the cherries I had frozen last year to make strawberry cherry low sugar jam! The result was so good this jam will be an annual event.
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Low Sugar Strawberry Cherry Jam
Makes 4 1/2 to 5 pints
- 6 cups chopped strawberries
- 4 cups chopped cherries
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 box low sugar pectin
- 1 tsp butter (optional)
- Have your pint jars clean and sterilized and the canner ready.
- Cut the strawberries and cherries into small pieces and add them to a heavy bottomed, non reactive pot.
- Put the sugar in a bowl and remove 1/4 cup.
- Mix the 1/4 cup of sugar in another bowl with the pectin.
- Add the pectin/sugar to the fruit in the pot. If you would like add the teaspoon of butter to help keep foaming down.
- Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly to a full rolling boil – one that you cannot stir down – and add the remaining sugar.
- Return to a rolling boil – boil for one minute and remove from heat.
- Carefully add the jam to the prepared jars. Leave 1/2″ headspace. Use a non reactive spatula to get out any air gaps. If you need to add more jam, do. (if you are new to canning, a canning kit is very helpful)
- Dip the canning lids in hot water to soften. Dry
- Wipe the rims of the jars to remove any jam that might have spilled.
- Place the lid, then the rim and twist hand tight.
- Process for 15 minutes. If you are above 3,000 follow the directions for higher altitude canning.
- Turn off the heat. Leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes with the lid on the canner.
- Remove the jars and let them sit for 24 hours then check the seals.
- Store as you do your other jams and jellies.
How Was the Strawberry Cherry Low Sugar Jam Recipe?
As I mentioned above this is about the best jam I think I have ever made. It’s great when a what am I going to do moment leads to something so wonderful. Last year I had a similar situation with apricots; I ended up making Apricot Strawberry Jam. It is very tasty but no where near as good as this is.
I have been enjoying it for lunch on crackers with some peanut butter. It really sings. I have a feeling it is not going to last long. Next year I will make more.
I am sorry to see the end of the fresh strawberries but as they say, all good things must come to an end.
PrintStrawberry Cherry Low Sugar Jam Recipe
a wonderful jam with both strawberry and cherry. It’s not too sweet and it is one of the best jam flavors I have tasted
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 - 5 pints 1x
- Category: Canning
- Method: Water Bath
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped strawberries
- 4 cups chopped cherries
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 box low sugar pectin
- 1 tsp butter (optional)
Instructions
- Have your jars clean and sterilized and the canner ready.
- Cut the strawberries and cherries into small pieces and add them to a heavy bottomed, non reactive pot.
- Put the sugar in a bowl and remove 1/4 cup.
- Mix the 1/4 cup of sugar in another bowl with the pectin.
- Add the pectin/sugar to the fruit in the pot. If you would like add the teaspoon of butter to help keep foaming down.
- Heat over medium high heat, stirring constantly to a full rolling boil – one that you cannot stir down – and add the remaining sugar.
- Return to a rolling boil – boil for one minute and remove from heat.
- Carefully add the jam to the prepared jars. Leave 1/2″ headspace. Use a non reactive spatula to get out any air gaps. If you need to add more jam, do.
- Dip the canning lids in hot water to soften. Dry
- Wipe the rims of the jars to remove any jam that might have spilled.
- Place the lid, then the rim and twist hand tight.
- Process for 15 minutes. If you are above 3,000 follow the directions for higher altitude canning.
- Turn off the heat. Leave the jars in the canner for 5 minutes with the lid on the canner.
- Remove the jars and let them sit for 24 hours then check the seals.
- Store as you do.
Notes
If you want to can in half pints instead of pints this will make 9 – 10 half pints. This is what I did. I processed 7 half pint jars in the first run and then just decided to keep the remaining jars in the refrigerator to use. If you are going to process half pints do so for 10 minutes.
Cook time inclues the time to cook the jam and the time to process the jam
Keywords: jam, low sugar jam, strawberry, cherry, strawberry cherry jam