no pectin, no lemon, no problems strawberry jam

I like strawberry jam that is kind of chunky, not too sweet, edging on tart and with the crunch of little strawberry seeds that get stuck in my teeth too often. A couple weeks ago, when my father came home with a giant box of tart, wild strawberries, I immediately had a flashback to the time he brought home a heaping bag of wild sour apples. Jam, a voice screamed in my head. Make jam! 

When you make fruit jam, you need a polysaccharide called pectin to help the fruit develop into that syrupy, jam-my consistency. Some fruits are inherently high in pectin, like apples and citrus, while others, like berries, have very little. Strawberries have very little pectin.

Sometimes, people will add combine low-pectin fruits with high-pectin fruits to make jam. For instance, many strawberry jam recipes will ask you to add either a packet of pectin or some fresh lemon juice. If you're like me and don't have either in the house - the good news is that you can transform your strawberries into a lovely jam even without either of those ingredients. Instead, you can use corn starch or arrowroot powder to achieve the same low viscosity with your fruit.

"No pectin, no problems" Strawberry jam (adapted from Whole Lifestyle Nutrition)
2-3 cups strawberries, washed and de-leafed
1 Tbs arrowroot powder
1 Tbs water
1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1. Process the strawberries until the desired consistency. I left mine a bit chunky; they will break down further during cooking anyway.

2. In a pot, combine the strawberry puree with a little bit of water. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Let it boil and condense for 10-15 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the arrowroot powder and water until smooth.

4. Mix the arrowroot mixture into the boiling strawberries. After 30 seconds, take the pot off of the heat.

5. Let the jam mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, pour into jars and let it cool further at room temperature before refrigerating. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools. Enjoy!