I realized we were out of strawberry jam this morning after pulling biscuits out of the oven. Jam is an easy breakfast condiment to make, so I decided to whip up a small stovetop batch using just three (3) simple ingredients (strawberries, erythritol and freshly squeezed lemon juice).

What Is Erythritol?

Erythritol belongs to a class of compounds called sugar alcohols (polyols). Found naturally in fruits and fermented foods, erythritol is a commonly used sugar substitute. It can be up to 80% sweeter than sugar and doesn’t have an aftertaste like many sugar substitutes. It’s unique in that it lacks the calories of sugar and has a different physiological mode of action in the body. Unlike sugar which is absorbed by the body, causing side effects that may be harmful for those that have metabolic conditions like diabetes, erythritol is not metabolized by the body and is mostly excreted in the urine. Thus, it has no impact on blood glucose and insulin levels like refined sugars (i.e., cane sugar, brown sugar, honey) often added to baked goods and processed prepackaged foods.

In addition, scientific research has shown that erythritol exhibits antioxidant properties by seeking out free radicals (cell damaging agents that cause inflammatory and cardiac diseases and cancers) while circulating in the body prior to excretion and feeds on them. Hence, it has been recognized as a free radical scavenger that may reduce the risk of these diseases.

Ingredients 🌿

• Organic Strawberries
• Organic Erythritol
• Organic Lemon

Directions 🔖

• If using frozen strawberries, thaw in the refrigerator or microwave prior to cooking.
• Mash up strawberries.
• Add strawberries, sugar substitute and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase to medium or high heat (there may be variations between convection and gas ranges) to bring to a boil. Continue to stir slowly and until the jam reaches 220 degrees F (105 C). If you do not have a thermometer, measure readiness by the visual consistency of the jam. A simple way to test the consistency and verify the jam is set, is to use a spoon or spatula and let it run off of the utensil. If it’s a fast runny consistency, it’s not ready.
• Continue to cook until the consistency is such that it runs off of the utensil slowly in thick chunks or droplets.
• Once the jam is set, transfer to your storage container (mason jars are ideal) and refrigerate or serve immediately as a breakfast condiment. Enjoy with Immaculate Baking Organic Biscuits or any bread of choice!

Sweet Scientific Fact!

We all love sweet treats. As a matter of fact, infants are born with the ability to decipher all tastes, except for salty. This includes the ability to recognize sweet, sour and bitter tastes. They are biologically more attracted to sweet, which is biology’s way of attracting them to their primal nutrition source, breast milk, which is inherently sweet, unlike formula.