Jam sweetened with agave
The people at Wholesome Sweeteners posed a question to me... is it possible to make jam with agave instead of white sugar? This would be perfect for people with diabetes since agave has a lower glycemic index than white sugar. This is also great for people looking for a more natural alternative to high sugar jams. I've never used agave in jam before, but I was up to the challenge to experiment! They shipped me off a case of agave and I got cracking!
It's too bad it's not prime berry season anymore... but I made due and busted open a big box of strawberries I had frozen this summer (hand picked by me and Johns mom!). I wanted to try and make this batch using all organic products and went researching online for alternatives to boxed low sugar pectin. I came across some entries about using 1 Tbs of arrow root powder plus 1 Tbs of water mixed to make a paste... supposedly you add this to your bubbling jam and it magically solidifies your jam! ummm right...
For starters I was lucky enough to find arrow root powder in the bulk section of my local co-op. This way I could just buy a few tablespoons of the stuff instead of a 1 lb bag of it, and bonus it was 100% organic!
Note to my roommate: really I haven't developed a drug habit... this bag of white powder... well you see it's arrowroot... not crack... no really! Why are you looking at me funny??
The results of using agave and arrow root... a really delicious strawberry sauce... not jam. I'm waiting to see if it solids up anymore but after 2 days... it's still looking pretty liquidy.
So half the battle is won. The agave complimented the strawberries amazingly! The next try is going to be with a box of pectin... and once raspberries are back in season and not $50 a lb I'm going to make some raspberry jam using agave (since raspberries have natural pectin in them so you don't need a box of it), the agave is seriously delicious though!!
An exact recipe to come soon once I have it more so figured out :) So stay tuned! OH and if anyone has any suggestions... please feel free to let me know!
It's too bad it's not prime berry season anymore... but I made due and busted open a big box of strawberries I had frozen this summer (hand picked by me and Johns mom!). I wanted to try and make this batch using all organic products and went researching online for alternatives to boxed low sugar pectin. I came across some entries about using 1 Tbs of arrow root powder plus 1 Tbs of water mixed to make a paste... supposedly you add this to your bubbling jam and it magically solidifies your jam! ummm right...
For starters I was lucky enough to find arrow root powder in the bulk section of my local co-op. This way I could just buy a few tablespoons of the stuff instead of a 1 lb bag of it, and bonus it was 100% organic!
Note to my roommate: really I haven't developed a drug habit... this bag of white powder... well you see it's arrowroot... not crack... no really! Why are you looking at me funny??
The results of using agave and arrow root... a really delicious strawberry sauce... not jam. I'm waiting to see if it solids up anymore but after 2 days... it's still looking pretty liquidy.
So half the battle is won. The agave complimented the strawberries amazingly! The next try is going to be with a box of pectin... and once raspberries are back in season and not $50 a lb I'm going to make some raspberry jam using agave (since raspberries have natural pectin in them so you don't need a box of it), the agave is seriously delicious though!!
An exact recipe to come soon once I have it more so figured out :) So stay tuned! OH and if anyone has any suggestions... please feel free to let me know!
Posts
12 chews:
Looking forward to the final jam recipe; sounds wonderful as a sauce too! Btw, have you ever made a beer jelly? I had this idea for the pumpkin/beer Royal Joust this month but I have no experience with making jams or jellies at all.
Yum. I love agave - it's tasty and so much better for us.
I have tried agave syrup and was not a big fan. Will be interested to see how it works in the jam...
Oh, this sounds really clever. And raspberries and agave sounds like a nice pair, sounds like an ice-cream flavor to me :)
I've been wanting to try agave for some time now but have been waiting for others (like yourself) to give their opinion. I'm interested in using it to replace Splenda.
I love agave, though I'm not surprised you ended up with sauce rather than jam. The agave just doesn't have the same thickening properties as sugar. I had similar results trying to make pomegranate molasses with agave. I'm sure the pectin will work though and I'll be the sauce is delicious!
Agave is the 'ish! TJ's has a really nice maple syrup agave mix that we like to bake with from time to time.
Congratulations on your Foodbuzz Nature's Pride ambassador! Cool!
And...I really hope nobody laced your arrowroot powder!
Didn't try the sweet potato fries yet, but this weekend for sure!
I'm a total Agave lover! I'll stay tuned to the next jam episode!
Congratulations on your Foodbuzz Nature's Pride ambassador! Cool!
And...I really hope nobody laced your arrowroot powder!
I have tried agave syrup and was not a big fan. Will be interested to see how it works in the jam...
Oh, this sounds really clever. And raspberries and agave sounds like a nice pair, sounds like an ice-cream flavor to me :)
Post a Comment