FRESH STRAWBERRY PRESERVES! SUGAR-FREE and OUTSTANDING on CHEESECAKE!
2 cups of fresh strawberries
2 cups water
1/2 tsp.xanthan gum or glucomannan (be careful--this needs to be sprinkled in you DO NOT want it to clump)
2-4 tablespoons granulated truvia ** (note on subbing xylitol for erythritol for condiments) or sub 1 - OR. 2 tablespoons THM Sweetblend (this is an older recipe so it was tested with truvia - stevia alone will just not do here as I have found through MUCH trial and error) This post is a result of all my attempts at making it with stevia as is sometimes recommended and thinking I would never have good fruit jam!
1 dash of celtic sea salt (because I'm always looking for an excuse to do that)
Just mash and stir this for a few minutes and the "gluccie" will do it's magic thickening for you. Taste of it and make sure that you think it is sweet enough before you pour it into your nice clean jar.
Store it in the refrigerator.
**Other notes - I love the taste of truvia but not so much the price or effects that I have personally experienced with extended use. I make my own and NEVER have negative effects.
1 cup erythritol
1 tsp really good stevia (I have always used KAL but am ordering THM today)!
A friend shared some with me this weekend and it is outstanding!
I mix these two together and shake well for truia-ish
As far as xylitol goes....I do NOT normally use it because it causes me digestive distress(I'll spare you details) in larger amounts...but in condiments- which are intended to use sparingly I will use it and substitute it for the erythritol in the truvia-ish-ness because it is known to be anti bacterial and I believe it makes my condiments last longer. I have noticed no bad effects in the smaller amounts that I commonly use for condiments. If you just want to use truvia though it still lasts longer than you need it too as good as this stuff tastes!
**Notes on glucomannan-- if you're not a Trim Healthy Mama type you might not be familiar with this product. It is considered a super food and will thicken any recipe where you want texture and thickness while at the same time causing you to feel very full and satisfied after consuming it. It represents a choking hazard so don't let the kids play with it as it will swell on contact with liquid (like saliva) and cause lots of problems for a person trying to swallow it. Just sprinkle it on and make sure it is dispersed before taste testing or blend it well in a processor or blender.
since I don't have a masher, I can "chopped" and blend it up in blender so would it make it the same? You had a picture of strawberry extract and didn't mention how much to put in there. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Sherri, I see what you're saying. Chopping it up smaller would work and then you could just mash them with a fork. I don't know what blending in a blender would do texture wise, but if you had a large batch it might be worth a try. I had originally used a little flavoring in this, but as my tastes have adapted more toward "real" food on this diet I just don't find it necessary and I just never changed the picture. I serve this to friends and family all the time and they don't miss it either. I do use the best quality berries I can find though, always! Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDelete