How to Make Homemade Jam Without Pectin

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Nothing is more of a summer tradition here at our house than making enough homemade jam from fresh fruit to see us through the winter. Get some fruit, some sugar, and a box of pectin and you’re good to go, right? Not so fast! You can actually make jam without pectin if you use my favorite old-fashioned method of thickening your product.

Most brands exclaim breathlessly, “All natural pectin” or “Made from real fruit”. And this is true – it does originate from fruit. Sound okay, right? Don’t be deceived. This misleading label makes it sound as though this is nothing more than some powdered fruit.

Storebought pectin contains additives that are most likely genetically modified. Dextrose is generally made from corn products (GMOs that are absolutely SOAKED in glyphosate). It is made from cornstarch, the main ingredient in good old High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Don’t let anyone tell you that citric acid is “just Vitamin C”. It is derived from GMO mold.

Not only does store-bought pectin contain unsavory ingredients, but it is also very highly processed.

Jam has been around for thousands of years. The first known book of jam recipes was written in Rome in the 1st century. Since, I’m pretty sure our ancestors didn’t have those handy little boxes of Sure-Jell or RealFruit or Certo sitting in their pantries, we can break up with the box, too.

First of all, I want to encourage you not to be deterred by the lengthy amount of time to make this jam. Very little of that time is spent hands-on. Nearly all of it is draining time. You’ll end up cooking your fruit down for far less time than the standard pectin-included method, and your fruit will taste fruitier because it’s so concentrated. Give it a try! You’ll be hooked!