Eco-friendly and Organic Jams and Preserves

When making your homemade jam, remember to use eco-friendly and organic ingredients such as organic fruits, sugar or pectin. Focus on local and seasonal fruits from local farmers or grown by yourself, because that will help you to prepare organic jams and preserves at home.

Use local ingredients

Choose only local fruits in the process of homemade jam making. This is how you will support local farmers and the local community, strengthening ties with it. Choose seasonal fruits, because seasonal fruits have more taste and also need less resources to grow and transport. Work with what nature offers you during this period, so pears in September and October and strawberries in May, June and July. 

Local markets are a place where you can find organic, ripe and local fruits from local farmers. You can also buy fruits with blemishes, because they are great for homemade jams and their price is usually lower.

Another option is to grow fruits in your own garden by planting berries, trees and fruit bushes with apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, strawberries, garden raspberries or other homegrown garden fruits.

Zero-waste while preparing the jam

Preparing jams at home helps to minimize waste and can be an eco-friendly process. Reuse fruits and fruits parts such as apple or pear cores. You can create pectin by cooking them. Orange or lemon zest can be used in jams as well. Using fruit peels or fruits with blemishes will not only help reduce waste but also add flavor to your homemade and handmade jams. Composting old fruits is also a good and eco-friendly idea.

Use old, used jars to store your jams, but remember to wash and sterilize the canning jars and lids well. Ladle jams to smaller jars so that your homemade jams can be consumed for one or two times.

Eco ingredients

Cook organic jam without sugar at home. Use organic and environmentally friendly ingredients in your homemade jams such as organic cane sugar and cook jam with cane sugar. What is more, you can use organic sweeteners, such as maple syrup, fig syrup, agave syrup, honey, stevia or date paste and prepare jam sweetened with stevia or jam sweetened with monk fruit.
Use reused water or wash and rinse fruits in pots or bowls filled with water instead of tap water. 

Share the eco-friendly tips and tricks with your relatives, friends and family members as well as ingredients and places where you can buy organic fruits. Preparing organic jams and preserves at home is an eco-friendly activity, which is not only good for the environment, but also for your health, because the use of organic ingredients in your homemade jams improves your health.