March is National Nutrition Month, but at Spread the Love Foods, we think it's always a good time to talk about how we treat our bodies. All you need is clean, all natural fruits, nuts and grains to make tasty—and healthy—products. That's why we make our raspberry jam without pectin, a fiber commonly used as a thickener while cooking. Keep reading to find out why this is a big deal.
Why we make our raspberry jam without pectin
For decades, people added pectin to their foods because they believed it was beneficial to their health. Many used it to treat high cholesterol, heartburn and high triglycerides.
But studies haven't produced any concrete evidence of pectin having any positive effect on these conditions. And, even more concerning, it can prevent the body from absorbing beta-carotene. That's a problem.
Beta-carotene is a natural pigment found in many fruits and vegetables. When you eat foods containing beta-carotene, your body converts 50 percent of it into Vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes good vision, a strong immune system and cell growth.
If that's not enough, beta-carotene is also an antioxidant. A lot of us have heard the word "antioxidant" before, but we'd guess many haven't taken the time to look up what they actually do. When your body processes food and reacts to whatever environment you're in, your cells give off tiny molecules called free radicals. Over time, free radicals can damage your cells, leading to issues such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
Antioxidants help to get rid of those free radicals. If you're doing the right thing and including fruits and vegetables in your diet, you definitely don't want to minimize their benefits by also eating foods that block the nutrients they're full of.
So, it's safe to say we're not a fan of pectin. In fact, it makes jams...well...less jammy.
Beyond the health benefits of making raspberry jam without pectin
Here's some information that might be a bit surprising to you: jelly and jam aren't the same. Jelly is a spread made with boiled fruits and sugars. It's usually run through a strainer to remove any fruit rinds. Usually, a thickener such as Pectin is added so it "gels."
But jam isn't supposed to be that thick. It's full of chopped up fruits that give you the texture that's satisfying to bite into while still being easy to spread. We make our raspberry jam without pectin because we think it takes away from the most important part of it: the fresh and tasty raspberries!
If you're fans of our Marionberry Jam, you're in luck. We also leave out additives like water and pectin that take away from the all natural taste everyone is looking for.
Give all of our jams a try. We know you'll love them!