[Purely Original] Strawberry Jam

[Purely's own organic strawberry jam is here!]

The enchanting strawberry jam is finally complete! It's the kind of happy strawberry jam you'll want to eat forever.

The organic strawberries we processed into jam are from Masahiro Ito of Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Mr. Ito continues to use organic farming methods that minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides, so his strawberries grow in a "strawberry-like" way and are full of delicious flavor.

[Mr. Ito's organically grown strawberries]

Masahiro Ito grows organic strawberries in Kamotocho, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
In his 20s and 30s, Mr. Ito worked in development aid in developing countries such as Laos, and returned to Japan with his family of five from Fiji, where he was posted, in March 2013.
After a year of agricultural training with the Kumamoto Prefecture Organic Agriculture Research Association, he started working as an organic strawberry farmer in Kumamoto in June 2014.
The reason she decided on strawberries was because "my son said he wanted to eat some delicious strawberries."
Mr. Ito speaks with a big smile, but he started farming at the age of 40, with three children.
Organic farming is highly difficult, and organic strawberry cultivation is even more difficult.
He says it was truly "a continuous process of great hardship."
In 2016, his second year as a farmer, his crops were nearly wiped out. He shipped the small amount of crops he had cultivated using conventional farming methods to the JA and "somehow managed to get through it."

Through trial and error every year, Ito has improved his organic strawberry cultivation techniques and accumulated his own unique know-how.
Mr. Ito values ​​the natural power of strawberries, and only uses biological pesticides (natural enemy pesticides and pesticides derived from living organisms) that contain no artificial ingredients, and organic fertilizers whose main ingredients are 100% natural organic matter.
Believing in the vitality of strawberries, we take great care not to kill insects with chemicals, not to eliminate weeds, and not to pull out diseased plants.
And despite the general belief that it is difficult to grow organic strawberries without chemical pesticides, this year there was a bumper crop of organic strawberries.

The jam made with plenty of Ito's strawberries is exceptionally delicious. It has a good balance of sourness and sweetness, and is highly fragrant.

Enjoy it on crisp toast, on scones, pancakes or mixed into yogurt!

Roots Purely Jam Making

Jam making is a simple process, but the way the pectin is extracted from the fruit, the degree of reduction, and the proportion of ingredients are all very important. The fruit is candied and left to sit for a few hours until it thickens sufficiently. Then, it is carefully simmered over low heat to allow it to thicken naturally.

Most jams contain the additive pectin to thicken them, and may contain antioxidants instead of lemon juice.
Purely's original jams are made with time and effort, taking full advantage of the pectin contained in the fruit. They also use mineral-rich organic sugar with a refined sweetness, and naturally grown lemon juice to prevent oxidation and tighten the sweetness.