Dear ,

Nothing says summer more than the sweet smell of ripe strawberries...

And if you've ever found yourself wondering how extend "strawberry season" year round... the delicious recipe below will help you do just that.

Of course, these delicious summer berries are the perfect addition to grilled chicken salads, fresh smoothies, jalapeno-spiked salsas and much more. 

But strawberries don't just taste great - they also have powerful cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties.

Reduce Inflammation and Ward off Cancer with Delicious Strawberries

The Women's Health Study evaluated the effects of eating strawberries on the risk of heart disease and elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP).

The researchers discovered that women eating two or more servings of strawberries per week had a 14 percent lower risk of elevated CRP (3 mg/L or higher) than women who ate none. This is important because CRP is one of the best measures of systemic internal inflammation.

Another study, from the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, showed that foods rich in the plant chemical quercetin - including strawberries - can encourage apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.

Strawberries are also rich in a plant nutrient called ellagic acid, which is thought to act as a hormone blocker in estrogen-driven breast cancer. 

Several cell studies have shown the effectiveness of ellagic acid (and other polyphenolic antioxidants found in strawberries) in reducing the growth and spread of prostate, lung, colon, cervical, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

So what should you do when you find your delicious, disease-fighting summer strawberries have gone just a bit beyond their prime? 

Make jam!

How to Make Homemade Strawberry Jam (Without Pectin or Sugar)

Making strawberry jam at home can seem intimidating. But it couldn't be easier. In fact, if you can heat a pan and stir, you can do it!

Not only does homemade strawberry jam taste better, it's better for you too. 

In fact, most store-bought jams are loaded with sugar and made with pesticide-soaked conventional strawberries (in case you didn't know, delicate strawberries are one of the foods that contain the highest levels of pesticide residues).

Another reason to do-it-yourself? 

Commercial jellies strain out the seeds - and this is where the key source of cancer-fighting ellagic acid is found.

While most jams and jelly recipes call for adding additional pectin - the soluble fiber naturally found in fruit that creates the gelling action - you don't need it.

Fruit will naturally break down and release pectin as it cooks (this is the old-fashioned way of making jam).

To accelerate the gelling, however, I've added some anti-aging, wrinkle-fighting, gut-healing grass-fed gelatin to my recipe below.

 
Paleo Strawberry Jam Recipe

Yield: 1 cup (16 Tbsp.)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. whole organic strawberries (about 3 cups)
• 1 Tbsp. organic lemon juice
• 8-10 drops liquid stevia extract (to taste)
• 2 tsp. Great Lakes gelatin

Preparation

• Remove strawberry leaves and stem. Roughly chop.
• Add strawberries, lemon juice and stevia to a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring.
• Once the strawberries are soft, mash to achieve your desired consistency. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the gelatin over the strawberry mixture and stir until well combined.
• Transfer to a canning jar and allow the cool. Once cool, place the lid on the jar and refrigerate. Makes about 1 cup of jam (16 Tbsp).
   

Nutrition Information Per Serving

10 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g monounsaturated fat, 0 g polyunsaturated fat, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 0 g protein

Excellent Source of: Vitamin C

To your health,

Healing Gourmet

P.S. If you love sweet things that love you back, you’ll want to check out this delicious caramel dessert. It’s packed with collagen and nutrients shown to support skin, hair, joints, and gut health. 

👉 [Discover this anti-aging caramel here]

References

Olsson ME, Andersson CS, Oredsson S, Berglund RH, Gustavsson KE.Antioxidant levels and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro by extracts from organically and conventionally cultivated strawberries.J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1248-55

Sesso HD1, Gaziano JM, Jenkins DJ, Buring JE. Strawberry intake, lipids, C-reactive protein, and the risk of cardiovascular disease in women. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Aug;26(4):303-10.

Falsaperla M, Morgia G, Tartarone A, Ardito R, Romano G. Support ellagic acid therapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) on standard chemotherapy using vinorelbine and estramustine phosphate. Eur Urol. 2005; Apr;47(4):449-454.

Hannum, S. M. Potential impact of strawberries on human health: a review of the science. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2004;44(1):1-17.

Loarca-Pina G, Kuzmicky PA, de Mejia EG, Kado NY. Inhibitory effects of ellagic acid on the direct-acting mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1 in the Salmonella microsuspension assay.Mutat Res 1998 Feb 26;398(1-2):183-7.3

Narayanan BA, Geoffroy O, Willingham MC, Re GG, Nixon DW p53/p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression and its possible role in G1 arrest and apoptosis in ellagic acid treated cancer cells. Cancer Lett; 136(2):215-21 1999