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Fresh, sweet and juicy, strawberry jam captures the essence of summer in a spoonful. This 3 ingredient easy Strawberry Jam Recipe teaches you how to make your favorite jam at home. No pectin required!
Every year I wait for spring as a kid waits for Santa Claus. The weather gets warmer, the trees burst into full bloom, and…Strawberries are in season. Hands down, the best part. I love strawberries so much, they taste delicious with my breakfasts, as a fresh late-night treat, and on their own.
Strawberry banana bread, strawberry oatmeal bars, strawberry cheesecake cookies. A reader recently commented that I have a recipe for almost anything but a good old fashioned strawberry jam recipe without pectin. She was damn right, I had to make it asap.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Oh so delicious – This recipe combines strawberry and jam, two of the best foods in the planet. It’s sweet and so delightful, with a touch of tartness from the lemon juice. Believe me, it tastes like summer in a jar.
- No pectin – This is a no pectin strawberry jam recipe, it’s super simple and requires just 3 ingredients. Besides its simplicity, jam without pectin is softer and more spreadable.
- Good for you – Made primarily from fresh strawberries, this jam is rich in nutrients and antioxidants. For instance, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, which may reduce inflammation in the body.
- Versatile – This basic strawberry jam recipe goes well with literally anything. Over warmed buttered toasts, for peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, with pancakes, and even on its own. The ways how to serve it are literally endless!
Recipe ingredients
This is a simple strawberry jam recipe with just 3 ingredients. You only need strawberries as a base, granulated sugar to sweeten, and lemon juice to enhance flavors, give tartness and preserve. Read further to learn more on ingredients and substitutes.
- Strawberries. The best homemade strawberry jam recipe uses red and juicy fresh strawberries, those that taste sweet and not watery. As an alternative you may also use frozen strawberries, but you’ll need to thaw them ahead of time.
- Granulated sugar. When making strawberry jam, sugar adds sweetness, enhances flavors and helps the mixture thicken. You can use regular white sugar, or replace with brown sugar, coconut sugar. Read further for jam with no sugar.
- Lemon juice. The lemon juice adds tartness and helps the jam preserve better. I recommend squeezing the juice of a fresh lemon, but you can also use 2 tablespoons of canned lemon juice. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can replace it with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lime. Some people also use acid fruits like orange juice.
Sugar-free strawberry jam
Making strawberry jam low sugar is very simple. All you should do is replacing white sugar with the same amount of a keto sweetener of your choice. My recommendations are erythritol, xylitol, Splenda and monk fruit sweetener. You can also prepare jam with stevia, but you’ll need a much lesser amount. In comparison to sugar and many low carb replacements, stevia has a stronger sweetening power. I personally don’t like cooking with stevia because it also comes with a weird aftertaste.
How to choose the best strawberries?
The best strawberry are those which are well ripe. They should be bright red in color, firm to the touch, and free of soft spots. These are the ones that taste sweet and tasty. Avoid strawberries that are dull, mushy, or still green, as they will likely taste bland and watery.
When choosing the best strawberries for jam, I recommend purchasing locally grown fruit from the farmers’ market. They are usually tastier and more natural, without (too many) preservatives.
How to make strawberry jam without pectin?
- Wash and mash strawberries. Place 2 pounds of fresh strawberries in a colander or strainer, then wash under cold running water. After rinsing, hull strawberries with the help of a sharp knife. Dice into small pieces and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Mash roughly, leaving some pieces of fruit for more texture.
- Coat strawberries. In the heavy-bottomed pot with mashed strawberries, add sugar, lemon juice and give it a good stir until the berries are fully coated. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to enhance juiciness and flavors.
- Cook jam. Place the pot over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. The jam is ready when slightly thick and creamy.
- Blend jam (optional). After cooking, you can blend the mixture to get a creamier jam. Or leave some pieces of strawberries, if you desire more texture.
- Store strawberry jam. Once it reaches the desired consistency, remove the strawberry jam jam from the heat and transfer into clean, sterilized jars while it is still hot.
Storage: How to can strawberry jam?
Once your straw jam is ready, carefully pour it into clean sterilized jars, leaving a bit of space at the top. Let it cool a bit, then seal tightly with a lid.
Place the jars in a tall, large pot in which the water level should be about 2 inches (3-5 cm) above the jars. I recommend placing a clean dishcloth at the bottom of the pot, so that the jars are not directly exposed to the heat.
Bring water to a boil and let boil for about 20-30 minutes, adding more water in case it drops below the jars. Turn off the heat, let cool and then remove them from the pot.
Store unopened canned strawberry jam in a cool, dry and dark place such as your cupboard. It will last for several months up. Once opened, keep strawberry confiture in the refrigerator and consume within 2 weeks.
No, lemon juice is a must. In strawberry fruit jam recipes, lemon juice adds acidity. The acidity plays two major roles. First, it prevents bacteria from forming, helping jams preserve. Second, it enhances flavors and adds a touch of tartness that perfectly balances the sweetness of strawberries.
Yes, and it’s very convenient for when you don’t have fresh fruit around. To make jam from frozen strawberries, you’ll need to thaw them first. Remove from the freezer, place in a large bowl and allow them to thaw in the fridge. Once they are soft and juicy, you can then follow the quick strawberry jam recipe down here.
Wash, hull and roughly mash strawberries, then add them to a slow cooker with sugar and lemon juice. Let it cook on low for about 3-5 hours until it thickens, then blend or mash it until smooth. You can store slow cooker strawberry jam as described in the recipe up here.
To check if strawberry jam has set, place a small amount on a chilled plate and tilt the plate slightly. The jam is done when it holds its shape. As an alternative, you can use a food thermometer to measure its temperature. It should be around 200°F.
The best jars to can jam are glass canning jars with two-part lids, including a flat lid and a screw-on ring. Regular mason jars or ball mason jars are the most recommended options.
Best ways to serve strawberry jam
- Spread over a soft slice of homemade oat bread
- On top of oatmeal and porridge
- For fluffy oat flour pancakes or cottage cheese pancakes
- Over a moist slice of healthy banana bread
- Spread over freshly baked protein bagels
- For peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb fresh strawberries, hulled
- 3 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, only the juice
Instructions
How to prepare and hull strawberries?
- Place fresh strawberries in a colander or strainer, then wash under cold running water. After rinsing, hull strawberries with the help of a sharp knife.
- Dice strawberries into small pieces and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Mash roughly using a potato masher, leaving some pieces of fruit for more texture.
How to make strawberry jam without pectin?
- In the heavy-bottomed pot with diced strawberries, add sugar, lemon juice and give it a good stir until the berries are fully coated. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to enhance juiciness and flavors.
- Place the pot over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 – 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. The jam is ready when slightly thick and creamy.
- After cooking, you can blend the mixture to get a creamier jam. Or leave some pieces of strawberries for more texture.
- Once it reaches the desired consistency, remove strawberry jam from the heat and transfer into clean, sterilized jars while it is still hot. For complete canning directions, read details in the blog post up here.
Made this recipe came out great.
Hey dear Bonnie,
many many thanks for your kind feedback. It makes me truly happy that you liked our strawberry jam recipe!
Have a fantastic weekend,
Matteo
My mom used to make homemade strawberry preserves, and she used pectin, and I think she also used Knox unflavored gelatin, after she poured it in the jars, leaving room on top, she then sealed them with melted parafin wax
Hey dear Linda,
thanks a lot for your nice comment! Oh yes, pectin Strawberry preserve is also very good. It comes out so delicious, perfect over a buttered toast for breakfast, with croissants, and on top of pancakes.
I wish you a great day,
Matteo