strawberry jam travel size

• Body & Skin Care
• Cotton Balls & Swabs
• Dental & Oral Care
• Feminine Hygiene
• Gluten Free Personal Care
• Hand Sanitizer
• Miscellaneous Personal Care
• Organic & Natural Personal Care
• Perfume & Cologne
• Personal Care Kits
• Personal Care Wipes
• Shaving Needs
• Soap, Cleanser, Wash
• Dips & Sauces
• Dressings - Fat Free & Lite

Jelly, Jam, Preserves

• Nutrition Bars
• Cider & Cocoa
• Cold Drink Mixes
• Creamers & Sweeteners
• Fat Free & Lite Food
• Gluten Free Food
• Gourmet Food
• Gourmet Jelly
• Kosher Beverages
• Kosher Food
• Low & No Carb Food
• Organic & Natural Food
• Sugar Free Food
• Aromatherapy
• Diet Supplements
• Family Planning
• First Aid Supplies
• Miscellaneous First Aid & Personal Health
• OTC Medication
• Skin Protection
• Bathroom Supplies
• Cleaning Supplies
• Household Kits
• Laundry & Garment Care
• Mini Office Supplies

• Baby & Toddler Care Kits
• Baby & Toddler Oral Care
• Baby & Toddler Skin Care
• Baby & Toddler Soaps, Cleansers, Washes
• Baby & Toddler Sun Protection
• Individual Play
• Multi-Player Games
• Playing Cards
• Mini World Garden

• Outdoors & Accessories
• Kits & Gifts
• Personal Care
• Dips & Sauces
• Individual Salad Dressing Packets
• Dressings - Fat Free & Lite
• Specialty Food
• Personal Health
• The Minimus Boutique™
• Toys, Games & Figurines
• Travel Accessories
• Outdoors & Survival
• Travel Size Kits & Gifts
• New Products
• Gift Certificates
• Wholesale / Bulk Travel Size and Individual Serving Size Ordering

Check out our individual sizes of Jelly, Jam, Preserves

Email me when new products are added to this category.

• Watch Full Seasons
• TV Schedule
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Restaurants
• Recipes on TV
• Food Network on Max
• Mother's Day Dishes
• Comfort Food

• Guy's All-American Road Trip 8am | 7c
• Guy's Grocery Games 9am | 8c
• Guy's Grocery Games 10am | 9c
• Wildcard Kitchen 11am | 10c
• Wildcard Kitchen 12pm | 11c
• Beat Bobby Flay 1pm | 12c
• Beat Bobby Flay 1:30pm | 12:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 2pm | 1c
• Beat Bobby Flay 2:30pm | 1:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 3pm | 2c
• Beat Bobby Flay 3:30pm | 2:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 4pm | 3c
• Beat Bobby Flay 4:30pm | 3:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 5pm | 4c
• Beat Bobby Flay 5:30pm | 4:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 6pm | 5c
• Beat Bobby Flay 6:30pm | 5:30c
• Selena + Restaurant 7pm | 6c
• Selena + Restaurant 7:30pm | 6:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 8pm | 7c
• Beat Bobby Flay 8:30pm | 7:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 9pm | 8c
• Beat Bobby Flay 9:30pm | 8:30c
• On Tonight Beat Bobby Flay 10pm | 9c
• Beat Bobby Flay 10:30pm | 9:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 11pm | 10c
• Beat Bobby Flay 11:30pm | 10:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 12am | 11c
• Beat Bobby Flay 12:30am | 11:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 1am | 12c
• Beat Bobby Flay 1:30am | 12:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 2am | 1c
• Beat Bobby Flay 2:30am | 1:30c
• Beat Bobby Flay 3am | 2c
• Beat Bobby Flay 3:30am | 2:30c
• Restaurant: Impossible 4am | 3c

• Trending Eats

• Product Reviews
• Shop Everything

• Get Outside
• Smart Home 2024
• Throw It On the Grill
• All Sweepstakes + Contests

We're sorry, there seems to be an issue playing this video. Please refresh the page or try again in a moment. If you continue to have issues, please contact us here .

Knife Basics

How to Zest Citrus

Fresh Strawberry Jam

• Level: Intermediate
• Total: 30 min
• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 20 min
• Yield: 2 pints

Ingredients

Deselect All

2 cups sugar

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

• Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines below.
• Sterilizing Tips:
• Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
• To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or, boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
• Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
• As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
• After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

Tools You May Need

Properly handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for one year. Making sure hands, equipment and surfaces in your canning area are clean is the first step in canning. Tips: Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with glass, plastic or metal lids that have a rubberlike seal. Two-piece metal lids are most common. To prepare jars before filling: Wash jars with hot, soapy water, rinse them well and arrange them open-side up, without touching, on a tray. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Jars have to be sterilized only if the food to be preserved will be processed for less than 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or pressure canner. To sterilize jars, boil them in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 10 minutes. Follow manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and preparing lids and bands. Use tongs or jar lifters to remove hot sterilized jars from the boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too: Dip the tong ends in boiling water for a few minutes before using them. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, preserves and pickles must be clean, including any towels and especially your hands. After the jars are prepared, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products. Find Information information on canning can be found at the National Center for Home Food Preservation website: http://nchfp.uga.edu/.

Copyright 2004 by Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

My Private Notes

Categories:, spring produce guide, looking for something else.

👩‍🍳 What's Cooking

Shop With Us

Our Newsletter

Sign up for the Food Network Shopping Newsletter

By entering your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the Privacy Policy . Food Network and its affiliates may use your email address to provide updates, ads, and offers.

To withdraw your consent or learn more about your rights, see the Privacy Policy .

Related Pages

• Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
• Stuffed French Toast with Fresh Strawberry Jam...
• Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Fresh Blueberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam Recipe
• Crostata with Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Fresh Strawberry Jam for Canning Recipe
• How to Make Jam

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Food and Recipes
• Side Dishes
• Sauces and Condiments
• Jams, Jellies and Preserves

Strawberry Jam

Not much is better than homemade strawberry jam on mama's buttermilk biscuits.

Cheryl Day is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, a self-taught scratch baker, and an entrepreneur. With her husband, Griffith Day, she is a cofounder of the Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia, and coauthor of The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook. Cheryl is a cofounder of Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice and a founding member of the leadership committee for the James Beard Foundation Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans. Back in the Day Bakery was named South's Best Bakery by Southern Living. Keep up with Cheryl at backinthedaybakery.com and on Instagram at @cherylday.

The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Jars full of strawberry jam in kitchens is a sure sign that spring has arrived. Because when the berries are plentiful, the stove is hot and bubbling with wonderful, flavorful jams for eating, gifting, and enjoying.

Our recipe for strawberry jam comes to us from business owner Cheryl Day. As COVID-19 swept the country, she was forced to temporarily shut the doors of her nationally praised and locally beloved Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. Undeterred, she turned the space into a part-time cannery, offering the world a small slice of Savannah by selling her homemade jams online.

"I have always been inspired by what my grandmother called 'the craft of putting up,' saving and preserving the bounty of the season," says Day. Making jam was a hobby and a topic she wrote about in her cookbooks before it became her pandemic pivot. Day encourages everyone to try making their own jams, and kindly shared her recipes with us. Her advice? Lean into the craft, take your time, and—above all—have fun. 

Learn how to make homemade jam, and impress yourself and your family with this special strawberry spread.

What Makes This Jam So Good?

Day's recipe is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and isn’t overly sweet thanks to tartness of fresh lemon juice folded in. Compared to store-bought strawberry jam, the fruit retains more of its original flavor and texture with her recipe. This jam is definitely on the looser side (as she doesn’t include additional pectin), but is beautifully syrupy with crushed bits of strawberry.

Ingredients for Strawberry Jam 

All you need to make this jam are three simple ingredients:

• Strawberries: Try to find the fresh, ripe ones you can for the best strawberry flavor. If you prefer blueberry , Day offers a variation, as well as renditions made with botanicals. (More on those below.)
• A lemon: The citrus fruit elevates the flavor of the berries. You'll use the juice, zest, and whole lemon.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and thickens up the jam.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Equipment For Strawberry Jam 

You won’t need much specialized equipment to pull off this recipe, but there are a few simple items to have ready before you embark on the jam-making process:

• Cheesecloth bag: You’ll enclose the lemon halves in this bag, which both makes it easier to fish them out after cooking, but also prevents the lemon seeds from getting lost in the mix.
• Heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot: You’ll need a substantial pot that is nonreactive (i.e. stainless steel , glass, or enamel-clad cookware) because acidic ingredients can react with other materials (especially aluminum) and leech a metallic flavor into your jam.
• Plate and metal spoon (in the freezer): An easy way to check if your jam has cooked long enough is to dollop a small bit of it onto an ice cold plate and drag a finger or spoon through it. If it leaves a clear trail, you’re ready to go. If it’s runny, you need to keep cooking. So, don’t forget to plop a plate and spoon in the freezer before you get started on your jam. 

How To Make Strawberry Jam

Making homemade strawberry jam requires some time and patience but not a lot of complicated steps. Here's a brief outline of the process; the full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Prepare your equipment: First, you need to place a large plate and a metal spoon in the freezer.
• Step 2. Prepare the lemon: Then, zest and juice your lemon, before placing the squeezed halves into a cheesecloth bag. 
• Step 3. Bring ingredients to a boil: You’ll then place the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and juice, as well as the bag into the pot, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and gently boil the jam, stirring often and scraping the bottom of pot to prevent sticking, until it thickens to a syrupy consistency. You’ll want to skim any foam from the surface of the jam as it cooks. 
• Step 4. Test jam: Remove the jam from heat. Grab the plate and spoon you stashed in the freezer. Using the spoon, scoop a small amount of jam onto the plate. Return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute, then pull a finger (or spoon) through the jam and across the plate. It should leave a clean trail. If it’s runny, return the jam to a boil and put the plate and spoon back in the freezer. Boil, stirring often, for 3 more minutes. Retest the jam using the cold spoon and plate. Keep repeating the process until the jam reaches the desired thickness.
• Step 5. Add jams to jars: Lastly, remove the cheesecloth bag. Using tongs, carefully squeeze the lemon halves to release any juices into the jam. If desired, mash strawberries with a potato masher until the jam reaches preferred consistency. Carefully pour the jam into jars, and cool to room temperature. Seal the jars, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ways To Use Strawberry Jam

Naturally, strawberry jam is great on baked goods (like biscuits , scones, and breads), but Day loves using her jams in savory dishes, too, pairing the strawberry flavor with chicken or pork. Her favorite combo however, is the Blueberry Rose flavor on a sausage biscuit.

You can also use Day’s four jam flavors in these Southern Living recipes: 

• The Jam Cake : Traditionally made with blackberry jam, you can use Day’s strawberry or blueberry varieties instead for a fun twist on this classic cake.  
• Tennessee Jam Bundt : Try one of Day’s botanically-infused variations in this fruity Bundt cake. 
• Apricot Thumbprints : Make an array of colorful thumbprint cookies by swapping some of the apricot jam for any of Day’s jams.
• Easter Hand Pies: You don't have to use Easter shapes; any shapes will do.

How To Store Strawberry Jam

Spoon the jam into clean jars, and you can store them in the refrigerator for 10 days to 2 weeks. If you gift any of your jam jars to a friend or loved one, just make sure they know it should be used quickly. You can also freeze your quick strawberry jam up to 3 months, but use it within 10 days after thawing.

If you want to can the jam jars, they will last longer and can be stored at a cool room temperature. Most jams will last up to one year if properly canned and stored.

How long can you store homemade strawberry jam?

Uncanned, strawberry jam will last up to two weeks in the fridge. For longer storage, we suggest canning your jam using a water-canning method. 

Varitions for Strawberry Jam

These variations are a great way to have some fun with flavors and fruit:

• Strawberry-Chamomile Jam: Prepare the recipe as directed, adding 1 Tbsp. edible dried chamomile flowers to the ingredients in the nonreactive pot in Step 2.
• Blueberry Jam: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 3 lb. fresh blueberries for strawberries in Step 2.
• Blueberry-Rose Jam: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 3 lb. fresh blueberries for strawberries and adding 1 tsp. rose water to the ingredients in the nonreactive pot in Step 2.

Where To Buy the Botanicals

The addition of botanicals in two of the variations is a nod to Day’s grandmother Hannah Marie Hanson, who infused her preserves and baked goods with plants from her garden. If you’re unsure on where to source dried chamomile flowers, check your local tea shop, while rose water can be found in the international foods aisle at your local grocery store, or purchased online from Nielsen Massey. 

Ingredients

1 medium lemon

Cheesecloth bag

4 lb. fresh strawberries , hulled and quartered (10 cups)

3 cups granulated sugar

Prepare lemon:

Place a large plate and a metal spoon in freezer until ready to use. Grate lemon to equal 2 teaspoons zest. Cut lemon in half; juice lemon to equal 2 tablespoons juice. Place juiced lemon halves in a cheesecloth bag; close bag.

Simmer jam mixture:

Place strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cheesecloth bag in a medium-size heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high, mashing the strawberries with a potato masher until chunky. Reduce heat to medium, and gently boil, stirring often and scraping bottom of pot to prevent sticking, until mixture thickens and looks dark and syrupy, 45 to 50 minutes, skimming and discarding any foam from surface. Remove from heat.

Test jam's thickness:

Remove plate and spoon from freezer. Using spoon, scoop a small amount of jam onto plate. Return plate to freezer for 1 minute. Remove plate; pull a finger through jam and across plate. It should leave a clean trail. (If it is runny and does not leave a clean trail, return jam in pot to a boil over medium-high and return plate and spoon to freezer. Boil, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and retest thickness using spoon and plate; repeat process if necessary until jam reaches desired thickness.)

Remove cheesecloth bag:

Remove cheesecloth bag. Using tongs, carefully squeeze lemon halves to release any juices into jam; discard. If desired, mash strawberries with a potato masher until jam reaches preferred consistency.

Add jam to jars:

Carefully pour jam evenly into 5 (1/2-pint) canning jars. Let cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 3 hours. Seal jars. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

All jam has pectin, as it's naturally occuring in ripe fruit. Some jam makers like to add commercial pectin (i.e additional pectin) to help their jams set more firmly. Day prefers a looser texture to her jams, so she relies solely on the natural pectin found in the berries to set her jam. Neither method is better than the other, it’s all a matter of preference. 

Lemon juice not only helps the pectin set the jam, but it adds flavor, and it helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria by lowering the pH of the mixture. Lowering the pH also makes the jam easier to can, as food with a low pH can be sealed in a boiling water bath in a fairly short amount of time, whereas food with a higher pH needs to be heated above 240ºF, which requires a pressure canner. 

It’s air bubbles trapped in the jam. While harmless they don’t look great in the final product so we suggest skimming them off as best you can. 

Related Articles

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

• PHOTOGRAPHY

Small Batch Strawberry Jam

Published: Jun 9, 2020 · Modified: Jul 20, 2020 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

This small batch strawberry jam recipe uses the best of summer strawberries and cooks them down slowly into a fresh-tasting jammy spread. This strawberry jam recipe uses less sugar than most and is made without pectin.

About the recipe

Ingredients, instructions, more jam and strawberry recipes.

Making homemade jam is one of my favorite summer past times. It's so rewarding to present jar of freshly made jam to friends and family members, or to serve the jam with hot biscuits when I have guests staying over! I think it makes them feel extra special.

While I don't claim to be an expert on canning and preserving, I'm trying to learn more about it with each passing year. One of the main things I've learned when it comes to canning at home is that jams are a great place for beginners to start!

This small batch strawberry jam is somewhere along the spectrum of a jam and a preserve, depending on how large your strawberry chunks are! The difference between strawberry jam and preserves has to do with the size of the fruit chunks and consistency.

Typically, jams are a chunky version of jelly with a looser, saucier consistency. Preserves, on the other hand, contain whole pieces of fruit and are the least gel-like. Jellies tend to require the most sugar, while the sugar content of jams and preserves can vary depending on how thick of a syrup you want the fruit to be suspended in.

My favorite types of fruit jam to make at home are ones that use less sugar than most recipes. I think the lower sugar jams taste fresher and let the flavor of peak-season fruit really shine through.

Are you ready to make some strawberry jam? Let's do it!

• Fresh Strawberries - the fresher, riper, and jucier your strawberries are, the better your jam will taste! Choose strawberries that are a deep red in color without any white or yellow parts. The more fragrant the strawberries smell, the riper and sweeter they likely will be.

• Granulated Sugar - sugar is necessary to enhance the flavor of the fruit and give the jam a thicker consistency. It also acts as a preservative. Without enough sugar, the jam will not gel properly.
• Granny Smith Apple - making jam from scratch at home does not require a pressure canner, pH tester, or special ingredients like pectin. It's easy to make a fresh-tasting jam with natural pectin from fruit.

The source of natural pectin that I use in homemade jams is grated Granny Smith apple. It adds a nice brightness to the finished jam but you won't be able to detect the apple flavor.

• Lemon Juice - it's necessary to add an acid like lemon juice to strawberry jam to lower the pH of the final product. This can extend the shelf life of the jam and keep it from spoiling. The acid also one of a few factors that help the pectin set.

Canning experts recommend using bottled lemon juice when making jam because the acid content of fresh lemons can vary. Bottled lemon juice has a standard acidity and is more consistent for canning purposes.

While you can use vinegar in place of bottled lemon juice, the lemon juice has a more neutral flavor that better complements the fruit. Lemon juice is also more acidic than most vinegar , so you cannot do a one for one substitution.

Making strawberry jam from scratch could not be easier, as you will learn! It's fun, satisfying, and a great project to work on during a day at home when you have a little extra time in the kitchen.

Step 1 : let your strawberries marinate in sugar overnight, for 8-12 hours. This helps flavor them and also keeps the berry pieces slightly plump throughout the cooking process.

Step 2 : add the lemon juice and grated apple, then transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed pot with a wide opening, like a Dutch oven .

Step 3 : simmer the berry mixture over medium heat for 20-30 minutes until it is thick and jam-like, or an internal temperature of 220°F. You'll want to skim off any foam that rises to the top.

Step 4 : ladle your jam into jars, place lids and rings on top, then process the jam in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Wipe the jars dry and let them rest for 24 hours. That's it!

Why it's necessary to make jam in small batches - the less amount of berries you have in a pot, the quicker they will cook down and get thick. And the shorter the cooking time, the better the flavor of your jam. Overcooking of jam causes the fruit to taste dull and even somewhat caramelized instead of fresh and clean.

Substituting other sweeteners for sugar in jam - substituting honey, maple syrup , molasses, raw sugar, or brown sugar in homemade jam introduces different weights by volume, water content, and levels of acidity. The only way to know if a substitute will work is to tinker around with the recipe. I recommend consulting this guide on sugar substitutions from pickyourown.org .

How to choose the right pot for making jam - you want a heavy-bottomed pot with a wide opening so that the water from the fruit evaporates quickly and the mixture thickens. A good rule of thumb is to choose a pot where the fruit will not come up more than halfway up the sides.

My favorite pots to use for making jams are my 5-quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven and my red 5-quart Le Creuset braiser because of the wide mouth.

How to tell if a jam is done - the wrinkle test is a popular way to know if a jam is done, as well as checking for an internal temperature of 220°F. To perform the wrinkle test, place a plate in the freezer when you start cooking your jam.

Once you are ready to test, out a spoonful of the jam mixture on the frozen plate and put it back in the freezer for 5 minutes. If the surface of the jam wrinkles when you nudge it with a finger and the jam holds its shape, it is done. If it's still runny, keep simmering the jam and perform a new test every 5 minutes.

How to store homemade jams - as long as the jar properly seals with a round indentation in the canning lid, your jam should last up to 1 year when stored in a cool, dark place. Jam that has spoiled will have a fermented, sour smell and may have bubbles at the top.

If the lid does not seal within 24 hours, you should immediately refrigerate your jam. Refrigerator jam should last several months, but 3 months is what I go with after labeling and dating the jar.

Canning tools that I love - the process of canning can be much easier if you have the right tools! A variety of sizes of canning jars is great for gift-giving, and I absolutely love this canning set that I use ALL the time!

• Old-Fashioned Peach Jam
• Easy Apricot Jam
• Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Pie
• Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
• Strawberry Pretzel Chicken Wraps

Are you ready to make this small batch strawberry jam recipe? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you!

Leave a comment and rate the recipe below . This will help me with the creation of future recipes!

I’d also love to feature your creation  in my monthly  newsletter , so you can upload a photo to  Instagram  or  Twitter  with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!

Similar recipes to enjoy :

• 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered into similar-size pieces
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
• 1 medium granny smith apple, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)

The night before:

• Combine strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight and up to 12 hours.

Preparing for Canning

• Sterilize canning jars by placing them in a boiling water bath (I do this in my canning pot) for ten minutes. Keep them warm in the water until ready to use. Place the lids in a heatproof bowl and ladle a few spoonfuls of boiling water on top. Keep them warm in the bowl until ready to use. For more information on hot water bath canning, see this article.
• Place a small plate in the freezer and chill for later.

Making the jam:

• Remove the strawberries from the fridge. Stir in the lemon juice and grated apple. Transfer the mixture to a 5-quart Dutch oven or braiser, or a heavy-bottomed, wide-mouth pot.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until berries are very tender and the mixture is thick and jammy. To test for doneness, place a small dab of the mixture on the plate from the freezer. Freeze for a minute, and then test with your finger. The mixture should be somewhat firm and will not slide across the plate when tilted (however, it will not gel). Continue cooking the jam and doing the plate test until the jam reaches the desired consistency. Another indicator of doneness is the simmering mixture reaching 220°F.

Preserving the Jam

• Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars from the hot water canning bath and place them upright on a towel. Remove the lids from the bowl of water and pat them dry.
• Ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace at the top. Remove air bubbles with an offset spatula as needed. Use a damp paper towel or cloth to wipe the rims of the jars clean. Place the lid on top, followed by the jar ring, and adjust the ring until it is finger-tight (do not force it).
• Return the jars to the water bath, being sure that each is covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Use the jar lifter to carefully remove the jars from the water and transfer them to a towel. Do not disturb the jars for 12 hours.
• After one hour of resting, make sure the jar lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of the lid. If the center can be pressed down, the lid has not sealed and the contents of the jar should be refrigerated immediately for use within 1-2 weeks.
• Label the sealed jars and store in a dark, cool, dry place for up to 1 year.

Don't miss these recipes!

Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get exclusive content (like menus, cooking downloads, and more!), blog recaps, and a chance to connect or be featured!

Affiliate Disclosure

Many of the links in my posts are affiliate links, which means I can get a small commission for any click or purchases made through the links. I am also an Amazon Associate and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reader Interactions

October 21, 2023 at 10:11 pm

Whitney Reist says

January 10, 2024 at 2:24 pm

That's great to know, Jodie! I will have to try it on figs this year as I have a tree in my backyard!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Simply Canning Guide: Recipe book with simple and easy to follow canning directions.

Recipe for Strawberry Jam

This page may contain affiliate links. More Information.

Strawberry Jam recipe without commercial pectin.

This is a very simple recipe for strawberry jam. Strawberries and sugar…. that is it. Combine this jam with other fruit jams for gourmet gift baskets. This is a small batch recipe. It only makes 5 – 1/2 pints. (that is 5 half-pint jars)

This page includes

• Strawberry Jam Recipe: Extended directions with tips  
• How to determine the gelling point.
• Strawberry Jam Recipe : Pinnable recipe card
• So much Sugar!  Lower Sugar option here.

It is VERY tempting to double this recipe for strawberry jam and make more. However, it is difficult to make double batches of jam. If you want to make more at a time (I don’t blame you) simply have two batches going at the same time in different pots.

This is what I always do. I just can’t see running a canner for five – half pints. Strawberry Jam can be processed safely in a Water Bath Canner.

• waterbath canner
• pint canning jars
• canning lids and rings
• jar lifter and canning funnel
• sharp knife
• strawberry corer
• potato masher

Ingredients

• 2 quarts crushed strawberries
• 6 cups sugar

Start by preparing jars, and get water in your canner heating. You want your canner hot but not boiling when your jars are ready to process. (see Water Bath Canning for full directions)

Recipe for strawberry jam

Place a spoon in the freezer, you’ll use this later. Wash and core strawberries and remove any bruised portions. I use a strawberry corer(actually it is technically a tomato corer but it works perfectly for strawberries)

Place strawberries in a large pot. Crush with a potato masher to get the juices flowing.

Add sugar and heat while stirring constantly.

When sugar is dissolved bring to a boil. Boil rapidly until it thickens and reaches a gelling point. This may take 35-40 minutes. Stir frequently! Once it has started to boil you will need to just stand there and continue stirring.

Gelling Point.

Allow your jam to boil hard until it reaches the gelling point. One way to test this is the cold spoon test. Take your cold spoon and scoop up a bit of jam. The jam will cool quickly and you can tilt the spoon to see if it has thickened or jelled. It should be thick as it drops off the spoon. This is referred to as ‘sheeting’. If it is runny just cook a bit longer.

Another much easier way to tell if your jam is ready is by measuring temperature . First, you’ll need to figure out the gelling point for your elevation.

• Determine the boiling point temperature by holding a candy thermometer in boiling water.
• Add 8 degrees. This is your gelling point.

When you are cooking your jam, place the candy thermometer right in the pot. When jam has reached your gelling point it is done. Remove the pot from the heat and continue with your recipe.

When the jam has thickened skim off any foam with a large spoon. Another option is to add 1/4 tsp butter to your pot when you start cooking. This helps keep the foaming down.

Let your kids dip bread or crackers in the foam…. yum, a great snack and treat if they have been helping you.

How to can Strawberry Jam

Fill hot jars with hot jam leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Processing time 1/2 pints or pints process for

10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.

15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.

Pinnable Recipe Card

Strawberry jam.

• Strawberry Corer
• Potato Masher
• Water Bath Canner
• Canning Jars
• Canning Lids and Rings
• Funnel, Jar Lifter, Lid Lifter, Bubble Tool
• 2 quarts Strawberries crushed
• 4 cups Sugar

Instructions

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed. See full water bath canning instructions here.  

For a Hot Pack

• Wash and core strawberries, removing stems and bruises. 
• Put strawberries in a large pot. 
• Crush strawberries with a potato masher to bring on some juice 
• Stir in sugar. Heat slowly, stirring constantly. 
• When sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil. 
• Boil rapidly, stirring constantly. If it foams up a lot, add ¼ tsp. butter.  
• When jam has reached gelling point, skim off foam. 
• Fill hot jar with hot jam, leaving 1/4” headspace. 
• Remove air bubbles, wipe rim clean, and place seal and ring. Place the jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.  

Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation

So… much… sugar.

LOL One of the most common comments I get on this page is: Way too much Sugar! And I have to agree. This recipe for strawberry jam is certainly NOT a health food. But is is the recipe I use on a regular basis. And it turns out great. However, I’m like many others and working hard on getting sugar out of our diets. This low sugar method of making jam is what I’ve turned to recently. Try it, you may like it. Low Sugar Jam .

More things to do with Strawberries

Pin this to find later!

Page last updated: 1/28/2021

Expand Your Pantry

Substitute Honey for Sugar in Canning

Peach Plum Nectarine Jam

Apricot Jam Recipe

Low Sugar Jam

Orange Rhubarb Jam Recipe

Canning Apple Butter Recipe

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

• Recipe Index
• Farm & Garden
• Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
• Free Downloads

Simple Homemade Strawberry Jam

Published: Jan 9, 2021 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

How to make simple homemade strawberry jam from scratch! Only 2 ingredients and easy to follow step by step instructions to help you master homemade jam!

Welcome to the first monthly made from scratch challenge! At the start of each month I will post a new recipe (or project) that you can make from scratch along with me! The whole point of this challenge is for me to learn something new to make from scratch and share it with you and for you to hopefully be encouraged to try something new. You can find all the details in this post .

This delicious strawberry jam is enough to convince any jam hater - and even if you have never made jam before, the step by step instructions should make what can seem like a daunting process, very simple!

I've also created a quick video (see above the recipe) that walks you through the entire process.

A few jam FAQ's

What is pectin and why does this recipe NOT use it?

Pectin is what helps the jam set, and faster. A lot of strawberry jam recipes I found use pectin as strawberries are relatively low in pectin. I chose not to use it to make this recipe as simple as possible - it does take slightly longer to set but is one less ingredient to find. I found that the jam set beautifully without it! Another option is to use jam setting sugar - this is sugar that has added pectin so beware when using it that it may set faster.

Do I need to use that much sugar?

Short answer, yes! Sugar is what helps the jam to set. You can adjust it slightly (a traditional ratio is equal quantities fruit and sugar but I use a little less as I prefer my jam less sweet) but don't go too low, otherwise your jam won't set well.

How can I tell if my jam has set?

The easiest way I find is to clip a candy thermometer (affiliate link) to the side of the pot. Jam sets at 105°C/220°F so this takes the guesswork out of it. I have added notes to the recipe for a couple of other ways you can tell if you don't have a thermometer, otherwise this post explains it well.

What if my jam doesn't set properly?

No problem! You haven't ruined it, it will just be runny jam - still absolutely delicious and better than burning your jam!

How many jars will this make?

This recipe makes 8x 250ml (½ pint) jars. You can halve or double the recipe if you like, but remember that this will affect how long it takes to cook the jam.

Why do you need to process jam in a water bath?

I have made jam before and not bothered water bathing it, and it has kept for years. I now use the water bath method for everything as it is an extra layer of assurance that the food will be safe so I have included instructions for how to do this. It is up to you if you choose to process the jars or not!

Can I reuse old jam jars?

Again, this comes down to personal preference and what you want to do. You absolutely can reuse old jars if that's what you have. I prefer to use proper preserving jars, but that is just me!

So let's get into it - how to make simple homemade strawberry jam, completely from scratch!

Wash and hull the strawberries and cut out any squishy or bruised bits. Use a potato masher to mash the berries slightly (they will cook down further). Add to a large non reactive pot, add the sugar and mix together.

Bring to the boil over a medium/high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the jam has come to a rolling boil (mine took 14 minutes), clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pot and continue to cook over a medium/high heat until the jam is thick, glossy and reaches setting point - 105°C/220°F - this took about 35 minutes for me (see recipe notes if you don't have a thermometer)

• Using a jar funnel, ladle the jam into sterilised jars, leaving ½cm (¼ inch) gap at the top. Use a clean cloth to wipe the rim of the jar to ensure it is clean and place a lid/seal on the jar and screw a ring/band until fingertip tight.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes (see notes for details on water bath canning), remove from the water bath and leave on the bench overnight. In the morning, check the seals. Any that haven't sealed need to be stored in the fridge. Jars that have sealed can be stored at room temperature for several years.

That's it! You've just made homemade strawberry jam! Perfect for on toast, pikelets, in a sponge cake, as a filling in my homemade Shrewsbury biscuits or as the sweetest homemade gift!

Don't forget to send me your pictures so that I know you have taken part in the January Made From Scratch Challenge!

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 kilograms strawberries (hulled)
• ▢ 1.8 kilograms white sugar

Instructions

• Wash and hull the strawberries and remove any squishy or bruised pieces. Use a potato masher to mash the berries slightly (they will cook down further). Add to a large non reactive pot along with the sugar and mix together.
• Bring to the boil over a medium/high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the jam has come to a rolling boil, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pot and continue to cook over a medium/high heat until the jam is thick, glossy and reaches setting point - 105°C/220°F - this took about 35 minutes for me (see notes if you don't have a thermometer)
• Process in a water bath for 10 minutes (see notes for details on water bath canning), remove from the water bath and leave on the bench overnight. In the morning, check the seals. Any that haven't sealed need to be stored in the fridge. Jars that have sealed can be stored at room temperature for several years.
• Before you start cooking the jam, place a saucer in the freezer. When you think the jam has set, take the jam off the heat, place a spoonful of jam on the saucer and place back in the freezer for 3 minutes. When you push your finger through the jam, it should almost wrinkle and will feel set and that's when you know it is done.
• By the look of the jam - it will become thick, glossy and much darker in colour. When you pull a spoon out of the jam, it shouldn't drip off but form thicker droplets that don't immediately run off the spoon.

Reader Interactions

L.Sole says

January 19, 2024 at 8:07 pm

Bonnie says

November 14, 2023 at 2:11 pm

Hi! Is this recipe possible with less sugar? Or is the sugar the preserving/thickening agent? It will be my second year making this jam and it was a hit for our house! Cheers!

April 20, 2024 at 9:32 pm

Hi Bonnie! You can definitely try with less sugar, it may just not set quite as thick as traditional jam and also won't keep quite as long in the fridge once opened, but it will still be absolutely delicious! Play around until you find the ratio that suits you!

Clairybelle says

October 31, 2023 at 4:54 pm

Hi there. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. This is a joke. What a sticky gooey thick mess. A waste of jars, strawberries, sugar and time. This recipe makes TOFFEE. Nowhere in your recipe do you mention water, either in the text or in your video. This needs to be deleted.

November 01, 2023 at 7:02 am

Hi there. I am so sorry you didn't have success making jam! There is no mention of water as the recipe does not require water - jam doesn't typically use water. It sounds like you have cooked it down too far. I would suggest trying again using a thermometer (if you didn't last time) or just stopping before the jam gets too thick - in the recipe notes I do explain how to test that the jam is set before it goes too far. I would encourage you not to be disappointed by your first attempt at jam as it can be a tricky one to master - I've also made a very thick toffee type jam using another fruit before, purely because I cooked it too long! Sing out if you have any more questions!

Claire says

January 11, 2021 at 2:50 pm

Hi there. I recently made raspberry jam and my mother in law told me that you can squeeze lemon juice into the jam as it contains pectin (not sure if there’s a specific time to do this but I did it while it was boiling). I squeezed half a lemon in my first batch (2kgs of raspberries) but found this was more than enough so I used just a quarter lemon in my next batch (also 2kgs). Just thought I’d share. Thanks, Claire

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Rate This Recipe

Jams & Jellies

Strawberry jam pectin.

with powdered pectin

• 5½ cups crushed strawberries (about 3 quart boxes strawberries)
• 1 package powdered pectin
• 8 cups sugar

Yield:  About 9 or 10 half-pint jars

Please read  Using Boiling Water Canners  before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read  Principles of Home Canning .

Procedure:   Sterilize canning jars  and prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.

To prepare fruit.  Sort and wash fully ripe strawberries; remove stems and caps. Crush berries.

To make jam.  Measure crushed strawberries into a kettle. Add pectin and stir well. Place on high heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full boil with bubbles over the entire surface. Add sugar, continue stirring, and heat again to a full bubbling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim.

Fill hot jam immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a  Boiling Water Canner .

This document was adapted from "How to Make Jellies, Jams and Preserves at Home." Home and Garden Bulletin No. 56. Extension Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 1982 reprint. National Center for Home Food Preservation, June 2005.

Recent Content

Fact sheets, should i vacuum package food at home, publications, making apple cider, hominy without lye, dry canning raw vegetables is an unsafe practice, peach season has arrived, time to get blueberries in your freezer, can splenda® (sucralose) be used in preserving food.

Granular Splenda® does not provide preservative properties like sugar. 

Canning Fruits:  Whereas we do not have published research work with using sucralose in the canning of fruits at home available to us, it is possible to use it for sweetening the water used to cover fruits when canning.  The texture and color preserving aspects of a sugar syrup will not be provided.  The result would be like canning in water except for the additional sweetness contributed by the Splenda®.  The USDA fruit canning directions do allow for canning in water (i.e., without a sugar syrup), as there is adequate preservation for safety from the heat of proper canning.  Some people do notice an aftertaste in other products and canned fruits, and it is possible some little changes in natural flavors may occur over storage time, since sugar can mask some of these.  For people used to sucralose sweetening and flavors, the aftertaste may not be an issue.  Based on some of our experiences in canning peaches and pickled foods, we suggest you start seeing what you like by trying less than a full substitution for the sugar in canning syrups.  For example, if you use a medium sugar syrup that is 5-/14 cups water to 2-1/4 cups sugar, try 1 to 1-1/4 cups Splenda® the first time.  You can always sweeten more when you serve the finished product if it is not quite sweet enough; then you can increase the canning liquid amount the next time you can.

Preserves and Pickled Fruits: In other cases, where sugar is important, like some preserves or pickled fruits, it is not recommended that substitution of Splenda® be used for sugar if the product is to be canned for shelf stability.  Splenda® cannot be used in several traditional Southern preserves we have on this website or in the University of Georgia Extension publications.  These are whole or uniform pieces of fruit in a very thick sugar syrup, usually made with figs, peaches or pears.  (These preserves are not jam or pectin gel products.)  Sugar is required for the preservation of these syrupy fruit preserves as published, with very short boiling water canner processes.  Without that heavy amount of sugar, these products become fruit pieces canned in water or lighter sugar syrups, and the usual (and longer) fruit canning process times and preparation directions would need to be used.

Jams and Jellies, or Fruit Spreads: You could use Splenda® as the optional sweetener in a jam or jelly made with a no-sugar needed pectin, such as Mrs. Wages™ Lite Home Jell® Fruit Pectin, Ball® No-Sugar Needed Pectin or Sure-Jell® for Less or No-Sugar-Needed Recipes.  With these low-methoxyl pectins, no sugar is required at all.  Sugar substitutes can be added as desired simply for flavor. The package inserts with these pectins give instructions on when to add the sugar substitutes (usually after all the cooking, right before filling the jars).  Do not try to substitute Splenda® for the required sugar in recipes calling for “regular” liquid and powdered pectins.  

And do not try to substitute Splenda® in long-boil or no-pectin-added jams and jellies intended for room temperature storage as a canned product.  You might get some thickened fruit spreads with just fruit and Splenda®, but they may not have enough water control for processing like a gelled, high sugar-containing jam or jelly.  They might require longer processing to avoid spoilage at room temperature.  If you want to experiment with making these kind of fruit spreads we recommend freezing or refrigeration for storage. 

We have developed three recipes using Splenda® and they are on our website,  www.homefoodpreservation.com . They are quick pickled sweet cucumber slices, pickled beets and pickled cantaloupe.  They are under the How do I....Pickle category, as well as National Center factsheets,  http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets.html .

There is also a Peach-Pineapple Reduced Sugar Fruit Spread from the USDA  Complete Guide to Home Canning  that does not require added sugar.  Some other fruit substitutions are provided in the text.  The suggested sugar for sweetening can be left out, or you can add some Splenda® as desired for sweetness.  The process time is longer than regular jams and jellies, and is like that for a fruit puree.  http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/peach_pineapple_spread.html

How can I become a Master Food Preserver?

“Master” volunteer programs that are connected to the Cooperative Extension System, such as Master Food Preservers and Master Gardeners, are currently state- or county-managed programs affiliated with the land grant universities and the Cooperative Extension Service in the state. In exchange for extensive education, the master volunteer returns contributions to the local Extension office, such as answering phone calls, developing and hosting exhibits, judging at competitions, etc. There are liabilities involved in someone conducting even volunteer work in the name of a state university; therefore, the guidelines and management procedures will vary among states. At this time, the National Center is not in a position to help individuals meet state guidelines for credentials and the title of Master Food Preserver.

If you would like to find out if your state offers this opportunity to become a Master Food Preserver, contact your local Extension Office (usually listed in local government pages of the phone book under Cooperative Extension Service, Ag Extension Office and/or 4-H Office). You could also contact someone at the state university to either ask your questions or let them know of your interest. These contacts can be found on a website managed by USDA: https://nifa.usda.gov/nutrition-and-food-safety-directory

Most states do not sell their Master Food Preserver curricula or notebooks to the general public. If someone wants information on preserving, they have other publications available with the actual recommendations and procedures. This website from the National Center is full of “How To” information for various types of food preservation. We will eventually have tutorials and a correspondence type course on line for self-study.

Is it necessary to thaw meat or fish before cooking?

No, meat and fish can be cooked from the frozen state if extra cooking time is allowed. The amount of time will depend on the size and shape of the cut. Large frozen roasts can take as much as 11/2 times as long to cook as unfrozen cuts of the same weight and shape. Small roasts and thin cuts such as steaks and chops require less time.

Can meat and poultry be thawed in the conventional oven?

No, meat and poultry should never be thawed in the conventional oven or at room temperature. There is greater danger of bacterial growth and food spoilage for food thawed at room temperature. Thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator in the original wrappings. To speed thawing, loosen the wrapping. To keep other foods safe, put the thawing meat and poultry in a pan on the bottom shelf. For a quicker method, immerse meat or poultry in a watertight bag into cold water. Thaw until it is pliable. Meat and poultry can also be thawed quickly and safely in the microwave oven, followed by immediate cooking, either in the microwave oven or by some other method. Because microwave ovens vary, check your manufacturer's instructions for information on how to safely thaw in your microwave oven. Frozen meat and poultry can also be cooked without thawing.

What is blanching?

Heating or scalding the vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short period of time.

Is it recommended to blanch vegetables before freezing?

Yes. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes which cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. Blanching also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack.

Is it safe to freeze fruits without sugar?

Yes; sugar is not used as a preservative but only to maintain flavor, color and texture.

Can artificial sweeteners be used in place of sugar for freezing fruits?

Sugar substitutes can be used in place of sugar. Labels on the products give the equivalents to a standard amount of sugar. Follow the directions to determine the amount of sweetener needed. Artificial sweeteners give a sweet flavor but do not furnish beneficial effects of sugar, like thickness of syrup and color protection.

SO EASY TO PRESERVE

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has now published a 6th edition of its popular book, So Easy To Preserve. The book was reviewed and updated in 2020. Chapters in the 388-page book include Preserving Food, Canning, Pickled Products, Sweet Spreads and Syrups, Freezing and Drying.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Jam and Jelly

TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine. Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.

• Browse by Category
• Things I Recommend

Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam with Pectin

This Homemade Strawberry Jam with pectin recipe is a delicious homemade strawberry jam. It has all of the sweetness, bright strawberry flavor, and texture that I love in a good jam. Plus, this recipe is made for water bath canning. So make a batch now and enjoy summery strawberry goodness all year long.  (And if you love to make your own jam, also check out my recipe for Blueberry Lemon Jam .)

Strawberry jam is one of the first canning projects I usually tackle when canning season begins to roll around. It really starts to feel like summer is on the way when those first sweet strawberries appear. (And while you can pick up strawberries at the market, it’s a fun activity to go strawberry picking for your own berries!) And after eating my fair share of these fresh strawberries, I make sure to make a few batches of jam. I like to have a good supply to always have a fresh jar to pop open throughout the year. And in our house, we love the flavor and texture of a classic strawberry jam.

Why use added pectin in this recipe?

Now I know some folks have strong feelings about not using pectin in their jams, and I get it. We should all do things the way we like to. And don’t get me wrong, I never met a strawberry jam I didn’t like, pectin or not. But for me, I like to use pectin in certain jams, including in this version of my homemade strawberry jam.

Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so a batch without pectin requires a longer cooking time to reach a gel stage than a strawberry jam made with added pectin. And while still delicious, long-cooked jams have a different flavor than the bright fruit flavor of a jam that is cooked quickly. The added pectin reduces cooking time by about 75% and so preserves the fresh strawberry flavor and also color. In addition, since much of the juice is cooked off during the cooking of a long cook jam, using added pectin increases the yield and results in more jars of finished jam. And I don’t know about you, but when I make jam, more is better.  But if you would like to make your jam without adding pectin, check out these instructions by the National Center for Home Food Preservation .

Is this a low-sugar jam recipe?

I would say this is a moderate-sugar jam. Many jam recipes often call for as much sugar cup-for-cup as fruit (and sometimes even more). In our family, we like a sweet jam, but not one that is so sweet that it overpowers the fruit flavor. So in this recipe, I use about half the amount of sugar by volume as fruit.

But taste preferences aside, there is another reason to consider using a bit of sugar in your jam recipes. Sugar acts as a preservative and helps prolong the shelf life of the jam, helping to retain its quality during storage. And after opening your jar of jam and popping it in the fridge, the sugar helps the jam stay good longer here, too, by slowing down mold formation. This article by Simply Canning sums up the preservative role of sugar in jams and jellies nicely.

But I know that some people avoid sugar for health reasons or other personal reasons. So if you are looking for canning jams with low or no sugar, I will refer you to the Penn State Extension article on canning with less sugar.

Ingredients for Strawberry Jam with Pectin:

There are only a few simple ingredients for making this Strawberry Jam with Pectin

Ripe Strawberries – Use fresh strawberries without mold or rotten spots. If there are small blemishes, you can remove those with a paring knife. If it’s wintertime when you are making jam, I’ve also successfully used frozen strawberries. For this recipe, you will need 4 pounds of strawberries.

Pectin – I use powdered pectin that is made for less-sugar or no-sugar recipes. I like the Sure Jell , Ball, and Mrs. Wages pectins. 

Sugar – Use any type of granulated sugar that you prefer. I like to use raw cane sugar in my jam. I would avoid brown sugar as it will give the jam a dark appearance.

Optional Fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice. I don’t use lemon juice in my jam because it’s unnecessary for safety as strawberries are already acidic and don’t require added acid. But if you like the flavor, you can add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. 

Tips for Making Homemade Strawberry Jam with Pectin:

Use good quality fruit and give it a good mashing. Use good-quality strawberries to make your jam. You don’t want to use fruit that is too overripe, underripe, mushy, or moldy. Cut off any bruised or blemished spots. The best quality fruit makes the best quality jam.

And you’ll want to make sure you mash it up well, too. I like to use my potato masher to crush the strawberries. I don’t recommend using a food processor because it introduces too much air into the crushed strawberries and can sometimes cause the jam to have a lot of air bubbles. Crush them finely for a smoother jam or crush them coarsely for a chunky jam.

Bring it to a boil. When cooking the jam, be sure to bring it to a full rolling boil. A gentle simmer won’t be enough to thicken the jam.

Keep down the foam. Of all of the jams I make, strawberry jam likes to foam up the most while cooking. You can minimize this by adding a small pat of butter to the jam while it’s cooking. You can also skim the foam off. Of course, the foam is not harmful, so you don’t need to worry about a small amount of foam in your jam. Try to avoid a large amount of foam, however, as might cause problems down the road with the longevity of your jam in storage.

For me, I typically skip the butter. To remove most of the foam, I remove the finished pan of jam from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then I skim the foam from the top of the jam and proceed to ladle it into hot jars. If I have enough foam left over, I put it into a jar and pop it into the fridge to use with toast or waffles.

Boiling Water Bath can or freeze your jam. You will need to preserve your jam. Your options are to freeze your jam or use the boiling water bath canning method. You can freeze this jam in freezer-safe containers for up to 12 months. This recipe makes a very good strawberry freezer jam. I like to use BPA-free plastic pint containers for this like these containers (affiliate link).

The other option is to water bath can and process the jam in a water bath canner. This canning method is very easy and there is nothing to worry about when using safe, approved canning methods. This tutorial by Ball gives great instructions for getting started. And I highly recommend this book by the USDA. It gives good, solid information for both beginners and experienced home canners.

Store any extras in the fridge. When making jam, you’ll often find that you don’t have quite enough towards the end of the batch to fill a whole jar. If this happens to you, simply ladle the extra into a jar, store it in the refrigerator, and eat it up before opening a jar (though I guarantee it won’t be around for long!)

Keep it safe. Boiling-hot jam is like molten lava. Because of the added sugar, jam boils at a temperature higher than water and sticks to everything (including skin and clothing). So please be careful while making jam and be sure not to splatter yourself or get the hot jam onto your skin. Keep kids and pets away from the kitchen, and keep your kitchen free of distractions.

Label your jars. It’s so tempting to believe that you’ll recognize the contents of the jar and skip the labeling part. I’ve been there and done that, and trust me when I say that it’s not a good idea. Unless strawberry jam is the only homemade jam you have in your pantry, you will likely run into a problem sorting out which jar is which when it comes time to pull one off the shelf. So save yourself the trouble and go ahead and label those jars (and include the date, too!)

If you try this recipe for Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam, I hope you love it. And follow me on Facebook ,  Pinterest , and  Instagram  so you don’t miss a post. 

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.

Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam (with Pectin)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

4.9 from 12 reviews

• Author: My Homemade Roots
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: Approximately 5 Pints , or 10 half pints 1 x

Description

A delicious Homemade Strawberry Jam made with pectin and bursting with strawberry flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of strawberries
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons low or no-sugar-needed powdered pectin (*this makes a soft jam, which is what I like. If you prefer a firmly-set jam, see the notes below)
• 4 cups of granulated sugar, divided

Instructions

• Wash and hull the berries. Add them to a large bowl and crush them with a potato masher. Stir water, pectin, and 1/4 cup of sugar into the berries.
• Pour the crushed berry mixture into a large, deep-sided saucepan or Dutch oven, and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring the jam mixture to a boil, then add the remaining sugar. Stir continuously and boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove jam from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Skim off any foam.
• If you are canning the jam, ladle jam into hot clean jars, allowing 1/4-inch headspace. De-bubble and wipe the rims clean. Place lids and bands on each jar and adjust to fingertip-tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. (See note below.)
• For freezing, allow the jam to cool for another 10 minutes, and then ladle it into freezer-safe containers, leaving an inch or so for expansion. Freeze for up to 12 months (but the quality is best by 6 months.)

If you are planning to can this recipe and are new to canning, you will need to learn the proper, safe procedure for water bath canning (don’t worry – it’s easy!) Ball Canning has a great tutorial here: Water Bath Canning

The original recipe calls for 4 tablespoons (about one package) of low-sugar or no-sugar needed pectin. This has always been the amount I use and it works perfectly for me. But I’ve noticed in the comments that some readers have had issues with the jam setting too loosely. So I’ve updated the amount of pectin in the recipe as follows: For a soft-set jam (which is what I prefer), use 4 tablespoons of pectin. If you prefer a more firmly set jam, use 6 tablespoons of powdered pectin, and use 8 tablespoons for a very firmly set jam. But please note, you MUST use a low-sugar or no-sugar-needed pectin in order to ensure that your jam sets properly with this recipe.

To adjust the canning time for altitude, see this chart by Ball Canning:  https://www.ballmasonjars.com/adjust-high-altitude-canning.html

This recipe is written to be used with a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin like Sure-Jell, Ball, or Mrs. Wages. This particular recipe is not intended for 2-part pectin like Pomona’s Universal Pectin.

This recipe is adapted from the Low or no sugar needed Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe in The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving 37th edition , and The National Center for Home Food Preservation instructions for making Berry Jams .

• Prep Time: 0 hours
• Cook Time: 0 hours

Keywords: strawberry jam, preserving jam, strawberry recipes

Further Reading...

Minty Creamed Peas

Apple Dutch Baby

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

42 comments.

Terri Jones

I love homemade jams and this recipe sounds like a keeper! Could I use peaches instead of strawberries with this recipe? Not that I don’t love strawberries, but I just ordered 25 lbs. of peaches.

Hi Terri, I haven’t tried this recipe with peaches so I can’t say for sure if it will work. Most peach jam recipes call for added lemon juice, although I suspect this is probably to keep the peaches from turning brown. I like this recipe by Sure Jell for peach jam. Also, be sure to use only yellow peaches for jam as the white peaches are too low in acidity for water bath canning. I hope this helps!

I just received my 25 pounds of peaches. I peeled them and cut peaches and used my seal a meal to seal them and put them into my freezer. Then I took my peelings and pits and covered in water and brought to a rapid boil and boiled them for 30 minutes. Then strained the juice out with a fine strainer or cheesecloth. I put juice up overnight in my refrigerator. Next day I prepared my jars. And used filling recipe to make jelly. 3 1/2 cups of the juice 1/2 tsp of real butter 1 box of pectin Bring to a rapid boil Then add 4 1/2 cups of sugar and keep stirring untilit reaches a rapid boil again. The boil for 1 minute. Then set aside from burner and ladel into your jars. This make 6 half pint jars. I still have more juice to process in my refrigerator. And will continue the recipe until I use up my juice and what I have left will make some peach syrup for pancakes.

Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate Thursday,594!Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and come back to see us real soon! Miz Helen

Thank you, Miz Helen! I hope you have a happy July 4th!

In the instructions (#4) you say to process for 10 minutes. What does that mean? Let them sit? Or something else? Thank you 🙂

It actually means to process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. You don’t want to just allow the jars to sit. They lids may seal, but that’s a possibly unsafe process known as open kettle canning.The National Center for Home Food Preservation has safe and easy instructions for proper boiling water canning that you can follow here . If you don’t want to can the jam, you can just pop it in the freezer.

What do I do when my jam doesn’t set and is still runny? I followed the recipe. I had some peach jelly to do that one time and I just emptied it into a pot and boiled it until I did the sheet test on the back of a spoon. Would that process work on this jam too?

I’m sorry the jam didn’t set for you. Unfortunately, it does happen sometimes. There are 2 things you can do. The first thing is to just wait. I recently made a batch of blackberry jelly that didn’t set right away. I allowed it to sit in the jars on my counter and after 3 days it set and became firm. The other thing is to do exactly what you just said you did with the peach jelly. Here is a link to the instructions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation: Remaking Jams and Jellies . I hope this helps

i plan to use your recipe when the really frsh strawberries are in season I have some questions in order to ensure success- when using pectin do i need lemon juice too< and does the jam need to reach 220 degrees, and could you please recommend a particular pectin? Thanks in advance!

You don’t need lemon juice for this particular recipe. And you won’t need to use a thermometer to check the temp. Simply bring the jam to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute. As for brands of pectin, I typically use Sure Jell or Ball. But you can use any powdered pectin as long as it is one that is formulated for using less sugar or no sugar. Hope that helps!

Thank you so much! I can’t wait for the strawberries !

I’m preparing to make this but ended up with 6 pounds of strawberries. I assume I should go with 6 cups of sugar. How should I adjust the water and pectin? Thanks!

It can be tricky to increase the quantities in a jam recipe. For some reason, the jam sometimes doesn’t set properly. If you want to use all 6 pounds of strawberries, I would use 6 cups of sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of water. But I would double the pectin to 8 tablespoons, just to be sure to get a good set. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

I used this conversion without really reading the entire article. I didn’t see I was supposed ti 7se low surgar pactin. I used certo pectin and it didn’t set up. It has been 24 hours. What should I do to make this work or is it to late? Any help would be appreciated.

So sorry to hear about this! I know how frustrating it is when your jam doesn’t set! In this situation, I usually do one of two things. One option is to use the jam as a strawberry syrup. You can use it on pancakes and waffles, drizzle it over cheesecake, add it to lemonade, etc. The second option is to remake it, which essentially means to recook it. If you choose this option, be sure that you are using powdered pectin that is made for NO SUGAR recipes. You will also need to add lemon juice. This article HERE gives complete instructions on remaking runny jam. I hope this helps!

Can you tell me how to break down pounds by cups? Or can you? I don’t have a scale Thanks Lameta

It will be about 15-16 cups of strawberries. Here is a guide that should help: Strawberry Measures and Equivalents

I am in the middle of making my strawberry jam, but you said to; crush them with a potato masher, I am having a hard time with this, for as they are not mashing well?

You can use any utensil that works for you to crush the strawberries. And it’s OK if they aren’t completely mashed and are still a little bit chunky.

Is it possible to use regular pectin in this recipe or does it have to be low sugar?

It needs to be pectin made for low-sugar or no-sugar recipes, otherwise, the jam probably won’t set. The reason for this is that this recipe doesn’t contain as much sugar as many classic jam recipes do. However, low sugar pectin should be easy to find at your local grocery store. I like both the Sure-Jell and the Ball brands.

Rachelle Fleischman

If I used the regular pectin, do you have a suggestion to help make it set? It’s my first time making it and I followed everything else. Tastes delicious just hasn’t set.

Unfortunately, the jam won’t set if you use regular pectin because it doesn’t have enough sugar to do so. You really need to use pectin that is made for low-sugar or no-sugar jam for this particular recipe. (I’m sorry, I know this probably isn’t the answer you wanted to hear.)

But there is some good news. What I do when a jam or jelly fails to set is to call it syrup. You can use it on pancakes, ice cream, waffles, or add it to a pitcher of lemonade. There are so many delicious uses for strawberry syrup!

There is one other possibility, but it’s something I almost never do myself. But you can remake the jam. You will need to add more pectin and reprocess the jam. If this is something that interest you, you can read more about it here: Remaking Soft Jellies

I hope this helps!

What size canning jar do you use and how many?

The recipe makes *about* 6 pints. So you’ll need 5-6 pint jars, or 10-12 half pint jars.

Gloria Smith

This recipe proved to be delicious and a beautiful bright red color, but really didn’t jell well yet I do have a very nice soft jam that is tasty. I processed in water bath for 10 min and all sealed. Will this soft jam keep sealed at ROOM temp, or need to refrigerate?

Also if would be helpful to give measurements of amt. crushed berries. Thx!

★ ★ ★ ★

It’s very likely that your jam will firm up over the next week or so. Just allow the jars to sit undisturbed in the pantry or another cool place. And as long as you used approved canning procedures from Ball or another reputable source, your jars of jam are shelf stable, so no need to refrigerator your sealed jars.

And that is a great idea about adding the measurements for the crushed berries. I will definitely do that. From my calculations, it should be approximately 7-8 cups of crushed strawberries. And here is a link to a website that gives conversions for different amounts of strawberries: Strawberry Measures and Equivalents

I’ve found that using pure cane sugar as opposed to granulated sugar does better making it gel. The store brands of granulated sugar use both cane and beet sugar and didn’t work well for me.

Melissa Phillips

How many jars of jam does this make??

What should I do with the calcium powder included?

So if your pectin includes a calcium packet, I’m going to assume that you are using Pomona’s Pectin. That is a different type of pectin that requires the addition of the calcium packet dissolved in water. It won’t work with this specific recipe, but Pomona has their own strawberry jam recipe that you can use. You can get the recipe on their website . I hope this helps. And I’m sorry for the confusion. I am going to update the recipe to indicate that it won’t work with Pomona’s.

I made your recipe and did the water bath for canning. The jam is delicious and perfect….BUT I am fairly new to canning and in my recent reading I have learned I am supposed to add lemon juice to the jam for the PH and to be safe for consumption. Is this true? Or will my jam be ok?

If you followed proper canning procedures, then the jam is perfectly safe to eat! When you are water bath canning, you need the food in the jar to be at a pH of 4.6 or lower. The heat of the boiling water kills the microorganisms, but it’s the acid in the jam that will prevent bacterial spores (like botulism!) and from forming in the anaerobic (low oxygen) environment of the sealed jar. As strawberries are in the pH of around 3 – 3.5, they are well in the safe range. We call this a high acid fruit, and so they do not need added acid like lemon juice to be safe. In fact, most (but not all) fruits are considered high acid foods and do not need to be acidified in order to be safely canned. Bananas, melons, white peaches, and a few other fruits can’t be safely water bath canned without adding acid.

But you will find there are jam recipes that call for added lemon juice. This can be to lower the pH, or for simply for flavor, or to help the jam set (acidity is also a factor in the gelling of a jam or jelly). Also, tomatoes are right on the cusp of being at a safe level of acidity, so you MUST add bottled lemon juice or citric acid when canning. For more information on the subject, the Ball canning books are a good source. Also, the National Center for Home Food Preservation website is a great resource. And please know that I will never share a canning recipe that isn’t safe. I’m not a food scientist, but I am a biologist by education, and I take food safety very seriously. I hope this helps!

I also wanted to give you a link to the National Center for Home Food Preservation recipe for canning strawberry jam. They are funded by the USDA and are one of the “official” sources for safe practices for home food preservation. Their recipe contains only sugar, pectin, and berries. I hope this reassures you as to safety. There is a lot of interesting information about canning on the internet, so if in doubt, it’s best to go to an official source for your information. NCHFP recipe for Strawberry Jam .

Fruit Lesson Plans and Printable Worksheets for Teachers - Twins and Teaching Culinary Arts and FACS Resources

[…] Strawberry jam– if you use pectin, you won’t need as much sugar, and can teach about the properties of pectin. This recipe allows you to adjust the size of the batch.  […]

Bekka fetch

I love jams over jelly, containing bits of the fruit used. I made this recipe almost exactly as recommended by the author. I did the thick jam with the most pectin which is still a nice spreadable jam. I share the author’s preference for using pectin to maintain the flavor & the taste of strawberries. No one in my family is allergic or has an aversion to pectin. My first batch was made using just sugar and a longer cook. It turned out well, but not the preferred consistency of jam from this recipe. Side by side tasting by family members was unanimous. Jelly with the pectin won. The only thing I added to this recipe was the juice from one freshly squeezed lemon. Yes, this will continue to be my go to for Strawberry jams. Thank you Melissa ♥️

You are very welcome! I’m so happy that you and your family like the recipe! It’s our family’s favorite.

Rebecca LaMar

Well, I didn’t read the article and used regular pectin. Is this a safety concern or mainly for set up?

It’s to ensure setup. So no worries, it’s not a safety concern.

I am going to be trying this recipe next week. I live at an elevation of 7200 ft. It said see notes for canning time for elevation, but I am not see that?

Here is a chart by Ball Canning that will give you the correct time for altitude: I hope this helps!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Tender, Juicy Slow Cooker Split Chicken Breasts

Green bean salad with tomatoes and mozzarella.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Chef John's 15 Most Saved Strawberry Recipes of All Time

The Allrecipes community can't get enough of these strawberry recipes from Chef John.

Jennifer Baker

Chef John knows a thing or two about putting seasonal produce to good use. Need proof? Just check out his most saved strawberry recipes of all time. From cakes and pies to jams and biscuits, you're sure to find a new spring favorite.

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

"I'm always on the lookout for easy and delicious things to make for breakfast that are on the one hand, relatively healthy and good for you, while on the other hand, not too good for you. I think these really do fit the bill." —Chef John

View Recipe

Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Pie

"This strawberry rhubarb custard pie is one of the most delicious and easiest pie recipes I know. I got this wonderful recipe from my mother Pauline, who I believe got it from my Aunt Angela. I love all their pies, but this might be my favorite." —Chef John

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

"Strawberry bruschetta is a thing of beauty! The way the tangy, slightly salty goat cheese works with the syrupy, balsamic-coated strawberries and crispy, charred bread is simply delicious." —Chef John

Cornbread Pancakes with Fresh Strawberry Syrup

"These are for sure the lightest, fluffiest cornbread pancakes of all time! By partially cooking the cornmeal before cooking the pancakes, there's no gritty or bitter aftertaste that you sometimes get with uncooked cornmeal." —Chef John

Strawberry Ice Cream

"Homemade strawberry ice cream with sweet, juicy strawberries! Some people consider this quick strawberry ice cream recipe a hack because we're skipping the more time-consuming egg-custard step; but even if I didn't want to save time I'd still prefer this method for strawberry ice cream." —Chef John

Classic Strawberry Shortcake

"For this strawberry shortcake recipe, I modified the way my grandfather made his and used self-rising flour and toasted butter for a nutty flavor. I'm hoping Armand Cianfoni would approve." —Chef John

Strawberry Crepe Cake

"Using this simple 'crepe cake' technique, you can turn any of your favorite cake fillings into visually stunning, multi-layered masterpieces. By the way, I say this is simple, not fast, as it does take some time to make and stack all those crepes, but once you get rolling, it goes pretty quickly." —Chef John

Fresh Strawberry Granita

"Granita is a gorgeous Italian frozen iced dessert . You can make it any time of the year, but it's really best enjoyed during the summer months. Not only is it cold and delicious, but it forces you to pop your hot face into the freezer four or five times to stir." —Chef John

Fresh Strawberry Tart

"This free-form glazed strawberry tart in a butter-crust pastry is thickly glossed and beautiful. You can use a tart pan, but going free-form is kind of fun. Be sure to use perfectly ripe, sweet strawberries." —Chef John

Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Melissa Goff

"This fresh strawberry sauce is an excellent sauce for pies and cakes — especially cheesecakes!" —Chef John

Fresh Strawberry Jam

"Here's my preferred method for making strawberry jam. It uses a lot less sugar than many other recipes, and I use homemade pectin puree. It's amazingly delicious." —Chef John

Strawberry Rhubarb Drop Biscuits

"These strawberry rhubarb drop biscuits are sweet with a scone-like texture — perfect for brunch. The technique is quick and easy and results in tender, moist, and delightfully fruity biscuits." —Chef John

Strawberry Dream

"The boiled strawberry-infused cream and sugar filling firms up into a pudding-like texture, that when sandwiched between strawberry puree and macerated strawberries, tastes like a dream!" —Chef John

Strawberry Soda Syrup

"We're going to take fresh strawberries and make our own homemade fruit syrup, which can be put into tea, lemonade, or made into the world's best strawberry soda!" —Chef John

Strawberry Semifreddo

"My lighter, no-cook adaptation of semifreddo skips the traditional egg custard and cuts down on fat, sugar, and time. It just so happens to be lighter, with a cleaner, more distinct berry flavor and a texture that's less creamy than classic semifreddo, falling somewhere between strawberry ice cream and a strawberry ice pop." —Chef John

More Inspiration

Our 15 Best Strawberry Dessert Recipes of All Time

12 of Grandma's Best Strawberry Desserts

Chef John's Best Quick and Easy Recipes Ready in 45 Minutes or Less

Read the original article on All Recipes .

Recommended Stories

Jack dorsey claims bluesky is 'repeating all the mistakes' he made at twitter.

Just in case there was any doubt about how Jack Dorsey really feels about Bluesky, the former Twitter CEO has offered new details on why he left the board and deleted his account.

'Breathable, cool and comfortable': This breezy cotton Hanes underwear is on sale for less than $2 apiece

'True to size and no visible panty line': These briefs have 6,000+ fans for their brand-name quality and bargain-basement price.

This Mother’s Day give Mom the massage gun that 'melts the pain away' — it's on sale for $46 (that's 25% off)

'My muscles have never felt so loose and free!': Nearly 15,000 five-star fans praise this tension-taming gadget.

The 21 best gift baskets to send (and receive) in 2024

These special deliveries by Harry & David, Happy Box and more will level up your gifting game this year.

Tom Selleck says Harrison Ford must be 'sick' of hearing about how he was originally cast as Indiana Jones

The “Blue Bloods” actor talks about being offered the role of Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but being contractually obligated to do “Magnum, P.I.”

Report: Suns fire head coach Frank Vogel after 1st-round playoff sweep, eyeing Mike Budenholzer as replacement

Frank Vogel's out after one season in Phoenix failed to produce a playoff win.

Alienware m16 R2 review: When less power makes for a better laptop

Despite featuring a less powerful top-end GPU than the previous model, the new m16 R2's sleeker design and better battery make it a better overall system.

Six quarterback situations to worry about & three that are on the precipice | Zero Blitz

Jason Fitz, Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab talk about which quarterback rooms concern them and which they find interesting heading into the 2024 NFL season.

This portable paw cleaner saves floors and furniture from Fido's worst, and it's $12 — that's 50% off

Muddy dogs, meet your match: 'He loves this. He acts like he's getting a massage.'

What is Zelle, and is it safe to use?

Zelle is a peer-to-peer payment app that allows you to send and receive money within minutes. So how does it work — and is it safe?

• HISTORY & CULTURE

The short, sweet, and sticky history of jam

From humble kitchens to opulent royal banquets, here's how this versatile treat became one of the world's favorite condiments.

A love potion, a digestive aid, an energy-giving snack, and a lavish royal treat. Jam has had many roles throughout history . At its core, jam is a condiment made from fruit, sugar, acid, and pectin. It’s closely related to—but not the same as—jellies (which are smoother) and preserves (which are chunkier).  

Today, jam is still a staple of the breakfast table . And while most of us might content ourselves with the homemade or store-bought variety, there are higher-end options, including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's new strawberry jam, the first product of her American Riviera Orchard lifestyle brand that she sent out to influencer friends last week in individually numbered pots, like an art print.  

Regardless of whether you are a jam devotee or not, jam’s evolution from a simple method used to preserve fruit through the seasons to a cherished treat beloved by royalty reveals a rich—and at times, not so-sweet—history.  

A potted history of jam

It’s tricky to pinpoint the precise origins of jam, as jam-like foods have existed for centuries. “Preservation using honey or sugar was a common method in ancient times,” says food historian Mary-Anne Boermans, author of Great British Bakes and Deja Food , and a Great British Bake Off finalist.

However, Boermans says the earliest known recipe for jam is in the 'De Re Coquinaria' (The Art of Cooking) by Apicius, which was written in the 4th Century C.E. at the height of the Roman Empire. It features quince mashed in honey, which is quite unlike the jam we buy today.  

Honey was widely used to preserve food—and particularly fruit—globally, food writer Sarah B. Hood points out in her book, Jam, Jelly and Marmalade: A Global History . Honey was cheap, easy to find, and had some natural antibacterial properties.  

For Hungry Minds

But sugar makes better jam. Sugarcane is native to Southeast Asia and it wasn’t until sugarcane was introduced to Persia at some point between the 3rd and 6th Century C.E. that jam as we know it today was made for the first time.  

“If one nation might be suggested as the inventor of jam and marmalade, Sasanian Persia, cultivating sugar by the 6th century AD, makes a good candidate,” Hood writes.

How jam spread

Several centuries later, the Crusades spread the use of sugar in cooking to medieval Europe and Britain for the first time, creating exotic new ways of preserving fruit and creating sweet treats—if you could afford it.  

You May Also Like

Is that an ancient pizza? Here’s what people really ate in Pompeii

The surprising story of how chili crisp took over the world

Americans have hated tipping almost as long as they’ve practiced it

“Sugar was rare and expensive,” Boermans says. “So jam was the preserve of the rich and a status symbol.”  

Perhaps it is no surprise then that it became a royal condiment of choice. In the late 1600s,   King Louis XIV of France showcased his jam as a luxury treat when serving guests at Versaille, with elaborate displays of jams and marmalades made from fruits grown in his private gardens. Another famous jam-loving royal was Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, after whom the Victoria sponge cake is named: it, of course, is layers of sweet sponge cake sandwiched together with strawberry jam. To this day, Buckingham Palace sells its own strawberry jam. Beyond being a sweet treat, jam has had other purposes through history , too. Astrologer and seer Nostradamus penned a recipe for a "love jam" in his third book, the   Traité des fardemens et confitures , or the 'Treatise on Make-Up and Jam' in 1555. He wrote that, if eaten by a woman, it would purportedly induce “a burning of her heart to perform the love act.” To make this jam, you’d need mandrake apples, gratings from several minerals, and the blood of seven male sparrows. Food writer Hood notes other recipes for jams and marmalades that have been used medicinally throughout history, especially to treat digestive issues, too.

Sugar and the slave trade

Until the late 18th century, most people would have made jam-like preserves without sugar due to its vast expense.But the economics of jam changed as sugar became cheaper—a direct result of slave labor used in plantations byEuropean colonial powers in the Caribbean.  

“In many senses, jam is a colonial product—that’s where the sugar needed to make it originated,” says Rebecca Earle , a food historian, author and professor in the Department of History at the University of Warwick. The connection, she says, was originally made by historian Sidney Mintz, who pointed out that it was the unpaid labour of enslaved men and women that made sugar a staple rather than a luxury in the U.K.

“Working class people in the U.K. often ate sugar in the form of very sweet tea and bread spread with high-sugar and low-fruit jam,” Earle says. “In a sense, that was the fuel of the industrial revolution.”  

They may not have had many nutrients, but they had the calories needed to work.  

Status symbol

Today, you can buy jam in all sorts of varieties and flavors, from budget-friendly options to limited edition artisanal preserves a la Meghan. Jam is stuffed in doughnuts, spread on pastries, squashed between cookies, layered in desserts, and, of course, still served on kitchen tables and royal tables alike.  

Perhaps that combination of royal delicacy and home comforts is what drove Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to choose jam as her brand’s first product.  

While a luxury item, Meghan's jam taps into this sentiment, blending royal tradition with the simple pleasures of home.

As Boermans says, "nothing quite captures feelings of nostalgia of childhood as bread and butter spread with jam."

Related Topics

• FOOD CULTURE
• FOOD HISTORY
• MODERN HISTORY
• HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION

Pizza Margherita may be fit for a queen, but was it really named after one?

In 1647, Christmas was canceled—by Christians

Meet Henry VIII’s most underrated wife—the queen who survived

Tannins? Egg whites? Sturgeon bladders? Here’s what’s in your wine

Meet the ruthless king who unified the Kingdom of Hawai'i

• Environment

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• History & Culture
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Paid Content
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved