Easy Strawberry Jam (No Pectin)
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This easy 3 ingredient strawberry jam will bring a bright, fresh flavor to toast, biscuits, cake, and whatever else you want to put it on. It’s made with fresh strawberries and makes just enough for one half pint.
I am absolutely in love with strawberry jam. I have been since I was a little girl. Every summer I would get a half pint jar of wild strawberry jam my aunt had canned. If I was staying with my gram’s the week or two my aunt was picking wild strawberries, we would be up there picking and hulling. I think that made it even more special when I got a jar. She’s long since passed away from cancer, but the memories and joy I had with her and my gram live on along with my love for homemade strawberry jam.
I could eat this quick and easy strawberry jam right out of the jar. Since my recipe only makes one half pint jar of strawberry jam, you can always double or triple the recipe.
I had originally canned it, by tipping the jar upside down with the very hot jam in it. It sealed the jar, but I ended up unsealing it after a couple of days for pictures and tasting.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Gifting – If you want to wow a friend or family member, this jarred jam makes a sweet gift to give. Tie a summery bow on it, and share the homemade jam.
Fresh Strawberries – You know exactly what ingredients are in the strawberry jam and were able to hand pick them yourself.
Sweetness – The jam isn’t overly sweet like typical store-bought jam. It has a nice balance of tartness and sweetness.
Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries – I’ve hand picked my strawberries and also used store-bought strawberries for this recipe. As long as they’re fresh and not frozen, they will work. It’s important to know that strawberries picked in their season are going to be sweeter and have a deeper color than berries used when they are out of season.
- Sugar – The sugar is still important in this recipe regardless of how ripe the berries are. The sugar melts and helps the juice along, helps preserve the strawberry jam, and of course provides the best flavor. We love sugar here at Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt.
- Lemon Juice – This can be optional. I’ve used it and I’ve left it out. It adds a certain tanginess and brightness to the jam that I love. It also helps preserve the color of the strawberries which I do like.
How to Make Strawberry Jam with No Pectin
Step 1: Add the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a medium saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined.
Step 2: Place over medium heat, smash the strawberries to help them break down and stir occassionally until the jam coats the back of your spoon and when the spoon is run along the bottom of the pan, the jam separates briefly instead of immediately blending together.
Step 3: Pour into a container and let cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill and set up.
Tips and Tricks
How to Store and Freeze
If you choose to can the jam by tipping it upside down after sterilizing the jar, lid, and ring with the very hot jam in it, you need to make sure that the lid is sealed. The button will be sucked down and it will make a “ping” sound. Though it could be shelf stable, the seal will be much weaker than a proper canning method which means you should store it in the fridge just in case the seal fails and keep an eye on it.
If you just pour your jam in a regular jar with a lid, once it’s cool, place it in the refrigerator. It will last at least 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.
To freeze the jam, make sure you’re using a freezer-safe jar or container. Leave about ½ inch of headspace between the jam and the top of the jar for the jam to expand while it freezes. It will last in the freezer for up to 1 year. To thaw, place it in the refrigerator overnight. You can speed up the process by placing it in a bowl of warm water on the counter to thaw.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The times may be different since there will be more berries to cook down though.
I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries. They would need to be thawed and drained and will likely not have the same amount of lquid or a bright color. Also the berries will break down a lot quicker making the times completely off.
This post was originally published August 6, 2013 but has been updated with more information and new photos.
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a rating below and also share it on Instagram, and tag me! You can also find me on Facebook and stay up to date on recipe releases by joining the Newsletter!
Easy Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add in the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Turn the heat on to medium and stir until the sugar starts to dissolve into the strawberry juice.
- With the back of your wooden spoon, mash the strawberries to help break them down. Keep stirring occasionally and mashing the strawberries with the back of the spoon.
- Once the strawberries break down and the syrup thickens, remove from the heat. It will coat the back of your spoon and the jam will separate briefly on the bottom of the pan when you swipe a spatula across it. The entire process took me about 25 minutes.
- I poured my jam into a sterilized half-pint jar with a sterilized lip and ring. I tipped it upside down and let it cool. You can just pour your jam in a container and let it cool. Then place the container or canning jar in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
5 stars! This was my first time canning and it was very easy. The key is to use Oregon strawberries 😃 thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear!!! Thanks for taking time to comment.
So good! I had a 1 pound basket of strawberries that were very ripe. 1/4 honey for sweetener and 2T of chia seeds for a thickener made this jam yummy. It’s more like a sauce than a thick jam, jelly or preserve, but it tastes great!
Wonderful to hear Susan!
I used one pound of very ripe strawberries, diced. 1/4 C honey for sweetness and two heaping tablespoons of ground chia seeds for a thickening agent. I used an immersion blender to purée the strawberries. Then I added the honey. I let it simmer a bit but wanted it thicker. Two Tablespoons of chia did the trick. I have 1 1/2C of strawberry jam/sauce. It is so delicious and easy to make.
I too have fond memories of cooking with my grandma in the summers. We pick blueberries every summer and I’ve started making blueberry jam. It’s wonderful to have homemade jam in the winter. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty