Strawberry Jam Canning Recipe
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This easy strawberry jam canning recipe is a classic combination of fresh strawberries, sugar, and pectin that makes a consistent, sweet and fruity spreadable jam. Get tips on processing the fruit, how to make it safe for canning, and how long to water bath can it for long-lasting shelf stable storage.

California, my long-time home, is known for the beautiful juicy red strawberries that are sold from little white strawberry shacks in every town come spring time. They show up early, and remain abundant right through the last days of summer. When they’re gone, I miss that sun-ripened flavor, and am always glad I took the time in the blistering summer heat to do some strawberry preserving.
There are so many ways to preserve fresh strawberries: 4 ingredient strawberry sorbet, homemade strawberry syrup, homemade strawberry preserves, or simple classics like this nice jar of homemade strawberry jam. This very classic recipe captures the sweetness of strawberries packed into a gooey, spreadable condiment you can enjoy all year long.
Recipe Highlights
- This is a water bath canning recipe. With proper canning, it lasts for 12-18 months in dark, cool storage.
- Strawberry jam made with pectin is stable and easy to make. There’s a lot less worry about it setting.
- This is an heirloom recipe I’ve made 20+ times. I know the tricks, feel free to ask!
Jam Ingredients
One of the best parts about making jam is that it can consist of only a few simple ingredients. This particular recipe has only 3: Strawberries, sugar, and pectin.

- Strawberries – I like fresh, almost overripe strawberries. These are sold at the local stands as ‘jam berries’ because they don’t look the prettiest and they won’t last long. They’re often cheaper and mush down beautifully for a jammy texture that doesn’t have chunks.
- Pectin – I use traditional dry or powdered pectin. I have never used liquid or no sugar pectin and do not recommend it for this recipe.
- Sugar – Any form of sugar works, but white granulated sugar or cane sugar preserves the true strawberry flavor. Honey, brown sugar, or turbinado sugar will affect flavor.
- Lemon juice (optional) – Strawberries are acidic enough to safely water bath can, however if you’re concerned, add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. It also adds a nice brightness to the jam which I happen to really like.
- Butter (my secret weapon) – This is an old school trick my great grandmother taught me. Add a dab, like a teaspoon or less, of butter before you add the sugar, and you’ll reduce, if not eliminate the foam on top.
Strawberries for Jam Tips
Use fresh or frozen berries, but they must be thaw and chopped to small pieces (no bigger than a pea) to make jam, I prefer to give them a quick blitz in the blender. It produces a thick, jammy spread that doesn’t have huge chunks of fruit.
Save money by collecting any bruised or aging berries as you buy them throughout the spring and early summer. Cut the greens off and pop them in the freezer. Once your bag is full, it’s time to make jam.
Step by Step Instructions
There are two parts to making this strawberry jam canning recipe – the jam cooking and the canning. Canning is the most stable storage option, but fresh strawberry jam can also stored in the fridge for 1 month or in the freezer for up to 1 year.
To freeze let the cooked jam cool in the jars with 1 inch of head space and then transfer to the freezer. I recommend wide mouth jars for freezing.
IMPORTANT: Properly water bath canning strawberry jam requires several steps to be done before you start cooking the jam. Please reference my water bath canning guide to learn how to set your space up, including sterilizing you jars, what tools you’ll need, and how to seal them.

Step 1 – Cook strawberries with pectin
To begin, pulverize 2.5 to 3 pounds of strawberries with a potato masher, or blitz in a blender. You need 5 cups of strawberry pulp.
Combine the strawberry pulp in a large pot with the pectin and lemon juice if using. Add butter now if using. Set over high heat and stir until pectin is dissolved. Continue to stir frequently until the mixture comes to a very rapid, strong boil.
Canning Step : Have a canning pot with a lid full of boiling water ready. Sterilize four 16 ounce jars or eight 8 ounce jars in the boiling water. Remove them after 1 minute and set upside down to dry. Have new seals with clean bands ready.
Step 2 – Add sugar and boil again
When your strawberry pectin mixture has come to a rolling boil, add in your sugar all at once and stir. Continue stirring and return the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, start your timer. For perfect set jam, cook for 4 minutes.
At the 4 minute mark, remove from heat immediately. Longer cooking times make a stiffer jam, while less will result in a looser set or even syrup.

Step 3 – Add to Jars
While hot, use a wide mouthed funnel and a ladle to fill jars. Leave the appropriate amount of headspace based on your storage choice – 1/4 inch for water bath canning, 1 inch for freezing.
Use a stirring stick to eliminate bubbles, wipe jar rims free of any jam, and place on new seals and rings. The jars are HOT use hand protection and seal them as tight as you reasonably can by hand.
Canning Step: Place jars in rapidly boiling water and ensure they’re submerged with 1 inch of water above them. Boil for 10 minutes for 8 ounce jars, and 15 minutes for 16 ounce jars. Remove using a jar clamp and let them cool on a towel overnight. Sealing can take up to 24 hours.

FAQs
A lot of fruits have plenty of pectin and can thicken into a jam with just the addition of sugar. But to reach a jam state it requires a LOT of sugar and a LONG time cooking. It also yields a lot less jam for the amount of fruit used. The addition of commercial pectin means a quicker cook time, larger yield, and better preservation of the natural strawberry flavor.
Pectin is a naturally occurring carbohydrate in fruits that causes liquids to set and thicken when combined with sugar and acid. It is not a preservative. Any preserving of the fruits is done with sugar and proper sealing methods.
Often you’ll hear a loud ‘pop’ if you’re nearby when they seal. You’ll know they’re sealed when the lid doesn’t move when pressed upon and there is a small indent in the center.
Yes! Absolutely. Either store bought frozen berries, or berries you freeze yourself are both fine. Thaw completely and pulse in a blender or chop well. Use all the liquid and the strawberries left from thawing.
Enjoy that perfectly sweet strawberry jam for months to come. I’ve often used it for gifting, filling shortbread cookies, and on my morning honey wheat bread toast. But the most classic of all is my sons PB&J with a good swipe of homemade nut butter. No matter why you make it, I hope you can enjoy that strawberry flavor as much as we do all year long. And don’t forget to check out my strawberry watermelon jam variation!

Homemade Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- Four 12 ounce mason jars with new seals and locking rings
Ingredients
- 5 cups strawberries, crushed 2.5 to 3 pounds/8 cups
- 7 cups white sugar
- 1.75 ounces pectin, dry 1 packet
Instructions
- Wash and dry four 16 ounces mason jars (pint jars), and 4 lids with new seals, set aside to dry on a clean kitchen towel with a ladle and wide mouth funnel. Make sure jars are warm when adding hot jam to them.*
- Blend whole, stemmed strawberries until you have a chunky puree.
- Combine strawberries with pectin in a large, non-reactive pot over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve pectin. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Bring a separate large pot with enough water to cover jars by 1 inch to a boil.
- When strawberry mixture is boiling add in sugar and stir to dissolve. Continue stirring and return to a rolling boil. Once boiling cook for 3 to 4 minutes while continuing to stir.*
- Remove from heat when time is up. Ladle into warm jars with funnel and carefully place seals and lids on jars.*
- Submerge jars into boiling water and let remain for 10 minutes. Remove from water and place on towel to cool and seal. Jars are sealed when lid doesn't move when touched and has a small indent.
- Store in cupboard for up to 1 year, and when opened in fridge for 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.
Made this today! Easy and wonderful flavor!
Thanks so much Colleen, I am glad you like it so much!
Can’t wait to make this! Looks simple yet delicious. I wanted to add some spice to it though, like jalapeños. Would that work?
Hi Norma, you can try to add jalapenos, but make sure you add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice to ensure the acidity level in the jam stays high enough to safely can it.
Just pulled mine out of the water bath. This jam tasted AMAZING before I put it in the jars! I can’t wait to eat it on my morning English muffins! I’m pretty new to canning and I love that your website give so much information! It’s very helpful for a newbie like myself!
Angela, I love hearing from followers and I am so happy to hear you loved the taste before jarring it up. I know you will love it on your muffins and any other way you choose. Canning can be so much fun and rewarding, thank you for sharing, you won’t be a newbie for long!
Thanks Mikayla for the strawberry jam recipe, it’s simple and easy to use.
Kathy C
Thanks very much Kathy I am very glad to hear you were successful and you are using the jam!
Love this recipe!! Taste delicious! But how do you keep it from being so foamy on top in jar?
Hi Tina, glad you liked the jam! There’s a little trick that my great grandmother passed down to us, and I’m so sorry it wasn’t in the post (I’ll be adding it asap!), add just a tiny pat of butter, like a teaspoon or less, to the pot with the berries and pectin, and the fat will help reduce the foaming a lot. You may still get some, but it should be reduced. Otherwise, it’s just a patience game of skimming it off of the top of the jars!
Thank you for the recipe. Not sure what rating to give yet because I only just finished canning.
I do have a question: the fruit has floated to the top of the mason jars, with only liquid at the bottom. I didn’t see anything in the recipe about skimming during cooking so not sure if that’s what went wrong. Question is, did I just waster 2 lbs of strawberries and 7 cups of sugar, or will the jam be ok?
Hi Steven, I’m happy to tell you no you did not! That can happen sometimes, especially if your strawberry pieces are a little bigger or there is some air trapped inside (not harmful!). Next time mashing the strawberries up finer can help, but for this batch, just give the jars a shake before they’re completely cooled down, the syrup will thicken as it cools and hold the pieces more evenly. Or, when you open the jar to eat it, just stir it up. I hope you enjoy!
There is just nothing better in the whole wide world than a jar of strawberry jam. Period. And this recipe is a great example why. Fantastic result and just the perfect consistency!
Elaine, I am so glad it turned out perfect for you. You are so right, my whole life I have been eating homemade strawberry jam, I wouldn’t want to go without it! You might really enjoy, Strawberry Watermelon Jam!
Excellent recipe! I usually use dry pectin as well because that is how my mom did it. ‘No pectin’ jams are kind of false advertising and I’m glad you included important information on what pectin is!
Bernice, thank you I am so glad you found my recipe and the information I included to be helpful and factual.
We love strawberry jam as our breakfast spread, and homemade jam is even better! Thanks for posting this delicious recipe!
Homemade is always best in my opinion, I’m glad you think so too. Enjoy!
This jam came out perfectly! It’s just bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, and you canning tips were super helpful.
Thanks Amanda! It’s all about that strawberry flavor!