Homemade Strawberry Jam

Spring and summer bring beautiful ripe, juicy berries that most of us can eat by the handful. Sadly, every year that season ends and I’m left waiting for the spring again. While it’s a nice time to celebrate winter bounty, when that mid December craving for strawberries hit, I’m always glad to have a nice jar of homemade strawberry jam in the cupboard.

All the sweetness of strawberries get packed into a gooey, spreadable condiment that can go far beyond the traditional pb&j (although that’s never a bad choice either!). Making a batch is easier than you might think, and I’m excited to share a simple but delicious recipe for you to give a try.

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.

Do I have to use pectin?

Here’s the deal, a lot of recipes out there boast ‘no pectin, no preservative’ as a selling point, and it’s true! Pectin is not necessarily needed and jams can be delicious without it, so if buying the inexpensive extra ingredient turns you off, I’m sorry.

BUT I think there’s a lot of misconception about what pectin exactly is, why it should and can be used, and when.

While I could go into much more detail here’s the basics, 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.

A lot of fruits have plenty of pectin and can thicken into a jam with just the addition of sugar. But some fruits are low in them, and to reach a jam state require a LOT of sugar and a LONG time cooking. It also yields a lot less jam for the amount of fruit used.

Strawberries are one of those. The addition of commercial pectin means a quicker cook time, larger yield, and better preservation of the natural strawberry flavor that would be smothered by sugar and long cooking otherwise.

What kind of pectin?

There are several different types of pectin available, and each require a slightly different application. For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making jams and jellies with traditional dry pectin.

That’s what we used in this recipe, and it works easily. If however you’re concerned about sugar, I recommend using the low sugar dry pectin. You can significantly reduce the sugar required to make this jam. Just follow the directions provided with the pectin to determine how much sugar is required for 5 cups of strawberry pulp.

I don’t recommend commercial liquid pectin or no sugar pectin.

Want to make your own pectin? Learn how here.

Making Homemade Strawberry Jam

Making your very own homemade strawberry jam is as simple as the ingredients! Once you start, you’ll never go back to the gloopy store stuff again.

Cook Strawberries and pectin

To begin, pulverize 2.5 to 3 pounds of strawberries, or enough to yield 5 cups of strawberry pulp. The key to jam is using crushed or finely chopped fruit. I find the blender the best tool for this job. If using frozen berries, thaw first.

Next, add pectin and strawberry juice to a large, non reactive pot and bring to a rolling boil.

Prep Storage Containers

While this is coming to a boil, prep four 16 ounce mason jars (pint) for storage. I recommend water bath canning for shelf storage, but they can also be stored in the fridge for 1 month or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Either way, make sure your jars and lids are cleaned thoroughly with soapy water. Use only unused seals!

If you intend on water bath canning, I HIGHLY suggest you get a canning tool set, it’s inexpensive, and will have all the tools you need to get your jars processed correctly. At the very least wide mouth funnel, ladle, and clamp to lift the jars into and out of the water are essential. I usually set this all up on a clean kitchen towel to avoid sticky messes on the counter.

If water bath canning, bring a large pot full of water to a boil. You need enough water to cover the jars by 1 inch. Your jars will also need to be warm when you add the jam to them. I find this easiest by simply placing them in the boiling water for a minute and then turning upside down onto a towel to dry.

Add Sugar and Boil

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. Cooking longer will result in over gelled jam, so cook for 3 minutes if you prefer a looser jam.

Add to Jars

While hot, use a wide mouthed funnel and a ladle to fill jars. If freezing leave at least 1 inch of head space to allow for expansion. Leave 1/4 inch of head space for water bath canning.

For freezing allow to cool on the counter first and then add to freezer.

For water bath canning, wipe the rim carefully to make sure there is no jam interfering with the seal. Ensure there are no air bubbles (use a stirring stick) and place on new seals. Seal jar (be careful the jar will be hot!) finger tight and submerge in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove place on a towel to seal. This can take hours, so don’t panic if it doesn’t happen right away! You’ll know they’re sealed when the lid doesn’t move when pressed upon and there is a small indent in the center.

That’s it! Homemade Strawberry Jam is done!

You’ve done it! Simple right? You now have jars of preserved strawberry goodness. Those sealed jars will stay good in a dark cupboard for up to 1 year (same for a freezer), and 1 month once opened in the fridge. I’ll admit I’ll keep them up to 2 and have never had any consequences from it.

The flavor of homemade strawberry jam is truly incomparable to the store bought versions most people eat. While there are some really nice artisan products out there now, the cost of those can easily buy you the ingredients to make your own and yield way more product.

Using Strawberry Jam

You seriously cannot go wrong with a classic PB&J, especially if you make your own Homemade Nut Butter, but that doesn’t have to be the end of your jam use!

It also makes an excellent filling for cookie sandwiches, like Shortbread Cookies, or as a filling for cupcakes, layer cakes, the bottom of tarts, or as a fun topping for ice creams, short breads, or pavlovas. Get creative and have fun! If it would taste good with a strawberry sauce or fresh strawberries, try substituting jam!

However you like to use your jam, I hope this recipe becomes a winner for you. It’s a simple classic but it’s a well loved jam flavor for a reason! Enjoy the process as well, there is something so satisfying about looking at your finished jars and knowing you made your own jam.

I can’t wait to bring you more jam, jelly, and fruit preserve recipes, until then however, happy eating!

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