Strawberry Jam Canning Recipe

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.

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

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!