This homemade strawberry jam is made without pectin and uses only three ingredients, all while packing the sweet and fruity taste of spring and summer berries in a jar! Store-bought jams are loaded with sugar, and just don’t have that pop of flavor you get with homemade jam.
Even though this uses a technique I first learned in culinary school, making your own jams at home is straightforward and easy. This jam is delicious just spread on some toast in the morning! Once you perfect your technique, you can get really creative with your flavors and use other berries to make jams, too, like this cranberry jam recipe!
I use my homemade strawberry jam in my strawberry cheesecake cinnamon rolls for a fruity twist on a classic cinnamon roll. I also use it in my strawberry lemon bars, but I puree the strawberries first and strain them through a sieve to remove as many seeds as possible. Check the recipe substitutions section to learn how to do this!
why this strawberry jam recipe works:
🍓 flavor-packed. This jam is made with peak-season strawberries, full of sweet & floral flavor. Choosing the deepest red berries yields the best flavor, so avoid any dull or light-colored fruits.
🙌 easy to follow. This recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, with no fancy canning equipment needed. If you cook regularly at home, you likely already have everything you need!
🤌 limited ingredient. Unlike store-bought jams, this recipe uses a total of three ingredients— that’s it! Best of all, you can choose how much sugar to add, making your jam as sweet as you like!
🛒 what you need to make strawberry jam
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Try to select smaller-sized berries when you are cooking using strawberries because they’ll have a much better flavor than giant-sized berries. The darker the berry, the sweeter they will be. Strawberries do not ripen after they are harvested, so what you see is what you get! If your berries are lighter in color, they’ll have a more mild flavor.
🍳 step-by-step strawberry jam process
1: Wash and trim your strawberries, and hull the berries for the best flavor. You can leave the hulls in, but it will (lessen the) flavor a bit.
2: Chop your berries into roughly the same size pieces, about 1/4 of an inch per piece. If you like a chunkier jam, use larger pieces!
3: Combine your strawberry pieces with the granulated sugar, and allow the fruit to sit for about 5 minutes.
4: This process is called maceration: the sugar molecules are hygroscopic, which means that they absorb water from the berries.
5: The sugar “pulls” water out of the strawberries and creates a sort of strawberry soup right in the pot!
6: Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir the berry-sugar mixture while stirring every few minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have softened.
7: Add in the lemon juice. Keeping the pan on medium heat, allow it to maintain a strong simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. You can mash the strawberries down a bit with your spatula every 5-10 minutes or so, to break up the fruit a bit more.
8: As the jam cooks, you’ll start to notice it thickening as the moisture evaporates.
Allow your strawberry jam to cool, then store your jam in an airtight container, like a glass jar, for up to a week in the fridge. You can also freeze it for longer storage.
Wanna save this recipe for later? 📬
I'll email this recipe post to you so you can have it for later!
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ how to serve your homemade berry jam
- for breakfast or lunch – spread your jam on freshly baked bread, toast, or level up your PB&Js at home. I also love using this jam to top oatmeal and muffin batter for fresh baked jammy muffins!
- in desserts – you can also use this jam in any recipe that uses strawberry jam as an ingredient, like in my strawberry cream cheese rolls or my tangy lemon bars with jam!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- thickening – be patient with your jam when it’s cooking! Unless you’re using a thermometer to monitor the temperature (say that six times fast), you’ll want to keep your jam simmering at a steady pace to thicken up.
- sugar ratio – start with using less sugar if you like a less sweet, more fruit-forward jam. You can always pull a spoonful of jam out of the pot, allow it to cool, and taste it while you are cooking. If you like, you can add more sugar to sweeten things up!
- berry flavor – use smaller berries for the best flavor, and make sure you choose berries that are fully ripe. Strawberries do not ripen more after they are picked, so if your berries have white or yellow portions on them, unfortunately, they will be very mild or even bitter in flavor.
⚖️ scaling tips
Can it scale?
🔆 top tip
Set a timer on your watch or phone so you don’t forget about your bubbling jam mixture! 😉 I’ve found the sweet spot to be around 45-60 minutes of simmering for a thick jam.
♻️ customize your strawberry jam
- puree and pectin– when I make my strawberry lemon bars, I prefer the jam layer to be smooth and vibrant. To do this, I puree the strawberries in a blender first, then strain them through a fine mesh sieve. Then, I add a bit of powdered low-heat pectin to help the liquid strawberry and sugar mix gel– a technique I learned in the Milk Bar cookbook during the 2020 quarantine!
- sweetener – you can use natural or less processed sugar instead of granulated sugar to deepen the flavor of your jam!
- balsamic – elevate your jam with a 1-2 ounces of balsamic vinegar! The sweet, acidic flavor of the balsamic vinegar adds a flavorful punch to the strawberries.
- roasted – Roast the strawberries for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF to deepen the flavor of the berries before starting the recipe. Be sure to scrape off all the juices that cook out of the berries and use them in the pan, too!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store homemade jam
Store your jam for up to a week in the fridge. Jams that last longer have to be stored in sanitized jars and sealed using proper canning methods. That’s not exactly the process we’re doing here. Because of this, it won’t last as long as if you were to heat seal sterilized jars.
You can freeze your jam for longer-term storage for up to three months.
💬 q+a
Can I use frozen strawberries to make jam?
Yes! Frozen strawberries will need to either be thawed first or simmer for longer to get the right consistency.
Why is there lemon in the strawberry jam recipe?
Lemon is high in pectin, which helps the jam to have a gel-like consistency. The acidity of the lemon is also needed to help the strawberries gel, while adding brightness to the flavor of the strawberries and helping to balance the sweetness in the recipe.
What is pectin?
Pectin is a naturally occurring thickener in many foods, like fruits, that helps them become jammy when cooked. Pectin helps foods achieve a gel-like consistency which can be useful for things like jams and jellies. While you can add pectin to your recipes, it is possible to utilize naturally occurring pectin to help thicken jams, sauces, and jellies.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam (Strawberry Jam Without Pectin)
Wanna save this recipe for later? 📬
I’ll email this recipe post to you so you can have it for later!
Equipment
- 1 1.5-quart saucepan heavy bottomed, non-reactive.
- 1 glass jar with tight fitting lid
- 1 silicone spatula
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 baking scale
Ingredients
- 600 grams strawberries about 1.5 pints of berries
- 100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Instructions
- Clean berries. Wash, trim, and hull 600 grams of strawberries.
- Prep berries. Slice the berries into halves or quarters, depending on how chunky you would like your jam. The berries will break down as they cook.
- Add to saucepan. Place your berries into a 1.5 quart sauce pan.
- Add sugar. Add 100 grams of sugar on top of the strawberries, and give everything a good stir.
- Macerate at room temp. Allow the sugar and berries to sit for 10 minutes. This process is called maceration. The sugar pulls moisture out of the berries.
- Heat mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, and allow the mixture to come to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Add lemon juice. Lower the heat to medium, and add in 1 TBSP of lemon juice.
- Cook down. Cook the mixture for 30 – 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and allowing it to maintain a strong simmer. If it is boiling too much, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Watch for thickness. You will notice the mixture becoming thicker, and jammy. You can also use your spatula to smush the berries against the side of the saucepan to break down the berries even further. Once the mixture is thick and bubbling, turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner.
- Cool. Allow the mix to cool for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a clean glass jar. Be sure to use a jar that can withstand the high heat from the jam as it will still be quite warm.
- Put in jar. Seal your jam with a tight fitting lid, and place it in the fridge to cool overnight. The jam will thicken up considerably as it cools.
- Use or store. Store your jam in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze it for up to three months.
Notes
troubleshooting tips
-
- thickening – be patient with your jam when it’s cooking! Unless you’re using a thermometer to monitor the temperature (say that six times fast), you’ll want to keep your jam simmering at a steady pace to thicken up.
-
- sugar ratio – start with using less sugar if you like a less sweet, more fruit-forward jam. You can always pull a spoonful of jam out of the pot, allow it to cool, and taste it while you are cooking. If you like, you can add more sugar to sweeten things up!
-
- berry flavor – use smaller berries for the best flavor, and make sure you choose berries that are fully ripe. Strawberries do not ripen more after they are picked, so if your berries have white or yellow portions on them, unfortunately, they will be very mild or even bitter in flavor.
ingredient swaps & customizing your Jam
-
- puree and pectin– when I make my strawberry lemon bars, I prefer the jam layer to be smooth and vibrant. To do this, I puree the strawberries in a blender first, then strain them through a fine mesh sieve. Then, I add a bit of powdered low-heat pectin to help the liquid strawberry and sugar mix gel– a technique I learned in the Milk Bar cookbook during the 2020 quarantine!
-
- sweetener – you can use natural or less processed sugar instead of granulated sugar to deepen the flavor of your jam!
-
- balsamic – elevate your jam with a 1-2 ounces of balsamic vinegar! The sweet, acidic flavor of the balsamic vinegar adds a flavorful punch to the strawberries.
-
- roasted – Roast the strawberries for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF to deepen the flavor of the berries before starting the recipe. Be sure to scrape off all the juices that cook out of the berries and use them in the pan, too!
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
