Who’s ready to make an easy Strawberry Jam with all those sweet delicious strawberries that are in season right now? This simple No Pectin Strawberry Jam Recipe is made with only strawberries, sugar and a bit of lemon!
(Scroll to the bottom for recipe tips, a printable recipe card and a short how to make strawberry jam video.)
It’s Secret Recipe Club reveal day! Secret Recipe Club (no longer around, btw) was a fun, round-robin style “game” where we would visit another food blogger’s site for recipe inspiration.
For this round, I had my recipes narrowed down to 3 (including Heather’s raspberry jam) and was having a hard time deciding what recipe to make.
I ended up taking a last-minute trip to the grocery store, and once I saw all the gorgeous red strawberries on sale, I knew I had to make strawberry jam! Since I know my jam recipe is a winner, I went with mine. (It’s tried and true many times over.)
Tried and True Strawberry Jam Recipe
Have you ever wondered how to make Strawberry Jam? It’s surprisingly easy.
I have a tried and true strawberry jam recipe that I make every year after we visit our local strawberry farm. The beauty of this easy jam recipe is in the use of lemon juice and sugar instead of pectin to make the strawberry jam set. (Lemon juice is a natural pectin source that helps the jam set up and also helps prevent the growth of bacteria.)
Didn’t the strawberry jam turn out gorgeous!? I’m not kidding when I say this jam recipe is easy. All you need is strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and about 20 minutes!
Simple Ideas to Use Strawberry Jam
In no time at all, you can have a sweet and simple strawberry jam that you’ll want to put on everything. My mind can probably go on forever when thinking of ways to use homemade strawberry jam but some of my favorites are:
- crusty bread with cream cheese
- on top of pancakes or waffles with whipped cream
- over plain or vanilla yogurt
- drizzled over ice cream
- a filler for homemade muffins or cupcakes
- DIY Christmas or hostess gift
My entire family thinks this is the best thing ever. I also have a great peach jam recipe, if you want to try this using different fruit.
Ingredients in Strawberry Jam:
Want to give this recipe a shot? To make the Jam, you need 3 ingredients:
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
Making Jam is super simple. All it takes is a bit of time stirring your pot on the stove. (Scroll down to the bottom for a how-to video and printable recipe card.)
How to Make Strawberry Jam
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, mix strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Stir over med-low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to med-high and bring mixture to a rolling boil.
- Stir frequently mashing the strawberries as you stir, continuing to boil, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover the surface of the jam. (about 10 minutes.)
- Transfer jam to a jar and let cool to room temperature.
- Seal jars and store in the refrigerator. For best results use in about 10 days. (If sealed properly and unopened, your jam could last anywhere from 1 to 3 months in the fridge.)
Have trouble getting your jam to set? Keep reading for more tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Strawberry Jam Questions:
I’ve gotten a few questions and comments about this recipe over the years. I’ve tried to get them answered all in one place for you today, feel free to leave a comment is I have not answered something for you. Also, be sure to check the comment section- tons of good info there!
Can I Freeze Strawberry Jam?
Yes, you can! The even better news is that you can freeze it right in the jar. Just make certain that you leave some space at the top as it will expand a tiny bit when freezing.
This way, you can make several jars in batches and just pull one of the freezer to unthaw when you’re running low.
How Do You Can Strawberry Jam for Pantry Storage:
This recipe is perfect for water bath canning. I have the Ball Home Canning kit. It contains everything you need for water bath canning.
To can your strawberry jam:
- Sterilize the jars and lids. Whatever size you like. (I prefer the 8 oz jars for this recipe.)
- Add the strawberry jam to the jar, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Use a skinny spatula to help remove air pockets.
- Wipe down jar rims and add the lids. Seal to fingertip tightness. (Screw on till you feel resistance. Too loose, jar won’t seal, too tight air won’t release properly.)
- Process for 5 minutes in the boiling water. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water another 5 minutes.
- Remove jars and let cool 12 to 24 hours. Check the seal by removing the band and pressing the center of each lid. If you are able to indent the lid, your jam did not seal properly. Store in a cool dry location for 1 for best quality, but maybe good for up to 2 years. Be sure to test your jar for spoilage before using it.
Keep in mind, higher altitudes affect boiling and you will need to process the jam differently. (I believe I read boiling points are lower at high altitude.)
How Long Does Homemade Strawberry Jam Last in the Fridge?
Fro best results use within 10 days, but sealed and unopened, your homemade should keep in the fridge between 1 to 3 months. In the freezer, it should last about a year.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries to Make Jam?
Yes, you will most likely need to increase the cooking time as frozen strawberries tend to be more watery. You can also use a thermometer to help determine when your jam is done. (When the jam reaches 215 F, it should be ready.)
Can I Use This Strawberry Jam Recipe with Other Fruits?
The cooking process of this jam will work fine with other fruits, but you will need to take into consideration the sweetness level of whatever fruit you are using.
If it’s not a very sweet fruit, you may need to increase the amount of sugar that you’re adding during the cooking process.
Why Didn’t my Strawberry Jam Set Up? (and how to fix it)
There can be varying reasons as to why it didn’t’ set up properly. It might have needed to cook longer or there is the chance that sometimes strawberries don’t have enough natural sugar (it’s the cooking time, sugar and lemon that help it gel) and they just need a little more pectin added.)
If you followed the directions and it didn’t set up properly, let the jam sit overnight in the fridge. If that step still doesn’t get it to stiffen up and set, you might try re-cooking it for a bit longer and either adding in a bit of pectin or a bit more sugar and lemon (not much, just give it a taste test.)
If you have a thermometer, make sure your strawberry mixture reaches gets to 220 degrees F.
Pin this Strawberry Jam Recipe here:
More Fresh Strawberry Recipes For All Those Strawberries:
- Easy Strawberry Trifle with Pound cake
- Strawberry Chocolate Hazelnut Bites
- Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
How to Make Strawberry Jam: Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe with no pectin
PrintQuick and Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe with no pectin
An Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe with no pectin!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: about 1 3/4 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 16 oz strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tbs lemon juice
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, mix strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Stir over med-low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to med-high and bring mixture to a rolling boil.
- Stir frequently mashing the strawberries as you stir, continuing to boil, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover the surface of the jam. (about 10 minutes.)
- Transfer jam to a jar and let cool to room temperature.
- Seal jars and store in refrigerator for about 10 days (or freeze)
Notes
Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Additional tips: If you have a candy thermometer when the jam reaches 215 F, it’s ready.
If you want a less chunky jam, you can process fruit in a food processor before cooking or use an immersion blender while fruit cooks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbs
- Calories: 20
- Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Protein: 0
Keywords: strawberry, jam
Enjoy! What are some of your favorite uses for jam?
Don't miss any more posts!
trisha says
just used this recipe to make cranberry jelly! can’t wait to add this to a white chocolate cheesecake! thank you!!
★★★★★
Va says
Any substitutions for lemon juice? I read we could use vinegar just half the amount though. Really not wanting to head out to the store as we are currently going into another state lock down and everyone is panic shopping.
Jamie Sanders says
Never tried it without using lemon juice. You could try to just leave it out. Make sure your jam comes to 220 degrees F in order to gel properly. For me, I use a thermometer to check the temperature. You will want jam to reach 220°F. 220°F is the heat point at which the sugar bonds with the pectin and forms a gel.
It can take 24-48 hours for the jam to fully set up. So if it is still on the thinner side, don’t worry. Know that as it sits in the fridge it can set up more.
Another method to test if the jam is ready, is the “plate in the freezer” method. (Remove jam from heat while conducting the test.)
Place a small plate in the freezer when you begin cooking the jam. When you are ready to test to see if the jam will set, remove the plate from the freezer and place a quarter size amount of the jam in the center of the plate. Place plate back in freezer for about a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate. if it wrinkles and is jell-like the jam is ready. If the jam “fills in” the line you made with your finger, you should cook the jam for another few minutes.
Michael says
Solid recipe. Turned outs great everytime and my girlfriend loves it too. I make a double batch or more cause it’s so popular. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Maddy Vogel says
Hi, I just made this recipe I used frozen organic strawberries .Omg it is Delicious! Thank you for sharing , I will never buy store bought jam again . Looking forward to trying the other flavors👍
★★★★★
Autumn says
so easy and soo good!
★★★★★
lorna terry says
Daughter got me some strawberries to ripe to eat so I checked out a jam recipe, came across yours it’s cooling now but looks & smells lovely so simple to make can’t wait to taste it cold , thanks for sharing 🍓🍓🍓
★★★★★
Nichele says
About how many ounces of jam does this make? I need to buy jars, but don’t want to have a bunch of excess left over. Also, do you recommend small or large jars?
Jamie Sanders says
This is a small batch recipe. So it makes about 8 ounces —ish. You can double and triple the recipe it just may need to cook longer.
Tina Moody says
I am a beginner jam maker and this recipe is awesome. I have tried others and they turn out terrible. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Danielle says
This recipe is incredible! Could I use the same measurements but with blueberries or other berries?
Jamie Sanders says
yes, depending on the sweetness/ripeness of your fruit you my need to reduce or increase the sugar. Just give it a taste. I’ve got 2 other jam recipes that are basically the same: Blueberry Jam Recipe and Peach Jam.
Pj says
This was my first time to try this. Oh my gosh, it was perfect. It did not get very thick, so I added a Tbl of cornstarch slurry. Worked great and did not change the taste at all. Thank you so much.
Jamie Sanders says
Give it 24 to 48 hours to thicken (if it lasts that long. lol) If not thick enough, you might need to cook longer. I do recommend using a thermometer to make sure the jam reaches 220 degrees.
Madison says
This is the very best strawberry jam I’ve ever made and that says a LOT!! I’ve been canning for 28 years. Amazing recipe!!!! Thanks so much. 🙂 🙂 🙂
★★★★★
Renee says
I followed the directions for canning and left space at top. For some reason I have white bubbles around the edges. Looks like soap but we know it isn’t. Any idea what that is? When we put the jars with jam back in boiling water should the jars have been submerged?
Jamie Sanders says
Yes, jars should be submerged in the canning process. Here is an article about white foam/bubbles in jams and jellys: http://nwedible.com/skimming-jam-foam-questions/
Taryn says
This recipe was a huge hit with everyone in the family. I love how easy it is to make and follow. I do have a question for you. I’ve got some leftover raspberries, can I follow this same recipe and expect the same results?
★★★★★
Jamie Sanders says
Yes, though you may want to strain for seeds and give it a taste test to make sure you don’t need additional sugar.
Heidi J says
I had never made jam before and this turned out great and was super easy! We cooked longer than stated in order to get the right consistency, but it thickened up nicely. The taste was better than store-bought, and it was a great use of the abundance of strawberries we had back in February. It is now blueberry season where I live, so will try it with blueberries.
★★★★★
Hannah Rodrigues says
Outstanding! I cooked it a little longer to get it to thicken. The finished product has a bright fresh strawberry flavor and it a little runny which is EXACTLY what my grandmother used to make long ago. I put this on a hot biscuit and went back in time! Also it’s so easy, and could have so many other applications.
★★★★★
MamaJen says
I made this and smelled like candy . I added chia seeds to thicken it and a few drops of honey …
★★★★★
Becca says
Hi! This looks wonderful and I’m preparing to make some now! Just a quick clarification, if I may? Is it 2 Tbsp or 2 tsp of lemon juice? Thanks so much!
Jamie Sanders says
tablespoon
mary says
I literally just found this recipe an hour ago and made one of the best tasting strawberry jams ever! It’s a perfect ratio of strawberries to sugar to lemon juice. The consistency came out perfectly. Tested it out on my dad, and he really likes it! Says it’s not overly sweet and has a refreshing tang to it. Will definitely use this recipe for future strawberry jams. Thank you!
★★★★★
Arlyne Singer says
I just made your strawberry jam and it’s wonderful..this is my first time and I thank you so much for sharing such easy to make strawberry jam.
How long can I keep it inside the fridge ?
My patient will surely love this since she loves jams.
Jamie Sanders says
It should be good for at least a month, possibly up to 3 months.
Anna says
The recipe looks so simple and easy but I don’t use refined sugar. Would coconut sugar work?
Jamie Sanders says
Although I have not tried it, I would think that since Coconut sugar, it would work. I found this when I googled it “To replace white sugar with coconut sugar in your recipe, the ratio is usually 1 for 1 (use 1 cup of coconut sugar for 1 cup of granulated sugar). You might need to play around with your recipe, adjust the other ingredients and the baking time but I found the substitution pretty easy to do”
Can you let us know how it turns out?
Phoebe says
I hope it’s good I’m making it for my host kid 🙂 She is so sweet & she loves jam!!
Angela says
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Jamie Sanders says
Yes, you will most likely need to increase the cooking time as frozen strawberries tend to be more watery.
Stephanie says
I’ve made this recipe several times before, it’s my go to! I wanted to make some for the holidays and give them away, I see they can be frozen but if I don’t have room for that, what’s the procedure for making many cans at once and storing them?
★★★★★
Jamie Sanders says
I would can them in a water bath, here are the instructions. (i’ll include this in the post too)
I use the Ball Home Canning kit. here: https://amzn.to/2M39AS5. I contains everything you need for water bath canning.
To can your strawberry jam:
1. Sterilize the jars and lids. Whatever size you like. (I prefer the 8 oz jars for this recipe.)
2. Add the strawberry jam to the jar, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Use a skinny spatula to help remove air pockets.
3. Wipe down jar rims and add the lids. Seal to fingertip tightness. (Screw on till you feel resistance. Too loose, jar won’t seal, too tight air won’t release properly.)
4. Process for 5 minutes in the boiling water. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water another 5 minutes.
5. Remove jars and let cool 12 to 24 hours. Check the seal by removing the band and pressing the center of each lid. If you are able to indent the lid, your jam did not seal properly. Store in a cool dry location fro about a year.
Keep in mind, higher altitudes affects boiling and you will need to process the jam for longer
Tapuwa says
Greetings from Zimbabwe! I made this jam today, everyone is raving about it! Love it! This recipe is a keeper for sure.
★★★★★
Teresa says
I just made this and it’s hard in the jar. Definitely not going to be able to eat it this way. Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Jamie Sanders says
I googled “how to fix jelly that is too stiff.” Most recommendations were to thin it out with a bit of water or juice.
yvette says
So easy and tasty!
★★★★★
LUCIA says
CAN YOU USE STRAWBERRIES THAT ARE STARTING TO SMELL FERMENTED?
Jamie Sanders says
I would not.
Kim Georgison says
Hi. Can you double to triple this recipe and it still set up? This looks amazing and easy. I hope lol
Jamie Sanders says
You can, though you might need to cook it longer. Use a thermometer (when the jam reaches 215 F, it’s ready.)
Donnia says
Hi! After it sits in fridge or freezer for 10 days do i leave it there or can i remove it and place in pantry for later use? Or do i just leave it in freezer until i use it? Thanks!
Jamie Sanders says
If you freeze it, leave it in the freezer til ready to use. Then once opened keep it in the fridge.