Table of Contents
- Why I love this strawberry jam recipe
- Strawberry Jam Ingredients
- Strawberry Jam Instructions
- Pro Tips to Make This Recipe a Success
- Tips for Testing and Achieving Desired Consistency
- Proper Preparation and Storage
- How to Use Strawberry Jam
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Watch How to Make This Strawberry Jam
- Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
- Strawberry Jam (Pectin Method) Recipe
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The perfect complement to any summer is this recipe for Strawberry Jam! Sweet and savory, learn how to make this perfect summer treat!
Why I love this strawberry jam recipe
There are countless ways to enjoy fruit from your garden or local market, but one of the most rewarding is preserving it for future use. While jams and jellies are readily available in stores, nothing beats the taste of homemade. If you’ve never tried making it yourself, don’t be intimidated! It’s a simple and quick process that doesn’t require a gourmet kitchen. Think of it as a fun, hour-long project that results in delicious treats to share as holiday gifts or to enjoy throughout the year.
With a thick, spreadable consistency, this strawberry jam recipe is the perfect accompaniment to a cake, yogurt, toast, or oats. This recipe can be preserved using lids and rings by canning it for shelf-stable storage in your pantry, but it can also be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. No matter how you choose to store it, you’ll love capturing the best flavors of summer!
Strawberry Jam Ingredients
The best part about this strawberry jam recipe with pectin is how few ingredients there are! Here are the four that you will need to make this recipe:
- Strawberries are a quintessential summertime fruit, and this jam is the perfect way to extend their sweet flavor for months to come. When looking for berries for this recipe, search for super fresh strawberries that are red all the way through. This means they’ll be sweeter and have the most impactful “strawberry” flavor.
- Sugar adds additional sweetness to the strawberries’ natural sweetness while preserving the jam’s vibrant red color. Along with the pectin, the sugar creates a thicker jam while preserving it for shelf-stable storage.
- Pectin stabilizes the jam, ensuring a perfect texture when spread and adding thickness. Along with the added sugar, pectin helps preserve the jam, making it last longer once canned or placed in the refrigerator. There are two types of the most common pectin on the market (Sure-Jell): regular sugar and low sugar. I prefer to use the low-sugar pectin so that I can add less sugar overall to the jam. If you prefer to use the regular sugar pectin, note that the amount of sugar you add will be different. The recipe card below lists the amounts for each type of pectin.
- Butter, as it does in so many recipes, helps to add flavor to the jam. It also aids in minimizing the foam that is created when cooking the strawberry mixture on the stove while adding a bit of glossy shine to the final texture.
Food safety tip: This recipe may not be approved by the USDA. To prevent the risk of botulism, always check with the USDA Canning Guide.
Strawberry Jam Instructions
There are three main steps to making this strawberry jam recipe:
- Prepare the strawberries
- Cook the berries
- Can the jam
Step 1: Prepare the strawberries. Slice off the stems and any bad spots on the berries. Wash the berries three times to fully clean them. Crush the berries into a rough mixture using a food processor, chopper, or potato masher.
Step 2: Cook the berries. In a jam pan or heavy-bottomed kettle/pan, pour in the strawberries. Add in the butter and pectin. In a separate bowl, measure out the sugar. Place the strawberries over medium heat and begin to stir. Bring to a full rolling boil while continuing to stir. Once it has reached a rolling boil, add in the sugar. Stir it in and bring it back to a rolling boil, then cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.
What is a rolling boil?
A rolling boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down. In most cases, when something is boiling, stirring it will cause the boil to subside, at least temporarily. With a rolling boil, no matter how much a mixture is stirred, it cannot be stopped. The only way to stop the boil would be to turn off the heat or remove the pot from the heat source.
Step 3: Water bath the jars. In a large pot fitted with a bottom rack, bring water to a boil. Fill sterilized jars with the jam. Using a paper towel dipped in warm water, wipe the rims of the jars, removing any excess jam. Place on the lids and tighten down snugly with the rings until fingertip tightness is achieved. Place into the boiling water, ensuring the jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Let the jars boil in the water bath for 10 minutes, then remove them with a jar lifter. Let them cool, and check the seals after 12 hours of resting. If any do not seal, store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
Pro Tips to Make This Recipe a Success
- Ensure the proper measurement for the recipe. The ratio of pectin to sugar to berries needs to be precise in order to achieve the correct consistency. This also means that the sugar in this recipe must be adjusted depending on the type of pectin used. The original and low-sugar pectin boxes use differing amounts.
- The strawberries must be brought to a rolling boil. This means they will continue to boil even when stirred. Continually stirring at this point also ensures the mixture will not burn.
- Removing the foam is important for safe canning practices. Adding butter will help prevent foam from forming, but if any does, skim it off the top. It can still be consumed, just not added to the jars.
Tips for Testing and Achieving Desired Consistency
The best part about this method for making strawberry jam using pectin is that there is very little question as to when the jam is done cooking. With other methods, such as my French-style strawberry jam, a frozen plate is needed to “test” the jam for its consistency. Using the back of a spoon is also another common method for confirming the jam’s texture. But with this pectin-added method, you only need to cook the jam for the indicated time, which will be the desired consistency.
That said, when the jam is hot, it will appear thin, but as it cools, it will thicken. Trust this process for boxed pectin.
Proper Preparation and Storage
Canning method: Once the jars have been canned, check to ensure all of the jars have been sealed. You will know if they have if the lid is depressed. You should also remove the rings to check the seal. You do not want the ring to be the thing that is keeping the lid on, as this will not be a true seal and could cause the contents to be unsafe to eat after it has sat in storage. If all of the jars are sealed, place the jars in a cool, dark place. The jam should last for at least one year in storage. If a jar did not seal, and you have waited for 12 hours to see if it seals, simply place the jar in the fridge and consume it as though it were meant to be kept in the refrigerator.
Refrigerator Method: If you do not want to can this jam, it can be stored in the fridge. However, this recipe makes about 6 jars of jam, which is quite a bit to store in the refrigerator. The jam should last for 3 to 4 weeks when kept at a cold temperature.
Freezer Method: If you prefer to freeze this jam, fill freezer-safe containers and keep them in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. When ready to use, remove it from the freezer, place it in the fridge, and use it within 3 to 4 weeks.
How to Use Strawberry Jam
There are so many ways to enjoy this strawberry jam recipe! Here is a non-exhaustive list of the delicious things to serve it on or alongside.
- As a sauce on top of waffles, pancakes, or even vanilla ice cream.
- As a spread with butter on toasted bread, biscuits, and popovers.
- Serve is on any number of desserts, including cheesecake, strawberry shortcakes, or as an added layer on a vanilla cake.
- Use it in my recipe for Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream or Strawberry Crumb Bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the jam does not have to be canned, but it will need to be stored in the fridge if you do not want to seal them for shelf-stable storage. If you are not canning them, simply pour the jam into jars after you are done cooking it on the stove and place it in the refrigerator or freeze it in freezer-safe containers.
Sure! If you want to make a smaller amount of jam, you can adjust the recipe in half, which will then make about 3 jars of jam. The great thing about canning is that as long as the ratios are retained, you can do any number of jars you want.
Generally, maybe. As each fruit has differing levels of pectin, the ratios may need to change slightly. It’s best to always use a trusted recipe for each fruit as they can all be slightly different and require certain adjustments to be safe.
No, the pectin needs to be added to achieve the correct consistency for the jam. If you want a pectin-free jam, make sure to check out my French-style strawberry jam.
Watch How to Make This Strawberry Jam
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Strawberry Jam (Pectin Method)
Equipment
- 6 jam jars
Ingredients
- 6 cups crushed strawberries (about 6 pints fresh strawberries)
- 4 cups granulated sugar (see notes)
- 1 box (1.75 oz) Sure-Jell less sugar pectin (see notes)
- ½ tsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries. Chop and crush the strawberries with a chopping tool or by pulsing them in a food processor until they are broken down into ¼- to ½-inch pieces. Avoid smashing the strawberries to the point where they are puréed. Have the sugar measured out into a separate bowl so it's ready when it's time to add to the mixture.6 cups crushed strawberries (about 6 pints fresh strawberries)
- Cook the strawberries. In a heavy-bottom kettle, add the strawberries, Sure-Jell, and butter. Heat the mixture while stirring to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil, which is a boil that does not cease when stirring, 8-12 minutes.1 box (1.75 oz) Sure-Jell less sugar pectin (see notes), ½ tsp unsalted butter
- When the strawberry mixture is at a rolling boil, add in the sugar. Allow the mixture to come back up to a rolling boil and let it boil for exactly 1 minute.4 cups granulated sugar (see notes)
- Ladle the strawberry jam into sterilized jars. Clean off the rim of each jar to ensure none of the jam will interfere with the jar's sealing. Place a prepared lid and ring on each jar. Tighten to finger-tip tightness.
- Water bath the jars. Lower the jars into a prepared water bath canner fitted with a rack. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Then, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a cooling rack. The jars should seal quickly. Allow to cool for 12 hours before checking the seals.
I made this, and it was easy to make and came out delicious. The question, my sister is diabetic and wants me to make her some with a sugar substitute. Can you tell me if you have ever done this and if so, what did you use and the exact measurement for this recipe?