Homemade Strawberry Jam

Homemade Strawberry Jam. Use all those fresh, juicy berries to make your own jam at home! No canning required. Simply store this jam in your refrigerator or freezer to enjoy.

This jam is made with juicy red strawberries with a hint of fresh lemon juice. Perfect for spreading onto some homemade biscuits, use as a filling for some French Stuffed Toast, or as a topping for some Belgian Waffles.

The Best Strawberry Jam

Homemade Strawberry Jam is the BEST way to enjoy all those fresh berries! It’s so easy to make your own jams, only a handful of ingredients are required. Plus you don’t need to be an expert canner to make this. Simply store these jams right in your refrigerator or freeze them.

Strawberry jam is one of those things we have in our refrigerator at all times! And as always, homemade is better! If you’re lucky enough to have strawberry plants in your backyard this is a great way to use them and create something you can store and enjoy through the months. For those of us without our own garden, the markets are currently overflowing with juicy red strawberries right now. This homemade jam is so quick and easy to make you will never want to go back to store bought again!

How to make Homemade Strawberry Jam:

Clean and Dice: Hull the strawberries, removing the stem, leaves and the center white section at the top of the berries, then dice.
Simmer: Bring the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and pectin to a simmer, where it starts to bubble along the edges of the pan.
Mash: mash the strawberries using a hand potato masher, or a muddler, until desired consistency is reached.
Cook: continue to cook as the strawberry jam thickens at medium high heat for another 5 minutes.
Cool: pour the jam into storage containers, seal, and let cool to room temperature.
Store: Once jam has cooled to room temperature, store in refrigerator or freezer.

How to Store Homemade Jam:

Refrigerator: store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Freezer: store in a freezer safe, sealed container for up to 6 months.
Shelf: to be able to store this jam on the shelf and not in the fridge or freezer you will need to go through a canning process of sanitizing jars and sealing them.

What is Pectin?

Pectin is a naturally occurring, vegan, starch that reacts with acid and sugar to thicken. This is what makes jams and jellies set up nice and thick. Pectin occurs naturally in fruits, however, strawberries have a naturally low amount. This is why adding pectin to strawberry jam helps make the texture we are more used to getting when we purchase jam from the market.

Pectin can be found in most markets. It is a powder similar to gelatin or jellos and is usually found next to them at the market.

Pectin Substitutes:

Cornstarch: use 1 tbsp of cornstarch for every 2 cups of berries.
Chia Seeds: add a thickness and texture, use 1 tbsp of chia seeds for every 2 cups of berries.
More Time: let the fruit and sugar cook for a longer time at a lower temperature to allow for more thickening. The resulting jam will be a little looser using this method.

Pro Tips:

Pots: Avoid using a cast iron, non enameled, skillet or pot. The cast iron can transfer flavors into the jam you’re making.
Freezing: If planning to freeze the jam make sure you leave space at the top of the jar for expansion during freezing.

Strawberry jam in a jar with a wooden spoon in it.

More Strawberry Recipes to Enjoy: