Strawberry Jam – 5 Easy Recipes for America’s Most Popular Jam
Classic and low sugar strawberry jam, fruit blends and even raw fruit spreads – any way you like it, there’s a jam for every fruit lover. We also answer some common jam canning questions.
Jams can also be easily made with frozen berries instead of fresh, so you can freeze your berries (or purchase frozen berries) and whip up a batch of jam when it’s a bit cooler outside.
Low Sugar Strawberry Jam with Pectin
These low sugar strawberry jam recipes feature Pomona’s Pectin, but you can adjust to use whatever low sugar pectin you can find locally if you like.
Using commercial pectin creates a shelf-stable jam for canning that cooks very quickly, keeping more fresh strawberry flavor.
I prefer Pomona’s Universal Pectin over the other options low/no sugar commercial pectins that I’ve tried. The flavor seems “cleaner” to me, and it is non-GMO, which I also prefer. Each box of Pomona’s Pectin makes several batches of jam or jelly.
PrintStrawberry Jam Recipe (Low Sugar)
Easy strawberry jam recipe with big strawberry flavor, sweetened with sugar or honey.
- Yield: 4–5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed strawberries (you will need about 8 cups fresh berries)
- 1–2 cups white sugar – or – 1/2 to 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin
- 2 teaspoons calcium water (included in the Pomona’s Pectin box pectin box)
Instructions
- Sterilize jars and prepare lids and rings. Keep jars warm. Fill water bath canner with hot water. Bring to boil while prepping the jam.
- Prepare fruit by mashing with a pastry blender or potato masher, or gently chopping in a blender.
- Add proper amount of calcium water from jar into pan; stir well. (Instructions for making the calcium water are in the box and in the video below.)
- Measure sugar or cold/room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix proper amount of pectin powder into the honey or sugar. Always premix your sweetener and your pectin powder to prevent clumping.
- Bring fruit to boil. Add pectin-honey-sugar mix; stir vigorously 1-2 minutes while cooking to dissolve pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat. Letting the jam cool just slightly before placing in jars will help keep the fruit mixed in the jars instead of all floating at the top.
- Fill jars to 1/4″ of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2 -piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals – lids should be sucked down. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened, at least a year in the pantry unopened.
Strawberry-Banana Jam (Low Sugar)
- Yield: 4–5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed strawberries (you will need about 8 cups fresh berries)
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1–2 cups granulated sugar – or – 1/2 to 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin
- 2 teaspoons calcium water (included in the pectin box)
Instructions
- Sterilize jars and prepare lids and rings. Keep jars warm. Fill water bath canner with hot water. Bring to boil while prepping the jam.
- Prepare fruit by mashing with a pastry blender or potato masher, or gently chopping in a blender. Blend in lemon juice. Make sure the bananas are well blended so you do not have any large banana chunks. I typically use overripe bananas that turn to mush very quickly. Strawberries naturally have a pH of 3.0 – 3.9. Adding lemon juice helps to make sure the pH stays under 4.6 for safe water bath canning.
- Add proper amount of calcium water from jar into pan; stir well.
- Measure sugar or cold/room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix proper amount of pectin powder into the honey or sugar. Always premix your sweetener and your pectin powder to prevent clumping.
- Bring fruit to boil. Add pectin-honey-sugar mix; stir vigorously 1-2 minutes while cooking to dissolve pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat. Letting the jam cool just slightly before placing in jars will help keep the fruit mixed in the jars instead of all floating at the top.
- Fill jars to 1/4″ of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2 -piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals – lids should be sucked down. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened, at least a year in the pantry unopened.
Classic Strawberry Jam with Pectin
Classic strawberry jam with pectin was what my mom used to make. It has a high amount of sugar, which gives it a longer shelf life and yields more jam per batch.
It’s a little sweet for my tastes now, but if you like an old-fashioned, full sugar spread, this is the one for you.
PrintClassic Strawberry Jam
The classic strawberry jam recipe made with Sure-Jel pectin and fresh strawberries.
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 lbs)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp Ball® Classic Pectin
- 7 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prep your boiling water bath canner or stockpot (see below). Clean jars in dishwasher and keep warm, or simmer jars until ready to use. Wash canning lids in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Have bands and lids ready to cover jars.
- Place crushed strawberries and lemon juice in a 6 to 8 quart pot. Stir in pectin. Bring mixture to full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. (Make sure you get all the way to the bottom of the pot.)
- Add sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return jam to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard one minute. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
- Ladle jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, place on lids and rings. Tighten to fingertip tight.
- Process jars for 10 minutes in a water bath canner. (Adjust for altitude if needed, see below.) Remove jars from canner and place on a kitchen towel on the countertop to cool.
- Check seal after 24 hours. Lids should be clamped down in center and not flex when pushed. Label and date and store in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight.
Low Sugar Strawberry Jam without Pectin
With some lemon juice and a little more cooking time, you can make low sugar strawberry jam without pectin. This jam will set a little softer than the jam thickened with commercial pectin.
PrintStrawberry Jam (Low Sugar, No Added Pectin)
Strawberry jam made with lemon, fresh strawberries, and sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed strawberries (about 2 pounds)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix together strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan.
- Heat on low, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Increase heat to high and bring to a full, rolling boil. Boil, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches 220F (105C) or passes the gelling test.
- Pour jam into hot, sterile jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Process jars in water bath canner for 10 minutes. (Adjust for altitude if needed.) Remove jars from canner and place on a kitchen towel on the countertop to cool.
- Check seal after 24 hours. Lids should be clamped down in center and not flex when pushed. Label and date and store in a cool, dry location out of direct sunlight.
- Alternatively, store in refrigerator and use within 3 weeks.
Uncooked Strawberry Jam with No Pectin
If you want the flavor of fresh strawberries, but still want the consistency of strawberry jam, try out this raw fruit recipe with no pectin.
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Instead of pectin, this recipe from Stocking Up III uses agar agar flakes for thickening. Vegan and vegetarian friendly. (Agar agar is a vegetable gelatin made from seaweed. You can buy it online here.)
PrintRaw Strawberry Jam (No Added Pectin)
Raw strawberry jam recipe thickened with agar flakes. Vegan and vegetarian friendly.
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cups of prepared mashed strawberries at room temperature
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons agar agar flakes
- 1/2 cup mild-flavor honey, such as clover honey
Instructions
- Mix together lemon juice and strawberries and set aside.
- In a small saucepot, add cold water and agar agar flakes. Wait one minutes without stirring to allow agar flakes to absorb water. Bring agar agar and water to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until agar is completely dissolved.
- Add honey to agar agar-water mix and stir until dissolved. Scrape down sides of pot with a heat resistant spatula.
- Pour the agar mixture slowly into the fruit, stirring as you add it. (Do not pour fruit into agar mix.) Stir until well-mixed. Taste and add more honey, if desired. Pour into sanitized jars or freeze containers, leaving ¾ inch headspace. Cover jars and label with date and contents.
- Store in refrigerator and use within three weeks. For longer storage, cool in refrigerator for 10 hours, then store in the freezer. Thaw jam in the refrigerator before use.
More Strawberry Goodness
There are more recipes for strawberry preserves on the site:
- Strawberry-rhubarb jam – a classic spring combination
- Rhuberry spread – Sweetened with apple juice concentrate
- Strawberry Vanilla Preserves made with whole strawberries
See also, “How to Store Strawberries 12 Ways – Plus Tips to Keep Berries Fresh” and “Full Listing of All Our Jam, Jelly and Spread Recipes with Photos“.
Why do you turn jars upside down when canning?
Some older recipes called for the jars to be flipped upside down on the counter after filling with hot jam and screwing the lid on. In theory, this seals the jars.
There are a couple problems with this method. One, sometimes you get jam in between the jar and the lid, and it doesn’t seal.
Two, taking the time to process your jam jars in a water bath canner (or large pot) drives the oxygen out of the headspace (the space between the top of the jam and the lid of the jar). Removing the oxygen helps keep your jam from spoiling.
If you’re really in a hurry, choose a recipe that is stored in the refrigerator or freezer instead of flipping your jars. When you want jam for longer storage, take a few extra minutes to process your jam in a hot water bath.
How long do you boil strawberry jam jars?
For safe long-term storage, strawberry jam should be canned in a water bath canner. Because strawberries are acidic, you don’t need to pressure can the jam.
Prep and seal your jars, place them in the canner, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude if you live more than 1000 feet above sea level.
How do you make jam without a canner?
You don’t need a canner to can strawberry jam. All you need is a large pot with a lid. Simply place a folded kitchen towel or improvised rack made of canning lids in the bottom of your pot to keep jars from sitting directly on the bottom.
Another option is to choose a jam recipe that is stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
For more information on safe canning practices, check out The Natural Canning Resource Book.
Originally published in 2011, updated in 2016, 2018.