Small Batch Strawberry Jam Without Pectin

Forget canning, let's eat strawberry jam now! This Small Batch Strawberry Jam recipe only requires three ingredients and contains no pectin, so it's the perfect amount to enjoy during berry season. Eat on toast for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, on your ice cream for dessert...

Strawberry season is my favorite, I think, out of all of the fresh produce there is to pick. It's usually just a generally happy time with school nearing the end, the weather finally getting consistently beautiful, and the new summer crops coming.

Despite my love of all things fresh fruit, I've never had an urge to can just because I like to eat seasonal produce during its actual season, so I've never really had a craving for fresh strawberry jam in the middle of winter. This strawberry jam recipe is perfect if you're like me and want to make a batch of strawberry jam without using pectin and skipping the canning process. And let me tell you -- it is HEAVEN with these Southern Buttermilk Biscuits.

What is Pectin and Do You Need it in Your Strawberry Jam?

Pectin is a soluble fiber that's both naturally and commercially produced. Pectin is used in a variety of ways, but mostly it's used to make jellies and jams. Pectin allows jellies and jams to gel up -- which gives it some structure and allows it to be stored (if canning). Pectin is also used to make medicines, which is pretty cool.

Pectin is naturally mostly found in fruits - like plums, pears, apples, and oranges. The commecially made pectin comes in powder form usually and doesn't add any flavor to your jam...just structure and the ability to store.

Strawberries have a low amount of natural pectin, so we need to add some lemon to add more natural pectin and sugar to this recipe (in fact, that's all this recipe is!).

The short answer to "Do you need it in your strawberry jam?" is yes. You do...but you can get by with the natural pectin found in both lemons and strawberries if you're not canning the jam.

This strawberry jam is so fruity and sweet...and way better than any strawberry jam you can buy in the grocery store. You've gotta try it.

Ingredients for Small Batch Strawberry Jam

This recipe requires just three very basic ingredients:

• strawberries (the fresher, the better -- like the kind that are complete red {not white} on the inside because they're so fresh)
• lemon juice
• sugar

How to Make Strawberry Jam Without Pectin (the commercially made stuff)

Start by placing chopped strawberries in a medium-sized saucepan with lemon juice and sugar. On medium-high heat, let the strawberry mixture boil and bubble for about one minute while stirring constantly. Once you start seeing huge bubbles (trust me...you'll see what I mean...the bubbles come almost to the top of the pan!), then turn the heat down to medium.

Continue to boil strawberries at medium heat until the juices reduce by about ⅓. You'll want to stir every couple of minutes to make sure the strawberries don't burn on the bottom of the pan.

After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to very low -- just a simmer. And boil another 10 miutes or until the liquid slightly more runny than you want in a jam. You don't need to stir constantly, but make sure you're continuing to stir at least every couple of minutes. The jam will thicken as it cools.

Take the strawberries off the heat and let sit until cool. Then place jam in a tightly sealed jar and store in the refrigerator. Fresh strawberry jam will last about 10 days.

Small Batch, the Perfect Amount

This will give you about one cup of strawberry jam, which in our house is roughly 12 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a combination of sandwiches and toast (C's favorite).

It's the perfect amount of strawberry jam to eat every last bit of and feel insanely good about using fresh strawberries in miraculous ways.

Other Recipes to Use Your Strawberries

• Strawberry Caprese Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette -- picture tomato caprese but made in salad form with strawberries instead of tomatoes. Heaven!
• Rustic Whole Wheat Strawberry Galette -- AND added bonus: you can use your homemade jam to make these!
• Homemade Strawberry Cake -- I'm telling you -- this frosting is SO DELICIOUS and packed full of strawberry flavor.
• Brownie Pizza Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Mixed Berries -- it's gorgeous and shhh...it uses boxed brownie mix.

Here's to berry season!

xox,

kathryn

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