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.
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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
As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 3 cups strawberries, stems cut off and roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar and stir. Allow strawberry mixture to boil (these should be large bubbles) for about 1 minute while you stir constantly. Reduce heat to medium.
- Cook mixture on medium heat, stirring often, until liquid is reduced by about ⅓ (about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to a very low simmer and let jam reduce by half until you can see the bottom of the pan when you run a spatula across the bottom. (The jam should be slightly more liquidy than the consistency you want in your jam because it will firm up when cooled.)
- Remove from heat and let cool for about 30 minutes before placing in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator. Let jam continue to firm up in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before using.
Notes
Kushigalu says
Homemade is always the best. Looks so pretty and love tht it's only 3 ingredients
Kathryn says
I agree. This jam is delish for sure...and very easy to make!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I have never tried making jam before, but I am SO in! This one looks so good. And with only 3 ingredients?? Count me in!
Kathryn says
Give it a try. It's so easy and even more delicious when it's homemade.
Julia says
Love natural jams without pectin. This recipe is so simple and so easy to make! Now I can't wait to just spread it on my bread, YUM!
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
Beautiful recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Kathryn says
Of course! Hope you like it!
Bhawana says
surely this homemade strawberry jam must be lip-smacking at breakfast time. I understood the importance of making jam as just made 2 days ago and my kids loving it.
Kathryn says
Thanks! It's a favorite with my kids, too!
Lizet Bowen says
You can always tell when a jam is homemade. The flavors are so bright, it's like eating the fruit itself.
I love it that your recipe makes a small batch. A great way to use the few strawberries I saved from my kids 😅😬🍓
Kathryn says
Thanks so much, Lizet! And you're so right. There's nothing like homemade jam.
Corrine Parkes says
I loved your "yield" amount - 12 PB&J's. Terrific! I never realized how simple jam-making was. I knew women who did 'feed the neighborhood' batches. They made it sound so difficult. Thanks for this!
Kathryn says
Thanks, Corrine! It's how we measure jam in this house. 😂 I think the best jams are the simplest, especially if you're not wanting to can. This jam is incredibly simple and so much better when it's homemade.
Judy says
Please read through your post again.
Before the actual recipe with measurements, your instructions say to out strawberries in a pot tith lemon juice and SALT.
You might want to update that as it can be confusing.
Like your recipe. May have to try it.
Kathryn says
Shoot! Typo -- salt should have said "sugar" but I fixed it. Thanks for catching! Hope you try it soon!
Lori says
A summer recipe if there ever was one! And especially love not having to use pectin. So good!
Kathryn says
Thanks, Lori! It's the jam of summertime!
Patti says
Can you freeze thi, and if so in glass jars? Thanks
Kathryn says
Great question. I've never frozen it -- so I don't really know. I would imagine it would be fine, but I'd probably freeze in a thicker freezer bag though to release as much as as possible.
Suzanne Modlinski says
Hard to get good tasting strawberries in the winter. Can frozen strawberries be used?
Kathryn says
I haven't used frozen strawberries, but I would imagine it would still be delicious when you want jam in a pinch! Let me know how it turns out if you make it!
Tibbs says
Lemon juice has virtually No pectin....it's purpose is to provide acidity which helps release natural pectin in fruits in making jams and jellies. Pectin in lemons is contained in the white pith and outer peel, but virtually none with its juice.
Kathryn says
This hasn't been confirmed through my Google searches or my experience. The lemon juice really helps to "gel" the strawberry jam. Remember, this jam isn't for canning!
Valerie Pereira says
The instructions were beyond easy to follow even for me who cannot bake or cook for the life for me. I’m trying to turn a new leaf and make a new me. Love that I came across. This will be trying all the recipes.
Kathryn says
LOL Valerie! You've GOT THIS! I believe in you! Please do try the recipes. I try to make them as down-to-earth as possible because that's who I am, and I hope you find that, too!
Pauline says
Question: I am making and bringing this as a gift to a friend out of state. Would it work if I gave it the water bath to get the seal, as it will be room temp while traveling?
Kathryn says
Hi Pauline. I've never done the water bath technique but I am 100% sure it would be just fine in a cooler on your way to your friend! Hope you all love it!
<3,
Kathryn