Home » Recipes » Condiments + Sauces + Dips » How to Make 30-Minute Homemade Strawberry Jam (Without Pectin)
a spoon full of homemade strawberry jam being taken out of the widemouth mason Ball jar

How to Make 30-Minute Homemade Strawberry Jam (Without Pectin)

This quick and easy homemade strawberry jam recipe (aka strawberry freezer jam) is delicious! It tastes as good slathered toast as it does drizzled over ice cream or cheesecake. And it’s what I use to make one of our all-time favorite strawberry dessertsItalian strawberry crostata (and little strawberry jam cookies from the leftover crostata dough). This is a fresh strawberry jam recipe, but it works just as well if you use frozen strawberries (I’ve done it many times). The best part — you get to adjust the sugar to your liking (or dietary needs). Read on to discover my not-so-secret ingredient that makes this strawberry jam taste even better. 

Why We LOVE This Homemade Strawberry Jam (Strawberry Preserves)

  • It’s super easy and ready from start to finish in 30 minutes (and that includes prep)
  • It tastes like summer strawberries through and through
  • You decide how sweet (or not sweet) you want to make it
  • A great homemade jam recipe that kids can help make
  • There are no added preservatives or dyes (just all-natural fruit and sugar)
  • This is a no-pectin strawberry jam recipe (which saves money and time)
  • This jam requires no hot water bath and you don’t have to sterilize the jars 
  • Easily double the batch to make the easiest strawberry freezer jam
  • Adding a little blood orange juice (or regular orange juice) makes the strawberry flavor burst even more

Easy Homemade No-Pectin Strawberry Jam Ingredients (Strawberry Freezer Jam)

All you really need to make homemade strawberry jam or strawberry preserves is fresh or frozen strawberries, sugar, and a little lemon juice. But I like to add my “secret” ingredient (a little homemade blood orange juice or regular orange juice) which adds something amazing to the overall flavor. In fact, it helps brings out the “strawberrieness” in the strawberries. I’ve been using this trick to enhance the flavor of strawberry sauces, jams, and coulis for the better part of 20 years now and hopefully you’ll love it as much as we do. 

  • fresh or frozen strawberries
  • granulated sugar
  • freshly squeezed blood orange juice (or regular orange juice) 
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice

A few things to remember: before adding sugar, first understand how naturally sweet or tart the strawberries are. You may need to add just a bit more (or less sugar) to balance the sweetness and tartness of the fruit. Just be sure to use at least one tablespoon of lemon juice which is necessary to help the jam jell (because the acidity lowers the pH in the mixture). 

How to Adjust the Sugar in Homemade Strawberry Jam (to Make a Lower Sugar Jam)

With homemade freezer jams or jams you just plan to cook and refrigerate for a week or two, it’s easy to play around with the level of fruit and sugar in the recipe. This is because when you’re not making a jam that needs to be shelf-stable (like a traditional preserved or canned jam, you can add less acidity and sugar than a typical jam calls for. If you have dietary restrictions or just want to eat less sugar, making your own homemade jam is a great solution. 

All fruit (whether fresh or frozen) have different levels of natural acidity and sweetness. And making any jam requires natural pectin from the fruit, acidity (usually lemon juice) to lower the pH in the mixture (which helps it to jell properly), and sugar (which also helps homemade jam to set properly).

You may use the precise measurements called for in this recipe, or feel free to add a little more (or less sugar) depending on the natural sweetness of your fruit. If you add less sugar, you may have a less “set” jam which is still delicious and often what homemade Italian marmellata is like, or you may need to cook it just a few minutes longer. 

How to Make Strawberry Jam From Scratch — Measure, Cook, Set & Serve. 

If you’ve ever wondered “how do I make strawberry jam”, you’re in the right place. Making strawberry freezer jam or jam you plan on storing in the fridge, is really quick and easy. Follow these simple steps and enjoy the taste of sweet strawberries on all your favorite desserts or breakfast goodies. Once you make this, you’ll never look back.

  1. Measure the ingredients. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, add the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice and stir well to combine. 
  2. Make the strawberry jam. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and cook stirring frequently to avoid scorching for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the strawberries are mostly broken down and the mixture coats the back of a spoon (see photos). Remove from the heat and ladle the jam into a heatproof glass canning jar (Mason/Ball/Kerr/Weck/Quattro Stagione) and allow it to cool to room temperature. Use right away, or refrigerate which will further set the homemade jam. Store for 2 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 1 year in the freezer. Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam recipe step-by-step photos

(Below) How a Finished Strawberry Jam Should Coat the Back of a Spoon 

How Can You Tell When Homemade Jam is Set Properly?

  • When homemade jam has jelled properly, it should coat the back of a spoon and when you swipe a finger through it, the swiped area should remain clean without any sauce dripping down into the “clean” just-swiped area (see the photo example above). It should also have 2 drips coming off of the spoon after dipping it into the jam instead of a single drip.

Can you Freeze Homemade Jam in Glass Canning Jars (like Ball/Mason/Kerr/Weck/Quattro Stagione)?

Yes, you can freeze jam (even other items like soup, broth, etc.) in tempered glass jars like Ball, Mason, Kerr, Weck, and Bormiolo Rocco (Quattro Stagione), but you need to make sure to leave at least an inch or more of headspace (unfilled area at the top) so that as the jam or other ingredient freezes and expands, it won’t break the jar.

How Long Does Homemade StrawberryJam Last (in the Refrigerator and Freezer)?

When stored properly in an airtight container, homemade strawberry jam lasts in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks and you can freeze it for up to 1 year but it probably will never last that long because it’s delicious. 

Can You Use Frozen Strawberries or Other Berries to Make Homemade Jam?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen berries and stone fruits to make the best homemade jams. Frozen strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, and even peaches all make great homemade jams. Just be sure to purchase only frozen fruit without added sugar (so you have control over the amount of sugar), and always add all the contents of the container including any juice from the fruit.

Ways to Use This Homemade Strawberry Jam Sauce

Depending on how you will use this 15-minute strawberry fruit sauce, you can make it as sweet or tart as you want. Below are a few tasty recipes that this strawberry sauce pairs perfectly with.

Let’s get started!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
a spoon full of homemade strawberry jam being taken out of the widemouth mason Ball jar

No-Fuss 30-Minute Homemade Strawberry Jam (No Pectin Recipe)


  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1/2 ounces (360g) of Jam 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This quick and easy homemade strawberry jam recipe (aka strawberry freezer jam) is delicious and tastes as good on slathered toast as it does drizzled over ice cream or cheesecake. The best part — you can use fresh or frozen strawberries and you get to adjust the sugar to your liking (or dietary needs). See the recipe below to discover my “secret” ingredient that makes this strawberry jam taste even better. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 17.6 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries, diced (500g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, or more to taste (150g)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice (15g) (sub regular navel, clementine, or mandarine juice)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (15g)

Instructions

  1. Measure the ingredients. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, add the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice and stir well to combine. 
  2. Make the strawberry jam. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and cook stirring frequently to avoid scorching for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the strawberries are mostly broken down and the mixture coats the back of a spoon (see photos). Remove from the heat and ladle the jam into a heatproof glass canning jar (Mason/Ball/Kerr/Weck/Quattro Stagione) and allow it to cool to room temperature. Use right away, or refrigerate which will further set the homemade jam. Store for 2 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 1 year in the freezer. Enjoy!

Notes

  • A few things to remember: Before adding sugar, first understand how naturally sweet or tart the strawberries are. You may need to add just a bit more (or less sugar) to balance sweetness and tartness. Just be sure to use at least one tablespoon of lemon juice which is necessary to help the jam jell (because the acidity lowers the pH in the mixture). 
  • For an even lower-sugar strawberry jam Use 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons (130g). It’s still plenty sweet and really lets the strawberries shine.
  • I don’t skin the strawberry jam as it cooks because I don’t mind the foam (and it settles and all but disappears after setting up anyway). To me, that’s just more jam we could be adding to a piece of toast. But feel free to skin the foam off the jam as it cooks.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Condiments + Sauces + Dips
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Keywords: frozen berry sauce, freezer jam recipe, easy freezer jam recipe, vegan jam, vegan strawberry jam, homemade jam, easy vegan jam recipe, jam recipe strawberry, low sugar strawberry jam, freezer jam recipes strawberry, low sugar strawberry frezzer jam, freezer jam strawberry, homemade strawberry jam, strawberry shortcake sauce, fresh strawberry sauce, easy strawberry coulis, strawberry sauce recipe, strawberry topping, strawberry sauce for strawberry shortcake, strawberry sauce frozen strawberries, frozen fruit sauce recipe, homemade strawberry sauce, easy fruit sauce recipe, strawberry sauce for cheesecake, frozen berries, fresh berries,homemade panccake sauce, homemade berry pancake sauce, best homemade fruit sauce for pancakes,

Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating

*