The Best Strawberry Jam
A few secret ingredients take this basic pectin-free strawberry jam from great to fabulous. It really is the best strawberry jam!
Canning is one of my favorite summertime hobbies, and I love having preserved summer fruits and veggies to enjoy all year. But even if canning isn’t your thing, you should definitely be making your own jam!
Homemade jam is very easy to make at home and SO much better than storebought. Strawberry jam is our favorite, so I always make a huge batch every summer.
And this is my favorite recipe! It’s made without pectin and includes a few simple secret ingredients that make it shine above all other recipes I’ve tried.
The Best Strawberry Jam
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to get started. This recipe is perfect for early summer when strawberries are fresh an abundant!
- Fresh strawberries
- Bottled lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Balsamic vinegarย
- Vanilla bean or vanilla extractย
Balsamic vinegar and vanilla are my special secret ingredients that really make this strawberry jam the best. I promise you’ve never had jam this good! You can leave out one or the other if you like and the recipe will still work great, but I recommend both for optimal flavor.
No pectin Required!
This strawberry jam is made without added pectin, which is great because it means you don’t have to worry whether you have it stocked in the pantry.
Pectin is used to quickly thicken and set jams and jellies, but it’s actually naturally occurring in fruit. All you need to draw out the natural pectin to thicken your homemade jam is time, so you may notice that this recipe calls for a much longer cook time than ones that use pectin.
How to Make Strawberry Jam
- Prep the strawberries. Clean, hull (remove the stem), and slice the strawberries. I like this quick video on how to remove stems.
- Combine all ingredients. Add strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla bean or extract to a large pot.
- Bring to a gentle boil. Set pot over medium-high heat, stirring mixture frequently as sugar dissolves and strawberries release their juices.
- Cook until thick. Once jam has reached a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until jam is reduced and thick, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam from the top. This can take up to 45-60 minutes.
- Use right away or store. Read below to see how to store jam in the fridge, freezer, or canned in sterilized jars. Or enjoy it right away!
How to Know if Jam is Set
Since this recipe doesn’t use pectin, we’re relying on time to thicken the jam naturally. But how do you know when it’s done? Here are a few simple ways to test your jam:
- Use a spoon. Scoop a bit of the jam with a spoon and slowly pour it back into the pot. If it runs off immediately the jam is not done. If it hangs onto the spoon briefly and falls in drips, it’s done. (Check out this video demonstration.)
- Use a plate. Put a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes. Place a spoonful of jam on the plate and let it rest for a few moments to cool it. Run your finger through the jam. If your finger leaves a path through the plate and the jam doesn’t run to fill it, the jam is done. (Check out this video demonstration.)
3 Ways to Store Jam
- In the fridgeโ You can store jam in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 month.
- In the freezerโ Store jam in a sturdy airtight container in the freezer for several months.
- In your pantryโ Process jars of jam per instructions below and store in a cool, dark place (like a cupboard or pantry) for up to 1 year. New to canning?ย Check out my canning tips and resources page.
More Jam Recipes to Try
The Best Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries , hulled and sliced (900 grams)
- ยผ cup lemon juice (60 ml) (see Note)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar , to taste
- 1 vanilla bean , split lengthwise or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the jam:
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Periodically skim foam off of the top.
- After about 45-60 minutes, jam should be thick and drop from a spoon in thick drips. Cook longer if needed.
- Remove vanilla bean pod if you added one, and spoon into desired storage container(s).
To store in fridge:
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
To store in the freezer:
- Store in a sturdy airtight container for up to several months.
To process in a home-canner:
- If canning, fill sterilized jars leaving ยผ inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and cover with sterilized lids and rings. Process in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure the water covers the jars completely, and that it is boiling for the entire processing time.
- Let cool to room temperature before removing rings and storing.
- Canned jam will store for up to one year at room temperature.
Notes
Note:
- If you are planning to process and can this jam, bottled lemon juice is the best option as it has a consistent level of acidity which is needed to preserve the jam. If you are freezing or storing the jam in the refrigerator, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you prefer.
This recipe was originally published June 2012. Photos and recipe have been updated.
This IS the best strawberry jam recipe!! Iโve been making this recipe for the last 5 years or so and it never disappoints!!
ย Once, most of my fresh strawberries were over ripe so I added fresh blueberries in a pinch to make up the difference in weight and WOW it turned out ย amazing!ย
Worked beautifully! Gorgeous jam indeed. Recipe perfectly proportioned to get the jammy result in the time specified. I reduced the amounts as i had less fruit on hand.
Something isnโt quite right with this recipe. ย Itโs lost all its flavor due to having to boil down for so long. ย It hasnโt fully gelled yet and itโs reduced way down. ย I did 9 lbs of strawberries. ย What a waste of money. ย Maybe more lemon juice, I donโt know. ย
Love this recipe. I think 1 cup of sugar is enough, and I also add a tsp of cinnamon and a dash of rose water… so goodย
Thanks for a great recipe – I appreciated your tips on how to thicken the jam and to test when it’s done! I was surprised that 1 kg of strawberries only made 2 1/2 jars of jam! It seemed like so much more when I started! ๐
No quantities in the recipe?
Can you use stevia in this?
Haven’t tested this with stevia so I can’t say, sorry!
Really love this recipe, but the yield is off; I got HALF the yield stated in the recipe. I thought at first that it was because in my first batch I quadrupled the recipe, and in my second batch I doubled the recipe. However, both batches both came out as half the yield of the printed recipe. I’m wondering if it’s possible that it’s due to I made sure that the jelly heated to 220 degrees Fahrenheit to assure a good gel when canned. I’m not sure.
But I really love this recipe! Just making adjustments so that I know the proper amount that I’m going to get has made all the difference.
My daughter is going to probably gobble it all up before I can even give any away for Christmas! I guess that means that we have to go pick more strawberries ๐
How many bottles does this recipe make ? Thanks
It depends on the size of jar you use! It makes about 6 cups, so 6 half-pint jars or 3 pint jars.
Iโm a newbie at jam making and this one was so fun to make. It made a very rich tasting, beautiful, dark colored jam with a perfect consistency, not too thin, not too thick. ย Iโm sorry to say I omitted the vanilla bean simply bc they were soo very expensive at my grocery store; $26 for 2 beans! But I certainly hope to make it again using it. Thank you for sharing this. Itโs going to make great gifts.
ย I love the idea of the flavors of this jam, and I think I continue to try with adding balsamic vinegar and vanilla to a different recipe, but this recipe did not work at all for me. Iโve canned for years, and I tried this recipe twice. Both times, the mixture ended up burning, even when I timed it carefully. At 55 minutes, on low, it still burned. Both times, I stirred it often. In addition, it didnโt make anywhere near the amount that was listed. When I doubled the recipe, I ended up with 5 1/2 jelly jars, which are 8 ounces each, and when I did one recipeโs worth, I ended up with 2 1/2 jars. ย Finally, it was overly sweet. At the very least, I think the timing has to be corrected.ย