The best homemade strawberry jam that’s easy to make with only four ingredients! Full of fresh sweet berry flavor, it beats out store bought any day.

Strawberry jam in jars.

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Best Strawberry Jam Recipe

One of our favorite family summer traditions is to go strawberry picking and then using the fresh strawberries in homemade jam, strawberry sauce, strawberry rhubarb crisp and strawberry cream pie.

I remember helping my grandma make this homemade strawberry jam recipe as a little girl and when I make this recipe, it brings back memories from my childhood! Grandma always said I was the best “taste tester”, a job I was happy to have! ;)

Ingredients in Strawberry Jam Recipe

Strawberry jam ingredients including strawberries, lemon, sugar, pectin and water.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Strawberries: You will need 2 pints of fresh strawberries. Look for bright red berries with no spots or blemishes.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar is needed for the jam to set properly.
  • Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice acts as a preservative plus the tart taste helps cut the sweetness.
  • Powdered fruit pectin: Regular powdered pectin, not instant, is needed to thicken the jam.
  • Water

Variations

  • Other berries: Make jam with blackberries, try no pectin raspberry jam or make a blueberry jam.
  • Rhubarb: Sweet strawberries pair really well with tart rhubarb for a strawberry rhubarb jam.
  • Cinnamon: Add just a pinch for warm taste, I love to do this in my freezer peach jam.
  • Zest: Up to 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, lime zest or orange zest will give the jam a citrus undertone and also help preserve teh color.
  • Preserves: Jam is made with mashed or pureed fruit. Preserves on the other hand contain larger pieces of fruit.

How to Make Strawberry Jam

Place strawberries in a blender with the lemon juice. Pulse the strawberries about 5-10 times.

Pureed strawberries in blender.

Pour strawberries into a large bowl and then stir in sugar. Stir for about 2-3 minutes and then let sit for 15 minutes.

Strawberries and sugar in a bowl.

Bring fruit pectin and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour mixture into the strawberries, stir and let rest another 2-3 minutes.

Strawberries with pectin setting in a bowl.

Next pour or ladle the homemade jam into sterilized jars (leaving about 1/2 inch from the top) and place lids on.

Stacked jars of strawberry jam.

Tips for Making Homemade Jam

  • If you don’t have a blender, you can use a potato masher as well. I use my Blendtec.
  • I love to use a strawberry huller for easily prepping the strawberries. Using a straw to push through the bottom to the top of the berry is a great hack to hull as well.
  • I love to use mason jars to store this easy strawberry jam recipe. When filling leave about 1/2 inch room from the rims (this ensures they won’t explode in the freezer).
  • After 24 hours, test if the jam is ready. Place a small amount on a plate then run your finger through it, if it wrinkles and doesn’t fill the gap, it’s ready. If it’s runny, set up to 48 hours.

Favorite Ways to Use Strawberry Jam

FAQs

Can I use frozen strawberries to make jam?

While fresh is preferred, you can use frozen thawed strawberries.

Why didn’t my jam set?

If you have measured incorrectly or not boiled your pectin and water mixture long enough, your jam may have trouble setting up properly. Give the jam at least 48 hours to set up and if it’s still a runny consistency you may need to simmer your jam with some additional pectin.

What can I use as a pectin substitute?

You can use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every 2 cups of berries or you can also bring the fruit mixture to a full rolling boil on the stove until it thickens or reaches 220°F degrees with a digital thermometer. Be careful not to burn your jam and you may want to skim foam on top of the jam.

How to store homemade strawberry jam?

Let the jars sit on the counter for 24 hours before storing so the jam sets properly. Seal tightly to prevent mold, then store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer up to a year. This jam is not shelf life friendly since we are not canning it.

4 jars of strawberry jam on counter.

More strawberry recipes to enjoy include strawberry crepes, strawberry sour cream cake and this strawberry shortcake with angel food cake!

More Strawberry Recipes

4 jars of strawberry jam on counter.

Strawberry Jam Recipe

5 from 68 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Set Time: 1 day 18 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 39 minutes
Servings: 80
The best homemade strawberry jam that's easy to make with only four ingredients! Full of fresh sweet berry flavor, it beats out store bought any day.
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Video

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 pints fresh strawberries , washed and stems removed
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1.75 ounces powdered fruit pectin (regular, not instant)
  • ¾ cup water

Instructions

  • In the base of a blender, pulse strawberries and lemon juice 5 to 10 times, or until crushed but with some strawberry pieces still visible.
  • Pour the strawberries into a large bowl. Stir in sugar 2 to 3 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Let sit 15 minutes.
  • In a small saucepan, stir together the fruit pectin and water over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Stir into the strawberries and let sit 3 minutes.
  • Carefully pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch room at the top, and add lids. Let the jars sit on the counter 24 hours to set. Store in the freezer up to 1 year.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

No blender: If you don’t have a blender, you can use a potato masher as well. I use my Blentec for everything!
Lemon juice: Don’t skip out on the lemon juice! The lemon helps set the jam and prevents the growth of bacteria.
Fruit pectin: Be sure to use the regular powdered fruit pectin, not instant.
Storage: Store sealed jars in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
Freeze: Place sealed jars in the freezer up to 1 year.
Recipe credit: Recipe slightly adapted from Sure-Jell.

Nutrition

Serving: 2TB, Calories: 45kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

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