However, if you usually get your jam from the store, we recommend learning how to make it yourself! Like most things, strawberry jam tastes even better when it’s homemade.
If you’re worried that making strawberry jam will be complicated, don’t be! Making your own strawberry jam is actually pretty easy, but it’s still very rewarding.
Here’s how to make strawberry jam using our favorite recipe, plus the tips you didn’t know you needed for creating the perfect flavor and consistency!
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberries (21 oz)
Sugar (2 cups)
Lemon juice (2 tbsp)
Method
Before you get to work on your jam, preheat your oven to 266 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take two small plates or saucers and put them in the freezer.
Wash your strawberries under running water and dry them as much as you can. Make sure all the stems are removed before cutting the strawberries into either halves or quarters, depending on the size of the strawberries.
Place your clean jam jars on a tray and put them in the oven along with the lids. These will need to heat up for 20 minutes and be filled with jam as soon as they come out of the oven.
Put your chopped strawberries into a pan along with the sugar and lemon juice. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients thoroughly so that they are evenly distributed.
Put the stove on a low heat and keep stirring. You should see the sugar dissolve, although it could take up to 8 minutes, to be patient.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved, you can turn the heat up. It should come to a rolling boil, at which point, all you need to do is stir frequently for 10 minutes. This is around the time the jam will reach its setting point, but it could take up to 12 minutes.
Let the jam cool for about half a minute before transferring a small amount to one of the plates in the freezer, and gently put a finger through it. Wrinkling, no matter how slight, indicates that the jam is ready.
Once the jam is ready, use a spoon to take any scum off the surface of the jam and allow 5 minutes for the jam to sit. This allows the fruit to disperse, so you don’t end up with uneven clumps.
Use a ladle to transfer the jam into your hot jam jars. Put the lids on the jars straight away and let the jam cool down completely.
Tips For Making Strawberry Jam
Always sterilize your jars by washing them and heating them in the oven before putting the jam in them. This kills bacteria that could contaminate your jam and cause it to spoil. Make sure not to dry the jars after washing them with hot water and soap, since a tea towel could re-contaminate the jars. Any rubber seals will need to be removed before putting them in the oven.
Don’t turn the heat up too high when the sugar is dissolving because this could cause the sugar to stick to the pan. If you do notice any sugar getting stuck to the sides, scrape the crystals down with your spoon or spatula.
Use a wooden spoon instead of a metal spoon to avoid burning yourself.
You can use an immersion blender to make your jam smoother once it’s been removed from the heat.
Strawberry Jam Storage Advice
When you buy strawberry jam from the store, you can usually leave it in the pantry at first and only refrigerate it once the jar has been opened. It’s the same with this jam.
Because this strawberry jam is high-sugar and has been tightly sealed in a completely airtight container, you can keep it in a cool, dry place that doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight.
Under these conditions, it should keep for up to a year, but you should immediately refrigerate the jam once it’s been opened.
Before eating the jam, check it for any signs of spoilage, including mold spots.
The odor of the jam might also be an indication that it’s gone off, so if you are getting a smell similar to yeast or fermentation, it’s best not to eat the jam.
Final Thoughts
Making this strawberry jam is easy and only requires 3 ingredients!
The most important thing is to stop the sugar from burning and make sure your jam jars are properly sterilized before you store your jam so that it lasts as long as possible in storage.
You can double the ingredients in this recipe to make more jam if needed, and if the consistency isn’t to your taste, you can blend for added smoothness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Use My Strawberry Jam?
Strawberry jam has so many potential uses, and that’s one of the reasons why we think everyone should know how to make it!
Some of the most common uses of strawberry jam include toast and sandwiches, but you can also spread your strawberry jam between the layers of a sponge cake, make jam tarts, bake some strawberry pillows, or even a strawberry jam panna cotta!
How Many Calories Are In This Jam?
An entire jar of this strawberry jam contains roughly 650 calories. However, this will vary depending on how large the jars you’re using are.
This works out to roughly 166 grams of carbohydrates, 160 of which are from sugar, 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 34 milligrams of calcium.
Can I Follow This Recipe With Other Fruits?
Yes, you can follow this recipe with other fruits, but you may have to adjust the ratios of the ingredients because different fruits have different textures and water content.
This may mean that your jam will end up more watery or firmer, depending on the fruit you use.
