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Classic Homemade Strawberry Jam

ByKim Posted on Updated on

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This classic homemade strawberry jam is a family favorite I’ve been making for years, going all the way back to when I was a kid. It’s a simple strawberry jam recipe that uses fresh berries, sugar, and pectin to create that thick, sweet jam that’s perfect for toast, biscuits, and more.

A jar of classic homemade strawberry jam is sitting on the counter next to fresh strawberries.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make strawberry jam, this is the perfect recipe to start with. It’s a reliable, homemade strawberry jam recipe that’s perfect for canning and keeping on hand to enjoy all year.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

  • Recipe Name: Classic Homemade Strawberry Jam
  • Cook Time: About 45 minutes
  • Servings: About 9 cups of jam
  • Main Ingredients: Fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, powdered pectin
  • Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free
  • Difficulty Level: Easy to moderate (canning or freezing options)

Why You’ll Love This Easy Strawberry Jam

  • A True Family Favorite: This homemade strawberry jam is a simple, reliable recipe that gets made year after year and always turns out great.
  • Simple To Make: Using pectin makes this a strawberry jam recipe that sets well every time. It’s perfect if you are new to canning strawberry jam.
  • Great For Preserving Strawberries: If you have a lot of berries to use up, this is an easy way to turn them into something your family will love.
  • Perfect For Beginners: If you’re learning how to make strawberry jam, this is a straightforward recipe that’s easy to follow and gives consistent results.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 pounds or 2 quarts)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 7 cups sugar
  • 1 box powdered pectin

How To Make Classic Homemade Strawberry Jam

A layer of sliced strawberries in a measuring cup.
The layer of sliced berries was mashed with a potato masher.
5 cups of mashed strawberries in a measuring cup.

Start by washing the strawberries and removing the hulls. Slice and crush the berries one layer at a time so you get an even texture.

The mashed strawberries were poured into a Dutch oven.
The lemon juice and powdered pectin were added to the mashed strawberries.
The lemon juice and powdered pectin were stirred into the mashed berries.

Measure out 4 1/2 to 5 cups of crushed strawberries and add them to a large saucepan.

Stir in the powdered pectin and lemon juice, mixing well.

The strawberry mixture after cooking.

Bring the mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring often.

The sugar was poured into the cooked strawberry mixture.
Stirring the sugar into the hot strawberries until it dissolves.

Once it’s boiling, add the sugar and stir to combine. Bring it back to a full rolling boil and let it cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then remove the pot from the heat.

Skim the foam and stir the jam for 5 minutes. If you plan to use it up over the next few weeks, ladle it into containers and store it in the fridge. Otherwise, use the canning or freezing directions below.

How To Can Strawberry Jam

After removing the jam from the heat. Stir the jam and skim off any foam for about 5 minutes. This helps to keep the fruit from floating.

The hot strawberry jam was ladled into the mason jars.

Ladle the hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean, then place the lids on and tighten the rings finger-tight.

The lids and bands have been placed on to the jars.

Process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting the time to your altitude.

Remove the jars and set them on a towel. Let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours to seal.

A spoonful of fresh homemade strawberry jam is held over an open jar.

How To Freeze Strawberry Jam

After stirring and skimming the jam for 5 minutes, ladle it into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace for expansion.

Let the jam fully cool, then place the lids on the containers and label them and place them into the freezer.

Recipe Notes & Tips

  • Use ripe but firm strawberries. Fully ripe berries give the best flavor, but avoid overripe or mushy ones as they are lower in pectin and can affect the set of your jam.
  • Be sure to measure the berries after crushing. The amount of crushed strawberries is important for the jam to set properly.
  • Don’t reduce the sugar. This recipe is designed to use the full amount of sugar normal pectin needs to set. Reducing it can prevent the jam from setting properly. If you want a lower sugar option, try my strawberry jam recipe without pectin.

More Easy Strawberry Recipes

FAQ’s

One standard box of powdered pectin is equivalent to about 6 tablespoons.

This can happen if the sugar was reduced, the mixture didn’t reach a full rolling boil, or the pectin wasn’t measured correctly. Try these tips for fixing runny jam.

No, this is a traditional strawberry jam recipe with pectin, and the sugar is needed for the pectin to set the jam properly.

Properly sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year, after that, the color may start to darken. But it is still considered safe as long as it’s properly sealed and processed. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within a few weeks.

Yes, you can simply pour the jam into freezer-safe containers, leaving proper headspace for expansion. You can freeze the jam for up to a year.

A jar of classic homemade strawberry jam is sitting on the counter next to fresh strawberries.

Classic Homemade Strawberry Jam

This classic strawberry jam is a simple homemade recipe made with fresh strawberries, sugar, and pectin. It has a sweet, traditional flavor and sets perfectly, making it ideal for canning and enjoying on toast, biscuits, and more.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Processing Time 10 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Serving Size 112 servings, makes about 8-9 half pint jars

Ingredients

  • 5 cups strawberries crushed (2 quarts or about 3 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 7 cups sugar
  • 1 box powdered pectin

Instructions

  • Wash the berries and remove the hulls, then crush the strawberries one layer at a time. Measure 5 cups of crushed berries into a large saucepan. Stir in the powdered pectin and lemon juice and mix well.
  • Bring to a full boil over high heat and stir in the sugar. Return to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from the heat, stir, and skim for 5 minutes.

How To Freeze

  • After stirring and skimming the jam for 5 minutes, ladle it into freezer-safe containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace for expansion.
  • Let the jam fully cool, then place the lids on the containers and label them and place them into the freezer.

How To Can

  • Ladle the jam into your prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles and wipe the rims clean.
  • Place the lids and rings on finger tight.
  • Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting the time to your altitude.
  • Then turn off the heat and let the canner sit for 5 minutes. Then remove the jars and place them onto a towel. Let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours so the jars can seal. Any jars that didn’t seal after that time need to be reprocessed with new lids or refrigerated.

Video

Notes

There are 6 tablespoons of pectin in a pouch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0.05g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.04mg

These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi,
    My preserves always fail.
    Strawberry, specifically.
    Comments everywhere insist the ingredients unbalance (and timing) is to blame.
    Being able to control to perfection the timing, I guess ingredients unbalance is the cause of my failure.
    Is it possible to have your ingredients in (weight) expressions?
    Different sizes of strawberries in a volume measure can yield different weights; and so can the ripeness, the variety, etc.
    Sugar is in the same situation. Finer sugar can yield more wait per cup as it contains less air.

    Thank you,

    Joe

    Reply