Easiest Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe (No Pectin!)

Berry season is upon us, and its time to preserve all of those delicious, ripe berries! This easy homemade strawberry jam is delightfully sweet, and sets just perfectly even without the addition of pectin! This no pectin strawberry jam uses only strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to create the perfect jam that is ready to be added to all your favorite baked goods.

Fun fact: When my husband and I got married, I made strawberry jam and added it to cute little jars as wedding favors.

It was super cute, but a LOT of work (God bless my mother who helped with this whole process).

I have since made strawberry jam many times, but was craving a way to make the process just a little bit easier. The problem I ran into when I went to make jam was 99% of the time I had to run out and get some pectin. I don’t have anything against pectin necessarily, it’s just not something I ever really keep on hand.

So, I had to try and figure out a way to get homemade strawberry jam that still set beautifully without the addition of pectin. Turns out, all you really need is time.

Let’s walk through it!

How to Make Strawberry Jam without Pectin

1. Prepare jars and lids: Prep small canning jars and lids (I use half pint mason jars) by washing them and adding to a large pot of simmering water. Completely submerge them in water, and then let them sit in the simmering water while you make the jam. This is to help prepare the jars to accommodate the hot jam later in the process.
2. Prepare the strawberries by washing, hulling, and roughly chopping.
3. How to hull strawberries: Pull back the leaves of each strawberry so you can see the stem. Insert a small knife (paring knife works best if you have it) at a slight angle as close to the stem as you can. Cut a circle around the stem. Remove the hull and discard.
4. Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large pot or Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Once the sugar has dissolved, simmer the berry mixture for 10-15 minutes while continuing to stir frequently. You don’t want it to burn! Using a potato masher, mash the strawberries as they soften and cook. You can mash them as much or as little as you like.
6. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil while continuing to stir frequently. Continue to stir constantly to prevent the mixture from burning. Once the berry mixture reaches 220 degrees F on a food thermometer and is thick and syrupy, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 30 minutes, frequently stirring.
7. While the mixture is simmering, use a large spoon to spoon as much of the foam off of the top as you can and discard.

Add the Jam to the Jars

1. Remove the jam from the heat and add to prepared jars, (using a canning funnel makes this process quick and easy!) leaving 1/4″ headspace around the top of each jar.
2. Gently insert a butter knife into each jar, running it along the edges of the jar and into the jam. The purpose is to remove any air pockets or big bubbles.
3. If needed, use a wet cloth to wipe off the outside of the mouth of the jar. You want to remove any stray jelly from the outside, especially around the threads of the jar.
4. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Instructions for Water Bath Canning (Optional Step)

1. If choosing to heat process your jam to store at room temperature, place each jar of jam back into a large pot for their water bath, boiling them for 10-15 minutes. Make sure they’re submerged in boiling water the whole time.
2. After about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Allow the jars to sit in the hot water for an additional five minutes. This will help equalize the pressure inside the jars.
3. Remove from the water bath and let them sit out at room temperature to cool. Over the next few minutes to hours, you should hear a delightful “pop” as each jar begins to seal. Once the jar is sealed, it will store well at room temperature for up to 1 year.

Ideas for How to Use Strawberry Jam

Some easy recipe ideas for strawberry jam:

• Jam and biscuits are a match made in heaven! Try this jam with this strawberry shortcake biscuit recipe, or these einkorn biscuits.
• Use it as a delicious filling in this homemade hand pie recipe.
• Use as a delicious addition to homemade vanilla ice cream.
• Use it as a deliciously sweet layer in these homemade frozen yogurt popsicles.
• Use it as a topping for homemade sandwich bread or in this easy sourdough bread recipe.
• It is delicious on top of pancakes! Try these sourdough discard pancakes, fluffy einkorn pancakes, or even this freshly milled flour pancake recipe.

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If you enjoyed this no pectin strawberry jam recipe, make sure to come back and leave a 5 star review! I would love to know how this recipe turned out for you.

rachael