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Nothing beats homemade jam made with fresh berries! This strawberry jam without pectin only uses three ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
I have made homemade strawberry jam for years. In the past, I have always made freezer jam using the powdered pectin you can buy at the store. Last year when I was in France attending The Academy France we did a fun photo shoot making jam. We made a cooked strawberry jam that only uses fresh berries, sugar and lemon juice, without added pectin. This easy strawberry jam without pectin recipe is cooked on the stove top and then can be canned or frozen. It was delicious and I loved that I didn’t have purchase and add in additional pectin.
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Strawberries
- Sugar. Granulated sugar
- Lemon. The lemon juice creates an acidic environment and helps to activate the natural pectin in the strawberries.
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Jam
- Wash, hull and dice your strawberries into small pieces.
- Measure fruit by weight, for this recipe we are using 2 pounds of strawberries, diced. You will need 4 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Use a 1:2 ratio of fruit to sugar. For every pound of fruit, use 2 cups of sugar.
- Combine your strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a heavy bottomed, large saucepan. Since we were in France, we used an old confiture pan which is a French jam making pan. I found one at a flea market and brought one home with me but any heavy bottomed pan will work!
- Stir! The hardest part of making homemade jam is stirring. Making jam without pectin takes longer than freezer jam because the jam has to cook and thicken.
- Bring the berry mixture to a full rolling boil and then stir the for about 30 minutes at a low boil.
- The jam will darken and thicken as it cooks.
Tips from leigh Anne
- To know when your strawberry jam without pectin is done, dip a spoon into the jam and coat the spoon with jam. Run your finger through the middle of it. If the jam stays separated, it’s done!
- Be sure your jars/containers are clean and sterile. Run them through a cycle in your dishwasher.
- Don’t leave the lemon juice out, it helps activate the natural pectin of the fruit which will help your jam firm up. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the lemon in the jam if you don’t care for lemon. It actually helps balance the sweetness of the jam.
- Don’t rush the process, stir frequently and closely monitor it to prevent it from burning.
- Fill jars or containers with lids with jam and then decide how you are going to store it. See below for directions on how to refrigerate or freeze it.
How to Use Strawberry Jam Without Pectin:
- On Biscuits
- In Jam Scones
- Over Ice Cream
- On toast
- In a yogurt parfait
- In cookies
- On Buttermilk Pancakes
- Overnight Waffles
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will strawberry jam without pectin last?
In the refrigerator it will last several weeks and in the freezer it will last up to three months. Remember it doesn’t have all the preservatives store bought jam does so it won’t last as long in the refrigerator.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh strawberries to make jam?
You can, frozen strawberries will work great.
Do I need to wash the strawberries before making jam?
Wash and pat dry your strawberries before using.
Why don’t I need pectin in strawberry jam?
Berries have natural pectin when they are cooked so they work perfect for a cooked jam. Jam made without pectin has a softer consistency than jam made with pectin.
Enjoy the jam in these recipes!
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Strawberry Jam Recipe (No Pectin)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. strawberries hulled and diced or sliced
- 4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottom pan, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook and stir at a low boil for about 30 minutes or until jam darkens and thickens.
- Dip the back of a spoon into the jam and then run your finger through the jam. If it stays separated and doesn't run back together, the jam is done.
- Pour jam into sterilized containers, add lid and allow to cool at room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze as desired.
Tips & Notes:
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Nutrition Facts:
Jeanne says
So good
Donna Daum says
very easy and very good turnout of jam