Strawberry Jam

A mason jar with a spoon lifting the jam up in front of an english muffin on a plate with strawberries scattered around.

Spread this homemade strawberry jam onto scones, toast, English muffins, or use it to make a classic PB&J sandwich! You only need 3 ingredients and a couple of Mason jars to whip up a batch.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings

Calories 37kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Medium pot
Candy thermometer

Ingredients

2 lbs strawberries 900g, halved
1¼ cup granulated sugar 250g
2 tbsp lemon juice 30mL

Instructions

Prep the strawberries by washing, hulling, and roughly chopping.
Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large pot. Place over medium-high heat.
Stirring frequently, bring the berries to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to keep the berries at a simmer. (If it boils too hard it can overflow the pot, so reduce the heat more, if needed.)
Let the jam simmer for about 45 minutes, frequently stirring, until the jam is thick and syrupy and reaches 220F on a candy thermometer.
Check to see if it's ready by adding a small drop to the frozen plate. Return it to the freezer. After a few minutes, check the consistency. Remove the jam from the heat if it's thickened to your liking or continue simmering until desired consistency.
When it’s done, pour the jam into a mason jar and chill overnight.
Serve on french bread or scones.

Video

Notes

Choose red and fragrant strawberries. The flavor of your jam will depend largely on how good the strawberries are. They should be rich in color and have a sweet fragrance. Strawberries that are very ripe and softer than you might enjoy eating fresh but are not molded, work well here! These ripe berries are concentrated in flavor and are a perfect way to not waste delicious fruit. However, avoid and discard and strawberries that have molded.
Flavor variations: For more lemony flavor, add some lemon zest to the strawberry mixture. To add an herbal twist, add a few sprinkles of freshly chopped herbs a few minutes before the jam is ready. Basil, mint, thyme, and even lavender work very well. A little rose water introduces a lovely floral element to the jam.
Stir the jam frequently. This will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Use a long-handle non-metal spoon and be mindful of splattering jam as your stir.
To break down larger fruit pieces: Use a potato masher to mash up any larger pieces of strawberry. If you like a smoother jam, you can pulse the fresh berries in a food processor to break them down even more before cooking.
Sterilize your jam jars to help prevent the growth of bacteria. Either use the sterilize function on your dishwasher or pop the jar and lid into boiling water for 15 minutes before adding the jam. I like doing this regardless of if I will be processing them in a water bath for long-term shelf storage. The sterilized jar helps the jam last even longer in the fridge too!

Nutrition