This 3-ingredient Strawberry Jam without pectin is so simple to make and deliciously fresh.
Spread it on top of a warm from the oven biscuit, fresh made homemade bread, or on your morning toast. The best part, you can make this jam in small batches to savor the freshness.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
This page may contain affiliate links; please see my full disclosure for policy details.
Did you know a strawberry has about 200 seeds? I just thought you might like to know that if it comes up at a trivia game!
Making jam is so easy to do, and when strawberries are in season, why not make a batch or two of jam to keep in the fridge? If you prefer, make this a freezer jam to enjoy deep in the winter when you are craving that wonderful strawberry flavor.
Don’t let strawberry season pass without making this recipe; once you try it, you will agree that it is the best strawberry jam.
If you love raspberries, try this easy raspberry sauce. It’s delicious on many desserts, yogurt and oatmeal. It’s so good you will be licking the spoon.
If you ever go strawberry picking or buy flats of berries, here is my favorite tip on How To Store Fresh Picked Strawberries. You need a container and paper towels.
- Simple ingredients – just three!
- So easy to make; no water bath canning is required; cook, refrigerate, or freeze.
- 20 minutes to cook
- Fresh strawberry flavor – you can’t get this flavor in a store-bought jam.
- The jam is just as good as a sauce over pancakes, waffles, or cheesecake.
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries – the riper the strawberries, the sweeter your jam will be.
- Fresh lemon juice – the juice will add the necessary acid to help the jam set up and thicken. Make sure to check out this post on The Juice of One Lemon- How Much Juice In One Lemon.
- Granulated sugar – you can add more sugar to the recipe, but the more you add, the thinner the jam will be.
Did you notice that pectin is absent from the ingredient list? We are making a no-pectin strawberry jam and replacing it with lemon juice. The acid in the juice helps thicken the jam, and cooking the mashed strawberries down evaporates the juices.
The strawberries will finish setting up once in the refrigerator for a nice thick jam.
Special Equipment needed
Besides the saucepan and the wooden spoon, I get asked about the canning jar I use. Of course, any jar with a tight-fitting lid will work for storing the jam, but I do love the Weck jars for their looks.
I will forever love Ball jars. I grew up close to the Muncie, Indiana, factory and had a wonderful collection of vintage jars. They sit on my counter, holding oats, rice, tea bags, and all sorts of goodies.
How To Make Strawberry Jam Without Pectin
Step 1. Rinse the strawberries under hot water, then under cold water.
Step 2. Hull and slice the strawberries and place them in a medium-sized saucepan. I have found the smaller I slice the berries, the easier they are to mash later.
Step 3. Juice the lemon, add the juice and sugar to the saucepan, and stir.
Step 4. Over medium heat, bring the strawberry mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Jam tip #1: It is best to use a wooden spoon when cooking the jam since the mixture gets very hot, and if you use a metal spoon, the spoon can be too hot to handle.
Step 5. Turn the heat to medium-low, then using a potato masher, mash the strawberries and continue cooking and stirring the strawberry mixture for about 20 minutes; the mixture should be at a steady low boil.
Jam tip #2—Depending on how chunky you want the strawberries, you need to continue mashing them while cooking. You can also use an immersion blender to break down the berries or a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the larger strawberry pieces.
Step 6. After 20 minutes, the juices are reduced, and the jam has thickened. If the jam is still very liquidy, continue cooking and stirring. You may need an extra 5 minutes. Use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture to 220 degrees F if you like.
Step 7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Then, spoon the jam into your clean jars. Continue letting the jam cool, then cover it with the lid and refrigerate. You can freeze strawberry jam for up to a year.
Jam tip #3: Homemade refrigerator jam will only last about two weeks since there are no preservatives. Make sure not to leave this jam sitting out for too long.
Cooked, thickened, and ready to top all kinds of goodies, I’m even going to put this on top of a bowl of ice cream later.
Fun and Modern Variations To Try
Just in case you like to mix things up a bit, try some simple variations.
- Since you will be using a lemon, zest it and add it to the jam while cooking for some extra bright flavor.
- Add some basil while cooking the jam for a savory flavor. This is good with cheese and crackers.
- Add in a splash of brandy while cooking.
Strawberry Jam FAQ’s
For the best results, I prefer to use fresh strawberries. You can also use frozen strawberries that have been thawed. However, because of the extra water from the frozen berries, you will have to increase the cooking time by five minutes.
This means cutting the green leafy top off of a strawberry.
Jams are made from crushed fruit, and preserves are made with the whole fruit.
Let the cooked jam cool, then place the jam in a freezer container. You can freeze this jam for up to three months and let it defrost in the refrigerator.
Yes, if made properly, the sugar and acid will continue developing and cause gelling.
More strawberry desserts
We love our strawberries all through the summer and are fond of strawberry recipes like this:
- Strawberry Cake with Fresh Strawberries
- Easy No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Chardonnay Gelee
- Dessert Grilled Cheese with Strawberries.
Subscribe here for more great recipes, and follow One Hot Oven for more tasty sweet and savory recipes! Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook
Strawberry Jam Without Pectin-Just 3 Ingredients!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 quart Strawberries 1 quart = 24 ounces or 4 cups of sliced berries
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar you can add up to 1 cup for a sweeter jam
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse the strawberries under hot water then cold water, then hull, and slice the strawberries into a medium-sized saucepan.
- Juice one lemon, then add the juice and the sugar to the saucepan with the berries. Stir well.
- Over medium heat bring the strawberry mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and continue cooking at a steady boil for about 20 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reaches 220 degrees F. Mash the strawberries with a potato masher frequently until you get the desired size of strawberries. You can also use an immersion blender to reduce the size of the strawberries. Be careful as the mixture will be very hot. Another trick I use is after I mash the berries, any large pieces I just cut with kitchen scissors.
- This cooking process will reduce the liquid and thicken up the jam.
- When the jam is cooked, remove it from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes, then fill clean glass jars with the jam, then continue to cool. I had 2 cups of jam which fit perfectly in a 16-ounce jar.
- Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- For freezer jam, let the jam completely cool then pour it into a freezer container.
Notes
- This jam can also be stored in freezer containers and frozen for one year.
- When filling the container, leave about a 1/2 inch of room at the top of the container in case the jam expands during freezing.
- To serve, let the jam thaw in the refrigerator, stir well, and serve. Once thawed the jam will keep for about 2 weeks.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
First published: June 21, 2022; last updated: July 2, 2024 for better readability.
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog!
Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Do you have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!
About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
This was my first time doing anything with strawberries. I followed your recipe and man they were awesome. I told myself sucker’s ain’t got nothing on me.lol.Thank you so much. So glad I chose your recipe.
Well, thank you for trying my strawberry jam recipe. I just made peach jam using the same recipe.
I hope you had some yummy biscuits for bread to spread that jam on!
This recipe was easy to follow and the jam came out great. The texture is just right, not too thick or too runny. It’s now my favorite topping for my morning pancakes. So yummy!
I wanted to make jam but I didn’t have Pectin (and I didn’t want to have to go get it lol) so I loved this recipe! My son is also obsessed with this jam on his toast!
Honestly, when I use pectin I just don’t have good luck with it. It love this on my toast too!
My daughter is a mad fan of strawberry jam. I have always wanted to make some and surprise her with it, but felt daunted. This recipe is so simple and I am looking forward to making it. Thank you!
I have loads of fruit in my fridge waiting to be made into all sorts of jams. This one looks like a goodie!
Strawberry jam looks delicious it is my favorite. Homemade is always best.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. Just three ingredients, so easy to make, and it tasted incredible.
This strawberry jam was super easy to make! Just 3 ingredients was all it takes. Tasted so sweet and perfect for my morning toasts!
I am always looking for the easiest and healthiest way to make my favorite store bought foods at home, and this strawberry jam fit the bill. It came out wonderful!
This jam was so easy to make, and it was really tasty!