The Very Best Strawberry Jam According to Our Test Kitchen
Updated: Apr. 19, 2023
Start your day right: Grab the very best strawberry jam to spread on your toast. Need help choosing? Our Test Kitchen sampled ten brands to find the tastiest options.
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Searching for the Best Strawberry Jam
Whether you reach for the jam to make a satisfying PB&J, to fill thumbprint cookies or simply to top toast, you want that spread to be the best strawberry jam you can find.
Of course, homemade jam is always best but not everyone has the patience or interest to learn how to can. That’s when you reach for a jar at the grocery store. To help you make the best choice for you, our Test Kitchen blindly sampled 10 different strawberry jams to find the very best.
How We Picked the Best Strawberry Jam
Our Test Kitchen selected some of the most popular strawberry jam and preserve brands plus a few fan favorites for this taste test. Each was judged according to these categories:
- Appearance: Our Test Kitchen wants a strawberry jam that’s a beautiful red color without being artificial. Seeds are definitely welcome!
- Texture: Jams and preserves, unlike jellies, contain bits of fruit. A great strawberry jam should be spreadable but can still have some fruit texture.
- Flavor: Real strawberry flavor is what our Test Kitchen is looking for! Jam should preserve the flavor of farm-fresh berries while adding just a bit of sweetness. Jams that are too sugary are often unpleasant and cloying.
Many slices of toast later, our team selected four top-notch strawberry jams that they think will be welcome on your breakfast table. Check out our Test Kitchen-Preferred picks.
Best Everyday Strawberry Jam
Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves
Looking for a jam that’ll work just as well atop your toast as it would in these recipes with strawberry jam? That’d be Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. This gingham-topped jar can be found at most supermarkets and should definitely be on your grocery list.
This jam is a deep, dark red and you’ll find seeds and small pieces of berries throughout. “It’s really thick,” says the Test Kitchen’s Sarah Fischer, “but really spreadable.”
Beyond this top-notch consistency, our Test Kitchen pros enjoy the fresh strawberry flavor of this spread. This jam does veer on the sweeter side, but our testers agreed it’s still a delicious jam. And after all, ripe strawberries themselves can be incredibly sweet (and that’s why we all love them!).
Best Organic Strawberry Jam
Crofters Premium Organic Strawberry Fruit Spread
If eating organic is important to you, but you still want to enjoy a tasty PB&J, pick up a jar of Crofters Organic Strawberry Fruit Spread. This spread is made with organic berries and fair-trade sugar.
Because this is technically a fruit spread (though you can use it just as you would any other preserve or jam—even in recipes), this option is thicker than any other our Test Kitchen tried. But the texture is what made this spread a real standout to our team of tasters.
“I like this one because it seems hearty,” says Mark Neufang in the Test Kitchen. “It’s thicker with visible seeds and fruit inside.”
These pieces of real fruit give this jam a powerful berry flavor without too much sweetness. These qualities make Crofters a great candidate for using in sweet strawberry desserts like Jammy Dodgers or this Strawberry Jam Cake. This spread will add plenty of fruit flavor without an overwhelming dose of sugar.
Most Like Homemade
Trappist Strawberry Preserves
In the Test Kitchen, there’s no higher compliment than calling something good as homemade. That’s the case with Trappist Strawberry Preserves. These preserves are made by monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts and are available at gift shops nationwide.
When you look at the ingredient list for Trappist preserves, you’ll find a short list and one that’s similar to a scratch-made jam: berries, sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, fruit pectin—that’s it! This allows the strawberry flavor to really shine. This jam is a rich red color with plenty of strawberry pieces and a few seeds.
“This is unmistakeably strawberry,” says Mark. “It reminds me of a homemade jam and would be so good slathered on homemade bread with butter.”
No, these preserves are not the easiest to spread, but that’s part of the rustic appeal.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing kitchen gadgets, cleaning gear and food looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test-Kitchen Preferred.
If you’re looking to fill your pantry and fridge with the best products, check out these tests:
Originally Published: April 20, 2022
