Strawberry Jam

I remember the first time I made jam. I was intimidated. It seemed so much more science-y than I was used to in the kitchen. I was afraid that if I made a mistake, the recipe for strawberry jam wouldn’t just taste bad, but I’d give someone food poisoning!

I always tell newbies that 90 percent of the work is preparation, which includes getting all your tools ready and arranged where you want them, plus prepping the produce. The last 10 percent is the actual processing—the part people think is mysterious and intimidating. So, really, you’re already more ahead of the game than you think. I teamed up with Lead Test Cook Nick Iverson to make a batch and show you how easy it is to follow a strawberry jam recipe. So, go grab your fresh-picked strawberries and let’s get started.

Strawberry Jam Ingredients

• Strawberries: Try to get your hands on the best in-season, ruby-red-to-their-core strawberries. Properly clean the strawberries to remove any debris, then hull the strawberries with a paring knife or straw.
• Pectin: Pectin is a thickening agent that occurs naturally in fruits. It can also be found in a commercially produced form, which is what we’re using here as strawberries have a too-low amount of pectin. Pectin takes on its gelatinizing effect when it’s boiled with sugar and acid.
• Sugar: Strawberries are only subtly sweet, so we help them out by using granulated sugar in strawberry jam recipes. Also, the pectin needs extra sugar to help the jam with strawberry recipe set up.

Directions

Step 1: Set up your station

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Set out all your tools and ingredients. Place the canner rack in the bottom of the canner and fill the canner about halfway with clean, warm water. Add clean empty jars (upright) to the canner. Start heating the water to bring it to a boil (this takes a long time, so start it first thing).

Editor’s Tip: Since the jars are processed for 10 minutes, they don’t need to be sterilized first, but they do need to be hot. Keeping them in the water bath as it’s brought to a boil heats them up and doesn’t feel like an extra step. The jars can also be run through a cycle in the dishwasher to get them nice and hot.

Canning lids simply need to be washed in warm soapy water before use. In the past, they needed to be heated in hot water prior to use, but leading manufacturers have deemed that unnecessary.

Step 2: Crush the berries

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Crush the strawberries until they measure exactly 4-1/2 cups. Add them to a large saucepan.

Editor’s Tip: Use a potato masher during this step. Also, crush the strawberries one layer at a time to ensure they’re evenly crushed.

Step 3: Add the pectin

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Stir the pectin into the crushed berries, and quickly bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. (Prolonged boiling can break down the pectin.)

Editor’s Tip: Some people like to add 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine at this step to reduce the foam that forms when the mixture is boiled. It’s not necessary and can cause an off-flavor in a recipe for strawberry jam that’s stored for a long time.

Step 4: Pour in the sugar

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Stir in the sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Step 5: Skim the foam

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Remove the saucepan from the heat. Skim off the foam with a large spoon and discard the foam.

Editor’s Tip: This isn’t for food safety. If left, the foam at the top of each jar can become slightly gray and visually unappealing.

Step 6: Fill the jars

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Wearing oven mitts, carefully remove the empty jars from the water bath canner using tongs. Drain all water back into the canner. Arrange jars on a cooling rack. (Do not attempt to dry jars. Some moisture is ok.) Ladle the hot berry mixture into jars. A canning funnel makes this job less messy.

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Wipe rims with a damp paper towel to clean away any drips. Remove air bubbles and leave 1/4-inch unfilled headspace at the top. Adjust the headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture.

Place lids on jars and screw bands on “fingertip tight.” If too loose, the strawberry jam recipe will escape during processing. If too tight, air can’t vent properly during processing and the jam may become discolored during storage.

Editor’s Tip: Leaving headspace at the top of the jar allows the jam to expand when heated and helps create a vacuum to seal the jars.

Step 7: Process the jam

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Using a jar lifter or gloved hands, carefully arrange the jars in the rack above the simmering water in the canner. Lower the rack into the simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring the water to a boil, and process for 10 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: After lowering the rack into the water, there should be 1 to 2 inches of water above the tops of the jars. If there isn’t, add more boiling water to the canner. If the water stops boiling at any time during the 10-minute processing time, return the water to a boil, start your timer over and boil for 10 minutes.

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Carefully remove the jars to a cooling rack using a jar lifter.

Step 8: Cool the jam

Allow the jam to stand, upright, for 12 to 24 hours while the lids seal and the recipe for strawberry jam sets up (the jam will appear very thin right after processing). Don’t tighten the rings or press down on the lid while the jars are cooling (pressing down on the lid is really tempting—don’t do it!). You’ll hear a satisfying pops as the lids seal.

After the jars have cooled, make sure each lid is sealed: Press the center of the lid with your finger. If it springs up when you take your finger off, the jar is not sealed. Store unsealed jars in the refrigerator or reseal each within 24 hours using a new, clean, hot jar and a brand-new lid. Follow the same processing directions.

Remove the rings from sealed jars if desired. They aren’t necessary to hold the seal and can be used for more canning. Label the jars with the contents and the date.

Recipe Variations

• Add in herbs: For a super simple flavor upgrade, throw in freshly chopped herbs a few minutes before the jam is ready. Culinary-grade lavender, as well as mint, basil and thyme, are gorgeous in strawberry jam recipes.
• Switch up the berries: For a whole new jam, switch out the strawberries for another berry like raspberries or blackberries. You could even do an assortment for a mixed berry jam.
• Don’t be afraid to introduce spices: You may think that baking spices don’t belong in jams, especially in a summery recipe for strawberry jam. However, that’s not the case, especially when it comes to cinnamon and cardamom—strawberry’s best baking spice matches. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon cardamom and/or 2 teaspoons cinnamon right at the end.
• Flavor simply: The easiest way to flavor strawberry jam recipes is with lemon zest and vanilla extract. Once the recipe for strawberry jam is finished, stir them in.

How to Store Strawberry Jam

You can store properly canned strawberry jam recipes in a cool, dry place for up to a year. If you decide not to go through the canning process, pour the jam into a glass jar and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Can you freeze strawberry jam?

Yes, you can freeze jam, especially a strawberry recipe! First, make sure your glass jars are sterilized and freezer-safe. Fill the jar(s) up with the jam, leaving 1-inch of headspace at the top. It’s extremely important to leave that space as the jam will expand. Freeze the jam for up to one year.

Strawberry Jam Tips

What is the difference between jam and preserves?

The main difference between jam and preserves is texture. Jam, jelly and preserves are all made from a combination of fruit and pectin, but jelly uses just the juice, jam uses crushed fruit and a preserve uses entire chunks of fruit.

Does strawberry jam need pectin?

Yep. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so you need to add some in order for the jam with strawberry recipe to set. Without pectin, strawberry jam recipes would be a jiggly mess.

How should I use this strawberry jam?

A recipe for strawberry jam can be used in several ways, from a simple topping to the star ingredient in recipes using strawberry jam. Spread our strawberry jam recipe on your morning toast or bagel, swirl it into your yogurt, swap it in for maple syrup on pancakes (these strawberry cheesecake pancakes are heaven sent) or spoon it over cheesecake. Strawberry jam recipes are also excellent when baking treats like jammy Dodgers, almost-too-easy strawberry oatmeal bars or this adorably named pink lemonade stand cake.