Strawberry Jam (no pectin)
This simple strawberry jam is bursting with sweet, fresh flavor and made with just strawberries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice—no pectin needed! You can use fresh or frozen berries, making it the perfect year-round recipe for homemade jam lovers.
Servings 2 250ml jars
Equipment
- Heavy Based Saucepan (I've used a 5L saucepan)
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- Stainless Steel Jam Funnel
- Stainless Steel Ladle
- 2 x 250ml jars
Ingredients
- 800 g Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 150 g Granulated sugar
- 40 g Lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
Instructions
- If using fresh strawberries, hull and halve the berries. No need to cut them too small, you’ll be mashing them soon!
- Put the berries, sugar, and lemon juice into a heavy based saucepan and toss to combine. If using fresh berries, crush them with a potato masher or wooden spoon, then turn the heat to medium and bring to a steady simmer. If frozen, heat over medium heat for about 20 minutes until the berries are thawed enough to mash.
- Remove from heat, carefully mash the berries, then return the pot to medium heat and bring to a steady simmer. Once the berries are bubbling and simmering, increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the mixture goes from very liquidy to a more uniform jammy texture. As juices evaporate and the jam thickens, you’ll want to stir more often.
- After 30 minutes, the jam should be close to done, so I like to stir constantly to prevent any burning in the last few minutes. The jam should be thick and bubble up slowly like lava.
- Cook until you’re happy with the consistency. I drag my spoon against the bottom of the pan until I can see a strip of the pan. If the jam doesn’t run immediately back to cover the space, you know your jam is thick enough and it’ll set more once cool.
- Take 2 jars (I've used 250mls here) and sterilise them with boiling water or run them through the dishwasher on a super hot cycle to ensure they are ready to use.While the jam and jars are still hot, use a stainless steel jam funnel to fill the jars, leaving around 1cm head room at the top. Seal the jars tightly.
- Let the jars cool on the counter before transferring to the fridge. I don't can this jam, I just keep it in the fridge and it's fine this way. It lasts at least 2 months unopened and around 2 weeks once you open the jar.
