Mom's recipe of Strawberry Jam Without Pectin is something that we made batches of during one summer. The overgrown fresh strawberries my father planted one year ended up taking over the whole garden.
We had strawberries everywhere, and no matter how you tried to stop them, they keep popping back up. With so many strawberries that year, homemade jam was the best thing to do and share with my aunts.
With my family owning a bakery and my father being a part-time baker on the weekends, toast and jam were the most popular breakfast, lunch, and snack with my mother. We were never out of bread in my household with fresh bread being delivered every morning.
She would toast her bread to a perfect golden brown with smothered real butter on top and spoons full of her homemade strawberry jam. Then the perfect coffee latte and sit with her linen napkin to enjoy her perfect bite!
Such an easy strawberry jam recipe to make while the strawberry season is here. Let's not waste any more time and get started with mom's easy recipe for small batches of jam.
Natural Pectin
I use 1 lemon and lemon zest to replace the store-bought pectin. The use of lemon as natural pectin is how old fashion jam was made so that is how my mom made her jam. It will not be as thick in the jar but it will also not last as long as regular pectin jam so I store it in the refrigerator.
Grocery Store List
There are only 3 simple ingredients in this simple strawberry jam recipe:
- Lemon
- Sugar - I use Florida Crystals
- Strawberries, 3 pints is about 6 cups
Equipment Needed
I don't use any fancy equipment to make any jam recipes, I just do what my mom did and so far so good.
- Pint jars or Mason jars or canning jars.
National Center on how to Sterilize Jars - Wooden spoon
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon
Cold Spoon Test
The first thing I do is put a metal spoon in the freezer. Then when the jam has cooked I dip it in and see if I have a runny jam. If the jam drips like water then keep cooking. It should hold its shape before it falls off the spoon. I included a picture for you to see.
Strawberry Jam without Pectin Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut the stem off the strawberry and place them in a water bath, pick out the spoiled ones at this time. Then drain the strawberries and place them on a paper towel to dry, for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Slice strawberries and place them in the medium saucepan.
Step 3: Set the burner on medium heat, add the sugar, vanilla, and mix.
Step 4: Squeeze one lemon and zest into the pot.
Step 5: Cook on medium heat until they are soft for about 20 minutes. (I don't mash my strawberries but you can at this time)
Step 6: Continue cooking for about 1 hour on medium-low heat till the mixture is reduced and thickened, then mix occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom. **Do a taste test now and adjust sugar if needed.
Step 7: Do the cold spoon test at this time and cook on a low, if the spoon is runny, cook a little longer. Wash the spoon off, return to the freezer and repeat the process about 15 minutes later until the jam is thick.
Step 8: Once the jam passes the spoon test. fill hot jam in a sterilized jar.
Step 9: Let the jam cool completely before placing it in the fridge.
Step 10: Once cool the strawberry jam is ready to eat!
Lifestyle Diet
- Low-Carb: No, too much sugar was used.
- Gluten-Free: Yes, there is no gluten.
- Vegetarian: Yes no live animal products were used.
- Vegan: Yes, no animal products were used.
Variations
You can basically use the same recipe for different fruits as long as it passes the cold spoon test your home free for the jam to set. Here are a few fruits that I use during the summertime for jam.
- blueberries
- raspberries
- blackberries
- peaches
What to Make with Strawberry Jam
There are so many different things to make with jam but the basic one seems to be my preferred:
- On top of English muffins
- Make homemade ice cream
- Add a spoonful to a banana smoothie
- Classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Pro Tip And Tricks
- I tend to use less sugar than most other recipes because I buy Florida Sugar, which is the real deal of sugarcane. It is minimally processed, unrefined cane sugars which I use less sugar to get the sweet taste that I like.
- The other thing I do is cook it a little longer because I use less sugar it will not get as thick unless I cook it longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to pick a good batch of strawberries?
Like anything in life looking at something does not guarantee it is any good. So there is always the smell test. Yes, the smell test is the key to picking a good batch. If you can smell that strawberry it is ripe and ready for jam.
What is the shelf life?
I live in a very warm climate so everything goes in the refrigerator and the Homemade Refrigerator jam lasts about 2 months. Whatever I do it will spoil with natural ingredients in the heat on a shelf in the pantry.
- Freeze Strawberry Jam - Some people like to freeze but I think it's too watery after you take it out so I don't do it.
- Canning Process - I know my aunts are experts in canning but unfortunately, that is not my specialty, here is a website that may be more informative > Food Perservation.
There is no comparison between fresh strawberry jam and commercial jams. Once you make a good jam, you will never look back. The first time I made this for my husband, he ended up coming home with 24 pints of strawberries from a fruit stand one night. Need I say more, hope you enjoyed this post and continue to make special memories with delicious recipes. See ya next time as my quest continues in search of the perfect bite!
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Recipes to Serve Jam on Top
- Gluten-Free Bread Easy To Make {USA}
- French Einkorn Crepes
- Christmas Popovers From Mom {Portugal}
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Oat Bread
Strawberry Jam without Pectin
Equipment
- pint jars or mason jars or canning jars. look at the National Center on how to Sterilize Jars
- medium saucepan
- 1 wood spoon
- 1 metal spoon
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon
- 1 ½ cup Sugar
- 6 cups Strawberries
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Cut the stem off the strawberry and place them in a water bath, pick out the spoiled ones at this time. Then drain the strawberries and place them on a paper towel to dry, for about 20 minutes.
- Slice strawberries and place them in the medium saucepan.
- Set the burner on medium heat, add the sugar, vanilla, and mix.
- Squeeze one lemon and zest into the pot.
- Cook on medium heat until they are soft for about 20 minutes. (I don't mash my strawberries but you can at this time)
- Continue cooking for about 1 hour on medium-low heat till the mixture is reduced and thickened, then mix occasionally to avoid sticking at the bottom. **Do a taste test now and adjust sugar if needed.
- Do the cold spoon test at this time and cook on a low, if the spoon is runny, cook a little longer. Wash the spoon off, return to the freezer and repeat the process about 15 minutes later until the jam is thick.
- Once the jam passes the spoon test. fill hot jam in a sterilized jar.
- Let the jam cool completely before placing it in the fridge.
- Once cool the strawberry jam is ready to eat!
Notes
- I use less sugar than most other recipes because I buy Florida Sugar, which is the real deal from sugarcane. It is minimally processed, unrefined cane sugars which I use less sugar to get the sweet taste I like.
- The other thing that I do with the jam is cooking it a little longer because I use less sugar it will not get as thick unless I cook it longer to reduce the liquid.
- When sterling jars follow the National Center on how to Sterilize Jars.
- This jam recipe made about 2 ½ cups.
Cheryl
This is so good, tried it last night and you don't miss the sugar.
Lizzy
Thank you! Enjoy, oxox Lizzy