• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Lizzy Loves Food

  • Home
  • Recipes Index
  • Cuisines
  • Travel
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Cuisines
  • Travel
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • Cuisines
    • Travel
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Jams and Pickled or Sauces » Strawberry Jam Without Pectin

    Strawberry Jam Without Pectin

    Published: Jul 21, 2022 Modified: Jul 22, 2022 by Lizzy

    Sharing is Caring!

    10 shares
    • Share
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe
    toast and jam with butter on the table

    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.

    Contents hide
    1 Natural Pectin
    2 Grocery Store List
    3 Equipment Needed
    4 Cold Spoon Test
    5 Strawberry Jam without Pectin Step By Step Instructions
    6 Lifestyle Diet
    7 Variations
    8 What to Make with Strawberry Jam
    9 Pro Tip And Tricks
    10 Frequently Asked Questions
    11 Recipes to Serve Jam on Top
    12 Strawberry Jam without Pectin

    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!

    ★ Like this post? ★ Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below! ★ Let us know in the comments below or on social media and tag us @LizzyLovesFoods You can connect with us on Instagram and Facebook account or on Pinterest. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter & stay up to date with our latest Recipes from Around the World.

    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
    toast and jam with butter on the table

    Strawberry Jam without Pectin

    Lizzy Cascalheira
    Homemade Strawberry Jam without Pectin using 3 ingredients. Deliciously sweet and easy to make to serve on toast, biscuit, or crepe!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Jams & Pickled
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2.5 cups
    Calories 590 kcal

    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.
      strawberry in bowl
    • 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.
      squeezing lemon
    • Cook on medium heat until they are soft for about 20 minutes. (I don't mash my strawberries but you can at this time)
      mixing strawberries
    • 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.
      spoon test
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2.5cupsCalories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 150gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 6mgPotassium: 593mgFiber: 8gSugar: 138gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 226mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Cast Iron Pan Peach Cobbler from Georgia
    Ribs on the Big Green Egg »

    Filed Under: American, Jams and Pickled or Sauces, Rhode Island, Vegan

    About Lizzy

    I love to cook, eat and find good places to have a great meal so no matter where I go I always ask the locals the same question, “Where’s a good place to eat?”

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl

      July 22, 2022 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good, tried it last night and you don't miss the sugar.

      Reply
      • Lizzy

        July 24, 2022 at 12:39 pm

        Thank you! Enjoy, oxox Lizzy

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    HI! I'm Lizzy

    Pencil drawing of Don Quixote

    I was born in Reims, France to Portuguese parents. Being exposed to different cultures growing up has given me a passion for exploring new places and foods to cook! So follow me to the kitchen to enjoy a journey full of flavors. > Read More

    Moving to Florida

    Looking to Rent a Winter Home
    or Buy a Home?
    Call Jeffrey Thomas
    727-337-6230 or visit newconstructionforsale.com

    Recent Posts

    • BBQ Pork on cutting board
      Char Siu Sauce for BBQ Pork
    • a dish with Bacon Mushroom Risotto
      Bacon Mushroom Risotto from Italy
    • Washington DC Cherry Blossoms
    • Sourdough Tortillas on the plate
      Sourdough Tortillas Simple to Make

    Popular

    • soup
      7 Day Detox Cabbage Soup
    • grits
      Places to Eat in Charleston SC
    • Air Fryer Corn Ribs on plate
      Air Fryer Corn Ribs from New York
    • rice custard
      Portuguese Rice Custard Recipe
    • My 30 Days on Intermittent Fasting Results
    • My 30 Day Diet with No Carbs
    • fois gras
      What is Foie Gras a Classic French Appetizer
    • fish cakes
      Portuguese Fish Cakes from Mom

    Food Map of Recipes

    Find your favorite recipe destination on the map to cook an authentic meal from the region. Find a destination recipe →

    Recipes by Diet

    • Low-Carb
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    LIZZY LOVES FOODS IS A PARTICIPANT IN AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED
    TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AFFILIATED SITES.

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Mail

    ABOUT

    Meet Lizzy
    Health
    Portfolio
    Web-Stories

    RECIPES

    Recipes by Diet
    Recipes by Course
    Recipes for Holidays
    Food Map

    CUISINE

    Recipes by Country
    American Recipes
    International Recipes
    Where Locals Eat

    RESOURCES

    Contact Lizzy
    Shop My Favorites
    Privacy Policy
    Terms and Conditions


    Copyright © 2022 Lizzy Loves Food

    Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy