Homemade Strawberry Jam made with just 3 ingredients and NO store-bought PECTIN. Making strawberry freezer jam has never been easier or more delicious!
My family absolutely adores the bright, fresh flavor of homemade strawberry jam. I make at least 1 batch each year and I don’t even freeze it- we eat it that quickly! I guess it does help that I have 5 kids, right?! I love this recipe because it calls for ingredients I usually have on hand. It’s even actually better if you use store-bought lemon juice because the acidity level is more consistent! Win, right?! So grab some fresh strawberries now when they’re inexpensive and perfectly sweet, then make yourself some homemade jam.
Why do you put lemon juice in strawberry jam?
Lemon juice plays two parts in a strawberry jam recipe. First, it prohibits bacteria growth, so your jam lasts longer. Second, it is a natural pectin booster. Fresh berries have pectin that’s released when we heat the jam. However it’s not able to help the jam set without the addition of an acid, enter lemon juice! Neat, huh? And so tasty!
Can you use frozen fruit to make jam?
Yes! You absolutely can use non-sweetened frozen fruit to make jam. Just run it under warm water to thaw, then cut into chucks and proceed with the recipe. Frozen fruit usually gives off a bit more water than fresh fruit, so you may have to add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Help! My freezer jam didn’t set! What did I do wrong?
Nothing. I’ve been making jam for years and years and I’ve decided that sometimes, jam just doesn’t set. The good news is, you can fix it! First, remember that freezer jam is often softer and needs 24-48 hours to properly set. If you’ve waited that time and you still don’t like how thin your jam is, use a rubber scraper and place jam back in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 tsp cornstarch. Whisk together and add to jam that’s just barely come to a boil. Boil another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit the 24-48 hours again.
Remember too, that even if your jam is a little thin, it still tastes great! Sometimes it happens to me and I don’t even bother to fix it. We just use a spoon when spreading jam to make sandwiches.
Easy No-Pectin Strawberry Jam Recipe
- 4 cups cut strawberries
- 3 cups sugar (about 3/4 cups of sugar for each cup of berries)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (2 TBSP lemon juice per cup of berries)
- Smash cut strawberries with a potato masher or Chop Stir. Or use a hand blender to blend strawberries to your desired consistency.
- Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Place on medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and boil about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer to glass canning jars, leaving 1/2″ of space from the top of the jar for expansion when frozen. (You’re welcome to use any other jar or container you’d like!) Cool to set.
- Place one jar in the fridge to use immediately and place the other jar in the freezer. Will keep for 4-6 weeks in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.
Have a ton of strawberries and don’t know what to make? I can help!
More Strawberry Recipes:
- Frosted Strawberry Cookies
- Glazed Strawberry Bread
- Glazed Strawberry Fruit Pizza
- Quick Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
Easy No-Pectin Strawberry Jam Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Homemade Strawberry Jam made with just 3 ingredients and NO PECTIN. Making strawberry freezer jam has never been easier or more delicious!
Course: Jams/ Jellies
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 pints
Ingredients
- 4 cups cut strawberries
- 3 cups sugar about 3/4 cups of sugar for each cup of berries
- 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 TBSP lemon juice per cup of berries
Instructions
- Smash cut strawberries with a potato masher or Chop Stir. Or use a hand blender to blend strawberries to your desired consistency.
- Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Place on medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and boil about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer to glass canning jars, leaving 1/2" of space from the top of the jar for expansion when frozen. (You're welcome to use any other jar or container you'd like!) Cool to set.
- Place one jar in the fridge to use immediately and place the other jar in the freezer. Will keep for 4-6 weeks in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.
Sandra Teasley says
May 13, 2017 made your strawberry freezer jam today. I’d never made freezer jam before. You are right about the fact that strawberries have enough natural pectin, so it’s not necessary to add it for making jam. This jam thickened nicely. It was to simple, but even more importantly, it is delicious. Followed your directions, after washing and drying the jars, I placed them on a sheet pan and put into oven @170 degrees, I was afraid the hot jam might crack the jars. My house was pretty chilly with the A/C on. I cooked the jam for 8 minutes and tested on a from the freezer saucer to see if it jelled. It was thicker, but decided to cook a few minutes more. I did add a few fine shavings of lemon peel. It is delicious. Using your measurements, it made 8 small jars, almost 4 ounces each. Really love this jam. I didn’t change your ingredients or amounts, just a tiny bit of lemon peel. Thanks for the recipe! I will make some more next week!
Dell Marie Geis says
Does this also work with raspberries or blue berries ?
Jessica says
I think other berries would be great! Just remember, if your berries aren’t super sweet, increase the cooking time slightly- maybe by 5 minutes- so that enough pectin is released to help the jam set!
Arron says
Homemade Strawberry Jam made with just 3 ingredients and NO PECTIN. Making strawberry freezer jam has never been easier or more delicious! I have been making jams for a long time and to say that there is no pectin in this jam is false as the lemon juice contains the pectin………
Jessica says
I meant no store-bought pectin…
Annie says
I made this last week and within a week it was gone. Hubby went to the store today and brought me more strawberries plus raspberries. I’m making another bigger jar right now. This is the best and so, so easy.
Alison says
Annie, I love this! Thank you for sharing!