Strawberry Jam

By Melissa Knific

Updated May 31, 2024

Strawberry Jam
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
About 1½ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling
Rating
4(30)
Notes
Read community notes

Sweet and ever-so-slightly tart, strawberry jam ranks among the top spreadable fruit flavors. When the pick-your-own season begins and supermarket shelves are abundant with the juicy, scarlet berry, it signals the start of summer, and it’s an opportunity to get your jam on. Here, just three ingredients—strawberries, sugar and lemon juice—make a simple jam that’s not overly sweet. However, it is crucial to have an instant-read thermometer on hand and to keep a watchful eye on the simmering temperature so the fruit’s natural pectin can do its thickening magic. In the off-season, frozen berries are a perfectly suitable stand-in for fresh, since they’re often picked at peak ripeness. This simple jam will last in the fridge for up to two weeks (for larger batches and a longer shelf life, consider canning it). Spread strawberry jam on crumpets, make an extra-special dessert, or, if you can’t wait for it to cool, spoon it warm over some ice cream.

Learn: How to Make Jam

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1 cup
  • 1pound fresh strawberries, hulled and diced, or 12 to 14 ounces frozen strawberries (no need to thaw), diced (2½ to 3 cups diced)
  • ⅔cup granulated sugar (see Tip)
  • 1tablespoon lemon juice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

202 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 44 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 3 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot. Stir until berries are completely coated in sugar. Using a potato masher, smash the berries 10 or so times to release some of their juices. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an instant-read thermometer handy; temperature should hover between 210 and 215 degrees. The mixture will foam quite a bit at first, but that will subside the longer it simmers, then the jam will thicken significantly.

  2. Step 2

    Increase heat to medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot until the jam reaches 218 to 220 degrees (but no hotter), 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool in the pot for 5 minutes. Spoon off any residual foam, if desired, then transfer jam to a glass canning jar (12 to 14 ounces), or similarly sized lidded glass vessel, and cool completely, uncovered. Use jam immediately, or screw on the lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. The jam will thicken when chilled. (Canning the jam will lengthen its shelf life. Follow this guide for instructions on how to safely do this extra step.)

Tip
  • When it comes to jam, the amount of sugar used can vary depending on both the sweetness of the strawberries and personal preference. Use the ⅔ cup here as a guide: If the berries are freshly picked or deep red, they’re likely full of natural sweetness, so feel free to decrease the sugar to ½ cup. Taste a berry and decide!

Ratings

4 out of 5
30 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Dos Cinco

In the early 1960s my siblings and I would “help“ my mother making jams and jellies. For jams and jellies, she always used paraffin . It came in a white box with a big orange Gulf label (as in petroleum company) While we were supposed to be cutting up berries or other fruits, , we would each cut a knob off and chew it, hoping it would turn into bubblegum. This invariably led to a paraffin spitball war at which point my mother would yell “everybody out of the kitchen. “ I miss Canning.

SamG

I’ve been making this for years. Original recipe appeared in Kroger’s MyMagazine 13 years ago. I also zest the lemon and add with the juice. Yes, you can freeze, just remember to leave at top of jar for expansion. I substitute peaches and also make a mixed berry with strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. So good. (I also add cinnamon to the peach jam).

Mark Lynn

Consider adding lime juice and lime zest - a nice contrast to the sweet berries.

FayeS

Scrape in some vanilla bean for an amazing flavor nuance.

CdnCook

The recipe says “Yield: 1 cup,” which didn’t make sense, given the volume of berries and sugar. We quadrupled the recipe, which made 6 cups of jam.

Niffer

I made a double batch. I used an instant read thermometer. Everything went smoothly until I had to get the fruit up to the second level of heat. I ended up with the stove on high. It took about five minutes of heavy boiling to get it to 218°. But I started to see the change in the way the strawberries looked and the height of the boil went lower. The boiling berries became denser and clearer. To my surprise, it turned out beautifully. The jam set without any added ingredients like sure-jell.

Dos Cinco

In the early 1960s my siblings and I would “help“ my mother making jams and jellies. For jams and jellies, she always used paraffin . It came in a white box with a big orange Gulf label (as in petroleum company) While we were supposed to be cutting up berries or other fruits, , we would each cut a knob off and chew it, hoping it would turn into bubblegum. This invariably led to a paraffin spitball war at which point my mother would yell “everybody out of the kitchen. “ I miss Canning.

E

Love this memory. Cooking with kids!

FayeS

Scrape in some vanilla bean for an amazing flavor nuance.

Mark Lynn

Consider adding lime juice and lime zest - a nice contrast to the sweet berries.

SamG

I’ve been making this for years. Original recipe appeared in Kroger’s MyMagazine 13 years ago. I also zest the lemon and add with the juice. Yes, you can freeze, just remember to leave at top of jar for expansion. I substitute peaches and also make a mixed berry with strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. So good. (I also add cinnamon to the peach jam).

catmoo

Cooking time extended to about 30 -40 minutes to get proper thickening.

Alice

A few drops of rose water added right at the end adds a wonderfully subtle nuance to this (but go lightly!). Just made a batch and looking forward to spooning over yogurt, biscuits, and ice cream this month!

Steve

Here is the perfect recipe for strawberry (or any other) jam: Buy a package of Sure-Jell pectin and follow the instructions exactly, except puree the fruit. Also, process the jam in a water bath as per USDA instructions and it will last indefinitely.

Dave

51 g carbohydrate per serving? That is for a serving that is 1/4 of 14 ounces by volume, 3.5 ounces per serving. A typical serving of jam is a teaspoon. That is 4 g carbohydrate. A teaspoon of jam will cover a single slice of toast. Why does the author go for such large servings?

Rachel

A teaspoon of jam will cover a slice of toast? Yeah, no. Maybe a tablespoon of jam, but definitely not a teaspoon.

Jamie

Since years I make jams and chutneys using twist-off tops. Sterilize the jars in the oven, boil the tops, fill in the jam, close and turn the jars upside down. No problem with any of them going bad.

me in nj

Can it be frozen?

Melodie martin

Yes I always freeze mine.

Paul Ortiz

Back on the '50s my grandmother made jams and jellies, which I was enlisted to help mske. But I remember clearly putting a 1/4 inch of melted paraffin on the top of the contents before sealing them with lids and continuing with the processing. (I thought to keep air from spoiling the contents if the seal leaked!) Is paraffin wax no longer used in making home made jam? If not, since when? Thanks!

Nina

Paraffin was used in lieu of canning lids. It forms a perfect seal over the contents of the food. The paraffin is used in a thin layer over the top of the jar after the food has been processed to keep air from the contents. It is not added before or during. Processing the food entails placing sealed jars in a hot or boiling water bath or the oven. In my canning days, I would use either paraffin or sealing lids depending on which seemed easier at the time.

Margaret

Nina is right. I would add that paraffin is no longer recommended as a way of sealing jams or jellies (or anything else, but jams and jellies are all it was ever used for). The seal is not as secure as that provided by a sealing lid, and it is not as easy to tell if the seal has been compromised (with a lid, if the center flexes up and down, the seal has been broken, and so you can know the contents of the jar must be discarded).

Nancy

And what a pain in the neck paraffin was! Nina: you must have been too young to be the one responsible for cleaning it up if you have any fond memories of it at all. I’ve been canning jams, jellies, and relishes for years and am not sure I ever would have continued if it hadn’t been for sealing lids.

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