Strawberry Jam
This easy, delicious strawberry jam recipe is made with 4 ingredients: strawberries, sugar, lemons, and honey! The honey is used to replace some of the sugar, and the lemon zest + juice perfectly balance out the sweetness of the jam. You can spread it on some toast, top your yogurt, or even make my yummy strawberry cold foam for your lattes!
🍓 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You won’t need any special equipment, not even a thermometer! When I worked as a pastry cook, making jam was a simple part of our to-do list. We just combined all the ingredients in a pan and checked for doneness using the spatula test: scrape the pan’s bottom; if the spatula leaves a clear trail that takes 2-3 seconds to fill back up, it’s done!
- I swapped out ⅓ cup of sugar with honey 🍯. This gives the perfect balance of flavors, where the honey doesn’t overpower but enhances the strawberry flavor nicely.
- There’s no pectin. Cooking the jam longer -> more water evaporates -> thicker jam -> no need to use pectin as a thickening agent!
- It makes a great gift 🎁! You can easily make a large batch, portion them out into smaller jars, and tie a little twine or ribbon on the outside. Who doesn’t love a homemade gift, especially if it’s food?
Ingredients
To make homemade strawberry jam, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ingredient Notes
- The fresh strawberries will be washed, hulled, and roughly chopped. Once they start to soften, you can mash them right in the pan.
- Although we are using granulated sugar, about ⅓ cup of it will be replaced with honey. I believe this adds such a nice subtle flavor to the strawberry jam, while also cutting back on the processed sugar.
- We will be using both lemon juice and lemon zest, which balances out the sweetness nicely.
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
💡 Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries! The more ripe, the more flavorful the jam.
- Cook the jam in a large, wide pan. I actually like using my sauté pan because it’s super wide and shallow, which helps it cook more evenly compared to a deep pot.
How To Make Strawberry Jam
Step 1: In a large pan, add chopped strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar, and honey. Cook on medium heat, stirring often. Once the strawberries soften, use a masher to break them up.
Step 2: Gently boil for 15-25 minutes, until thickened. To check if it is done, drag your spatula across the bottom of the pan. The spatula should leave a clear trail and the jam should take 2-3 seconds to fill the space back up. The jam will also thicken a bit more once cooled. Remove from heat and transfer to storage containers.
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
FAQs
You can try out the spatula test, which is what I use in this recipe!
Drag your spatula across the bottom of the pan: the spatula should leave a clear trail and the jam should take 2-3 seconds to fill the gap back up.
I encourage you to put the jam back on the stove and keep cooking it!
You can mix in a splash of water at a time.
Yes, you can omit the honey. Replace it with 1/3 cup of sugar instead.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries. You don’t even have to let them thaw—add everything to the pot and cook as usual.
I really hope you enjoy this easy, homemade strawberry jam recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see! You can tag me at #bitesbybianca / @bitesbybianca on Instagram.
🎥 Quick Video Tutorial
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- Kitchen scale/measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- wooden spatula
- masher
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (907.18 g) strawberries washed, dried, stems removed, and chopped
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest from 2 small lemons
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) lemon juice from 2 small lemons
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, stir together all of your ingredients: 2 pounds strawberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Turn the heat to medium and stir. Once the strawberries soften, mash them up in the pan. Gently boil for 15-25 minutes, scraping the bottom + sides of the pan often. It will be really liquidy at first, then cook down and thicken.
- To test if the jam is done, drag your wooden spatula across the bottom of the pan. If it leaves a clear trail and the jam takes 2-3 seconds to fill in the gap, it's finished! It will continue to thicken while it cools.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Want to omit the honey? Replace it with ⅓ cup sugar instead.
- Tips:
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries! The more ripe, the more flavorful the jam.
- Cook the jam in a large, wide pan. I actually like using my sauté pan because it’s super wide and shallow, which helps it cook more evenly compared to a deep pot.
- Storage: Homemade strawberry jam can last up to 2 months in the fridge. You can also store it in the freezer and let the jam thaw overnight before using. For long-term storage, you can always can your strawberry jam! It can last for over a year if left unopened.