The Best Strawberry Jam
A few secret ingredients take this basic pectin-free strawberry jam from great to fabulous. It really is the best strawberry jam!
Canning is one of my favorite summertime hobbies, and I love having preserved summer fruits and veggies to enjoy all year. But even if canning isn’t your thing, you should definitely be making your own jam!
Homemade jam is very easy to make at home and SO much better than storebought. Strawberry jam is our favorite, so I always make a huge batch every summer.
And this is my favorite recipe! It’s made without pectin and includes a few simple secret ingredients that make it shine above all other recipes I’ve tried.
The Best Strawberry Jam
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to get started. This recipe is perfect for early summer when strawberries are fresh an abundant!
- Fresh strawberries
- Bottled lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Vanilla bean or vanilla extract
Balsamic vinegar and vanilla are my special secret ingredients that really make this strawberry jam the best. I promise you’ve never had jam this good! You can leave out one or the other if you like and the recipe will still work great, but I recommend both for optimal flavor.
No pectin Required!
This strawberry jam is made without added pectin, which is great because it means you don’t have to worry whether you have it stocked in the pantry.
Pectin is used to quickly thicken and set jams and jellies, but it’s actually naturally occurring in fruit. All you need to draw out the natural pectin to thicken your homemade jam is time, so you may notice that this recipe calls for a much longer cook time than ones that use pectin.
How to Make Strawberry Jam
- Prep the strawberries. Clean, hull (remove the stem), and slice the strawberries. I like this quick video on how to remove stems.
- Combine all ingredients. Add strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla bean or extract to a large pot.
- Bring to a gentle boil. Set pot over medium-high heat, stirring mixture frequently as sugar dissolves and strawberries release their juices.
- Cook until thick. Once jam has reached a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until jam is reduced and thick, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam from the top. This can take up to 45-60 minutes.
- Use right away or store. Read below to see how to store jam in the fridge, freezer, or canned in sterilized jars. Or enjoy it right away!
How to Know if Jam is Set
Since this recipe doesn’t use pectin, we’re relying on time to thicken the jam naturally. But how do you know when it’s done? Here are a few simple ways to test your jam:
- Use a spoon. Scoop a bit of the jam with a spoon and slowly pour it back into the pot. If it runs off immediately the jam is not done. If it hangs onto the spoon briefly and falls in drips, it’s done. (Check out this video demonstration.)
- Use a plate. Put a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes. Place a spoonful of jam on the plate and let it rest for a few moments to cool it. Run your finger through the jam. If your finger leaves a path through the plate and the jam doesn’t run to fill it, the jam is done. (Check out this video demonstration.)
3 Ways to Store Jam
- In the fridge— You can store jam in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 month.
- In the freezer— Store jam in a sturdy airtight container in the freezer for several months.
- In your pantry— Process jars of jam per instructions below and store in a cool, dark place (like a cupboard or pantry) for up to 1 year. New to canning? Check out my canning tips and resources page.
More Jam Recipes to Try
The Best Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries , hulled and sliced (900 grams)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (60 ml) (see Note)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar , to taste
- 1 vanilla bean , split lengthwise or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the jam:
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Periodically skim foam off of the top.
- After about 45-60 minutes, jam should be thick and drop from a spoon in thick drips. Cook longer if needed.
- Remove vanilla bean pod if you added one, and spoon into desired storage container(s).
To store in fridge:
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
To store in the freezer:
- Store in a sturdy airtight container for up to several months.
To process in a home-canner:
- If canning, fill sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and cover with sterilized lids and rings. Process in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure the water covers the jars completely, and that it is boiling for the entire processing time.
- Let cool to room temperature before removing rings and storing.
- Canned jam will store for up to one year at room temperature.
Notes
Note:
- If you are planning to process and can this jam, bottled lemon juice is the best option as it has a consistent level of acidity which is needed to preserve the jam. If you are freezing or storing the jam in the refrigerator, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you prefer.
This recipe was originally published June 2012. Photos and recipe have been updated.
I need to make this ASAP so I can slather it all over my toast in the morning!
Where is the vanilla in this recipe?
Oops! It’s now been corrected.
Thanks! Going to try it this weekend!
This looks amazing, Annalise. I just pinned it to my canning board. Now that you’re not working, let’s set up a day to do some canning. You know, in between feeding, shushing, diapering, more feeding……….
Yes, let’s! I’d love that.
Yummy! This looks so delicious! Gonna try as soon as possible. 🙂
I love the addition of vanilla bean in your recipe, Annalise. I have decided to try canning this year and this looks like the perfect beginning recipe. I already know that jams will be my favorite thing to can. I think this jam would be delicious served over Brie cheese on crackers for a sweet-savory combination. Thanks for sharing your recipe! 🙂
I love strawberry jam as is, but something tells me the added vanilla bean makes it SO much better.
I never make my own jam and, after reading this post, am really wondering why. This sounds amazing, Annalise, especially with the vanilla bean.
I wish I had some of that jam right now. It would be amazing on my morning pancakes.
Ive never made my own jam either and i am making it right now! My son loves strawberry jam and so when i saw this and how excited you were by the taste i had to try it……he actually made it with my help. Cant wait to try it. I had to 1/2 the recipe but forgot to 1/2 the balsamic vinegar so i hope it doesnt ruin the taste!
Well I made it and i burnt the bottom of my pan.:(. not sure how im going to get it cleaned. its bad…but the jam doesnt taste burnt so maybe its not a total disaster.
I just made this jam recipe and I LOVE the taste! I used my immersion blender to cut the strawberries a bit instead of smashing with a fork – why not make life easy? 🙂 Overall, it turned out more liquid-y than I had hoped, but it’ll be delicious on anything and everything!
Looks soooo yummy!. The colours just pop right out of the screen, love it.
I made this today and it is simply amazing. I have never made anything for canning and this was a perfect first. My house smells amazing and it tastes just as fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe!!
This was my first jam and the flavor notes are lovely. It’s definitely the recipe I’ll stay devoted to. Thank you so much!
My first attempt at jam – winner! Absolutely delicious. Very much looking forward to giving to friends and family as holiday gifts. Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it!
My house smells amazing. I’m making this right now 😀
The only thing I’m slightly worried about is that it’s been simmering for just over an hour and isn’t really thickening. I haven’t made jam before so I’m a little unsure how thick it is supposed to be when hot – maybe it will thicken once cooled? Realistically, if it tastes any where close to as good as it smells then I’ll drink the stuff through a straw if I have to!
Thank you for the recipe!
I’m never very good at knowing when my jam is done either. In fact, I usually just wing it and since I kind of prefer a runnier jam it works fine for me. As it cooks I pay attention to how it runs of a spoon when I scoop it up and pour it back in, waiting for it to become thicker and eventually cling to the spoon in droplets. There are much more accurate ways to test for doneness, and I really like the tips found here on Food in Jars. I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy the jam!
Thanks for the tips, and the jam is amazing! I like it so much I made a cake just so that I have a more extravagant way of eating it than toast!
Hi there, we went strawberry picking this morning and after returning home, I tried this recipe. Thank you so very much! Its so yummy! I made ice cream last night and my daughter had some with this jam. We love it!
Madhu
Thanks for the recipe! Tasted and smelled outstanding. Mine didn’t thicken up too much, but I am undeterred. Thinking of adding the vanilla bean and vinegar to my traditional strawberry pie to see what happens. Thanks again!
Could I use pure mexican vanilla concentrate rather than a vanilla bean?
Absolutely! Use anywhere from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, depending on your preferences.
Can I use frozen strawberries? If yes, how much should I use? Thanks!
Fresh in-season strawberries will yield the best flavor, but you can use the same amount of frozen strawberries if desired.
No, frozen whole unsweetened strawberries are far better than 99.9% of fresh. More uniformly ripe, fresher (~4 hrs. from picking to flash-frozen). Not to mention no sorting, no washing, no core removal. I used only fresh strawberries for years, tried frozen just three years ago, will NEVER go back to fresh.
Yes, I too find frozen to give the best results
Aww I just opened a jar of last summers cherries I put up. It is the middle of winter here in Australia and to have Cherries and ice cream was divine! I also opened a jar of mango today and made mango mousse.
I had no lemon juice, so used a bit less lime juice. Del-LISH! Great recipe, I will certainly use it again. And again…..and again…..
Xx
Yum, cooking now.
Smells wonderful,I keep licking the spoon ….after it has cooled.
Strawberries,vanilla bean and balsamic…..can’t go wrong
Jen
How many half pint jars does this recipe usually make?
It yields 6 cups, or 6 half pint jars.
I had to double the recipe to get that amount.
Hi there ! Why don’t you have to add any pectin? I’m new to canning. Thank you!
Hi Kaitlin! I believe powdered pectin is added as a shortcut for making jam. All fruit contains pectin, though some more than others. For strawberry jam, you just have to cook it long enough to draw it out and let it thicken naturally on its own. Hope this helps!
The lemon juice is for pectin, as strawberries are low in it.
Lemon juice is also actually very low in pectin, but when combined with the sugar, it helps to gel the natural pectin found in fruit (in this case, strawberries). It also brings affects the pH balance of the jam so that it’s safe for shelf storage.
The lemon juice is for pectin.
I’ve read that using about 20-25% less ripened fruit will help jams thicken; the riper the berry, the less natural pectin.
That makes sense! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Great recipe and beautiful color of jam. I used a tablespoon of vanilla extract and it was a bit much so will reduce that next time. Thank you! I found the 90 min cook time made for a b auto fully thick jam.
SHAZAM!!!!!!
I just made this recipe, Annalise. WOW. Soooooo good. I want to eat it on everything. Thank you. Really, you did a fab job or marrying flavors. I will always use this recipe.
Definitely the BEST! I was blessed with an abundance of strawberries in my garden and I tried several jam recipes that were disappointing. Then I found this recipe and it knocked my socks off. This jam is incredibly good and not at all hard to make. Amazing what a difference the addition vanilla and balsamic vinegar makes. Thank you so very much.
I love the idea of the flavors of this jam, and I think I continue to try with adding balsamic vinegar and vanilla to a different recipe, but this recipe did not work at all for me. I’ve canned for years, and I tried this recipe twice. Both times, the mixture ended up burning, even when I timed it carefully. At 55 minutes, on low, it still burned. Both times, I stirred it often. In addition, it didn’t make anywhere near the amount that was listed. When I doubled the recipe, I ended up with 5 1/2 jelly jars, which are 8 ounces each, and when I did one recipe’s worth, I ended up with 2 1/2 jars. Finally, it was overly sweet. At the very least, I think the timing has to be corrected.
I’m a newbie at jam making and this one was so fun to make. It made a very rich tasting, beautiful, dark colored jam with a perfect consistency, not too thin, not too thick. I’m sorry to say I omitted the vanilla bean simply bc they were soo very expensive at my grocery store; $26 for 2 beans! But I certainly hope to make it again using it. Thank you for sharing this. It’s going to make great gifts.
How many bottles does this recipe make ? Thanks
It depends on the size of jar you use! It makes about 6 cups, so 6 half-pint jars or 3 pint jars.
Really love this recipe, but the yield is off; I got HALF the yield stated in the recipe. I thought at first that it was because in my first batch I quadrupled the recipe, and in my second batch I doubled the recipe. However, both batches both came out as half the yield of the printed recipe. I’m wondering if it’s possible that it’s due to I made sure that the jelly heated to 220 degrees Fahrenheit to assure a good gel when canned. I’m not sure.
But I really love this recipe! Just making adjustments so that I know the proper amount that I’m going to get has made all the difference.
My daughter is going to probably gobble it all up before I can even give any away for Christmas! I guess that means that we have to go pick more strawberries 😉
Can you use stevia in this?
Haven’t tested this with stevia so I can’t say, sorry!
No quantities in the recipe?
Thanks for a great recipe – I appreciated your tips on how to thicken the jam and to test when it’s done! I was surprised that 1 kg of strawberries only made 2 1/2 jars of jam! It seemed like so much more when I started! 🙂
Love this recipe. I think 1 cup of sugar is enough, and I also add a tsp of cinnamon and a dash of rose water… so good
Something isn’t quite right with this recipe. It’s lost all its flavor due to having to boil down for so long. It hasn’t fully gelled yet and it’s reduced way down. I did 9 lbs of strawberries. What a waste of money. Maybe more lemon juice, I don’t know.
Worked beautifully! Gorgeous jam indeed. Recipe perfectly proportioned to get the jammy result in the time specified. I reduced the amounts as i had less fruit on hand.
This IS the best strawberry jam recipe!! I’ve been making this recipe for the last 5 years or so and it never disappoints!!
Once, most of my fresh strawberries were over ripe so I added fresh blueberries in a pinch to make up the difference in weight and WOW it turned out amazing!