Once you taste this easy recipe for classic strawberry jam, you won’t want the store bought jams anymore. I think this jam is one of the tastiest and easiest you will ever make. It has only 4 ingredients, no pectin or canning involved.
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I am a sucker for fresh strawberries. When they are fully red, ripe, and juicy, I want to put them in everything from salads to barbecue sauce.
The only one who may love strawberries more is my sweet little great-nephew. I love cooking for him – all of his favorite foods. He is my biggest critic and also my biggest cheerleader. When he came to visit, I made him this easy recipe for strawberry jam but used lime juice instead of lemon juice. He was less than thrilled and thought the lime taste was too strong.
When I tasted a batch of the jam with lime alongside a batch with lemon, I knew he was right. The lime, for my tastes (and his too), is too strong of a flavor against the sweetness of the strawberry. Out of the mouths of babes, right?
For this classic strawberry jam, each ingredient plays an important part. The berries are obvious. The sugar and lemon juice help to preserve the fruit and allow it to keep in your refrigerator for about a month. The lemon also adds a brightness to the flavor. The vanilla rounds out the flavors, marries them together, and enhances the flavor of the berries.
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC STRAWBERRY JAM
This easy recipe will become your new ‘go-to’ jam recipe. It has 4 ingredients, no pectin, and doesn’t require canning.
The steps are just slicing the berries; mixing berries with sugar; boiling both until it becomes thick and syrupy; then finally stirring in the lemon juice and vanilla.
This jam is thinner in consistency than store bought jam or jam made with pectin. It should look like a thicker syrup.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR JAM
- This is delicious as a spread on homemade biscuits, toast, or bagels
- Use the jam as a filling between cake layers, thumbprint cookies, or donuts
- Drizzle it over pancakes or waffles
- Spoon it over vanilla yogurt or ice cream
HOW TO SCALE THE RECIPE FOR THE AMOUNT OF BERRIES ON HAND
The best part of this easy recipe is that it is easily scalable to meet the amount of berries you have on hand. The rule of thumb is that for each cup of sliced berries you add:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
If you enjoyed this recipe, take a look at a few other breakfast recipes:
CLASSIC STRAWBERRY JAM
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/2 pints 1x
Description
This easy recipe for a fresh strawberry jam could not be quicker or tastier. Fresh berries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla are all that’s needed for this delicious jam. No pectin or canning required!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 quart of berries)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 medium size lemons)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Place a small plate into your freezer.
- Combine the sliced berries and sugar in a large, heavy bottom saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until the berries break down and the sugar liquifies.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about one hour until the mixture thickens and reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Alternately, you can test the thickness of the jam by taking a tablespoon of jam and placing it onto the frozen plate. Run your finger down the center of the jam. If the line does not run back together, the jam is thickened. If it does run together, continue to simmer for another 3 – 5 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.
- Carefully ladle the jam into sterilized glass jars leaving a ½-inch of space from the top, screw on lids, and set aside to cool.
- When cool, store in your refrigerator for up to one month or in your freezer for a year.
Notes
To prevent mold and to lengthen the shelf life of your jam, be sure to sterilize the jars and the lids in boiling water. Place them upside down onto a clean kitchen towel. Be sure not to touch the inside of the jar or the part of the lid that will touch the jam. Once you place the lid on the jar, turn it upside down for 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
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Need more help with picking the best strawberries? The Produce Guy has a quick and informative video. Check it out here:
