Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe

What comes to mind when you hear “strawberry”? Bright red, juicy, and utterly irresistible berries, right? Strawberries are amazing to eat fresh. They’re also perfect for creating something that lasts longer. Consider making a luscious homemade strawberry jam.

I recently picked some fresh strawberries from a local farm. I knew I wanted to capture their flavor in a way that could be enjoyed beyond the season. Enter this homemade strawberry jam recipe!

To my surprise, it turned out far better than any supermarket jam I’ve ever bought. It’s rich, flavorful, and packed with real strawberry goodness. Best of all, it got the ultimate seal of approval—my 4-year-old gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Ready to make your kitchen smell like a strawberry paradise? Let’s get started making strawberry jam following this recipe🍓

Jam making is something which I learnt from my mum. I grew up in India. Strawberries were a rare commodity for me. However, we had a guava tree. Every season, my mum would make tons of guava jam.

Those were the days in the late 80s and early 90s. Most edible things were made at home. This included jam, ketchup, chips (crisps as what Brits will call), papads, etc. All these were fun activity. I learnt and inherited a few things since then, I do now too. I hope my kids learn some from me to take the legacy ahead.

This strawberry jam is my improvisation based on common sense of cooking and trials.

Fortunately in UK, strawberries are available in abundance without much of pocket pinch. Every summer, our family goes strawberry picking. We pluck tons of strawberries. This activity provides an excellent opportunity to stock up kitchen cabinets with this delicious strawberry jam.

Ingredient for strawberry jam

• Strawberry – 1 Kg. In my recipe, I have used fresh strawberries. However, feel free to use frozen ones. The cooking time will be more with frozen strawberries to extract all the flavours out of them.
• Sugar- 500 grams (Can vary it depending on how sweet strawberries are and how sweet you want your jam)
• Lemon  – 2 (Medium Size) Lemon acts as natural preservative.

Method to make strawberry jam at home

• First off all wash and pat dry the strawberries. Now chop the strawberries into small pieces. Take a glass jar to store the cooked jam. Make the jar completely dry by putting it in the oven for a few minutes. Alternatively, keep it in sunlight for a few hours.

• Take a non-stick pan and keep it on low flame. Add strawberries and sugar to the pan and with the help of a masher slightly mash the strawberries.

• Now raise the flame to medium and cook the jam until it reaches 1/2 of its quantity, stirring occasionally.

• Now squeeze the juice from both the lemons and add it to the jam. Again cook the jam for few more minutes. Now lets check  the jam if it  is cooked properly.

• Take water in a clear bowl and add a drop a little jam in it. If it sets at the bottom without dissolving in water, the jam is cooked.

• Switch off the flame and store it in the glass jar once its completely cooled.

• Enjoy it by spreading on bread or scone or anything you love to pair with Jam.

Pro Tips

• Look out for meaty fresh strawberries, and the one which is sweet. This will help you get nice chunky jam. It will be naturally sweet. You won’t need to add topping sugar, or you might need to add only limited sugar.
• Keep notice to make sure that your jar is water free before adding sugar.
• Don’t over mash the strawberries, slightly mashed strawberry gives small chunks in the jam which taste really nice.
• Rather than making one big bottle of strawberry jam, divide the storage into multiple bottles. Open them one by one. Once a bottle is opened, finish off the bottle in 3-4 weeks.

This strawberry jam

• Is easy and fun to make, involve kids in activities like plucking the crown from strawberries.
• Takes only 3 ingredients, however feel free to add other fruits to enhance flavour, such as this raspberry strawberry jam.
• Has good shelf life, prepare your stock in the season to last long
• Fresh jam like this one will taste much better compared to what you get in superstores. You know for certain what you have added in the jam. It’s pure!

Storage and serving suggestion

Store this jam in an air tight glass jar, ideally under refrigeration. This jam can last easily up to 6 months if looked after well.

Please make sure that every time you take out jam with a spoon or knife, that spoon is dry. Do not dunk the same spoon with bread crumbs or other food in the jar. Contamination of jam with food or other stuff, such a wet spoon, raises the risk of jam catching fungus, etc.

Serve this jam as condiment on anything you like, be it bread or paratha or anything.

FAQs About Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe 🍓

1. Do I need to use fresh strawberries for this recipe?

Yes, fresh strawberries work best for making jam as they provide the perfect texture and natural sweetness. However, frozen strawberries can be used as an alternative if fresh ones are unavailable.

2. How do I sterilize the glass jar?

Keep the jar in an oven at 100°C (212°F) for a few minutes to sterilize it. Alternatively, place it under direct sunlight for a few hours. This ensures your jam stays fresh longer.

3. Can I adjust the sugar quantity?

Absolutely! If you prefer less sweetness, reduce the sugar. Keep in mind that sugar also acts as a preservative. Reducing it may shorten the shelf life of the jam.

4. How do I know if the jam is ready?

To check, drop a small amount of jam into a bowl of water. If it sets at the bottom without dissolving, your jam is perfectly cooked.

5. What type of pan should I use?

A non-stick pan is ideal for this recipe as it prevents the jam from sticking and makes cleanup easier.

6. How should I store the jam?

Store the cooled jam in a sterilized glass jar. Keep it refrigerated to maintain its freshness for up to 2-3 weeks.

7. Can I add other flavors to the jam?

Yes! A squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of vanilla can elevate the flavor of your strawberry jam.

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