Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam with Pectin

Fresh Strawberry Jam with pectin is a real hit. This recipe uses original pectin and reduced sugar to help bring out the strawberry flavor.

Makes 5 half-pints

Fresh Strawberry Jam with Pectin on Toast

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Fresh Strawberry Jam Recipe with Pectin and Less Sugar

This is another jam recipe that has a long history here at the monastery. For many years we used fresh strawberries from our vegetable garden. We eventually stopped growing strawberries because they were a labor intensive crop.  The harvest also varied greatly from year to year. Some years we had an abundant crop and other years we picked almost none. Now we frequently get our strawberries from the local Farmer’s Market.

Will the jam set with less sugar?

Absolutely, yes. Like most of our jam and jelly recipes, it uses Original Sure-Jell powdered fruit pectin in the yellow box. It also uses less sugar than is usually recommended by the pectin manufacturer. We prefer to use approximately equal parts fruit and sugar when canning jams and jellies. This is not the ratio that comes with the directions for the pectin. Changing the fruit/sugar ratio can keep the jam from setting properly. So we have worked around this problem by reducing the amount of sugar and fruit. For a detailed explanation of why I made this change, please read the notes at the end of the recipe for Apricot Jam. If this is still too much sugar for your taste, then you may want to consider using “Less sugar needed” Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin in the pink box. Be sure to use the recipe that comes in the box and not this recipe.

Ingredients:

Ingredients: Strawberries, sugar, Sure-Jell pectin, and canning jars

• 3 lbs. fresh strawberries (You will only need about 40 ounces of strawberries. See note #1 at the end of the recipe).
• 1 (1.75 oz.) package Original Sure-Jell powdered fruit pectin
• 3-1/3 cups sugar
• 5 half-pint (8 ounce) canning jars with rings and lids

Instructions:

1. Gently rinse and drain the strawberries. Remove stems and cut into halves and quarters. Now chop the strawberries into small pieces. By cutting the strawberries into halves and quarters first, it keeps them from rolling around when you go to chop them into smaller pieces.
2. Place the chopped strawberries in a large bowl, mash with a potato masher, and measure. You should have 3-1/3 cups of mashed strawberries (See note #2 below). They will weigh about 28 ounces.
3. Combine the 3-1/3 cups of mashed strawberries and the package of powdered fruit pectin in a 3-quart saucepan.
4. Cook and stir frequently over medium heat until the strawberries come to a gentle boil. You do not have to bring the mixture to a hard boil.
   

   1 - Rinse, drain, stem, and quarter strawberries. Now chop into small pieces.

   

   2 - Mash strawberries in a large bowl with a potato masher.

   

   3 - Combine mashed strawberries and pectin in a 3-quart saucepan.

   

   4 - Cook and stir over medium heat until strawberries come to a gentle boil.
5. Stir in the 3-1/3 cups sugar. Continue to stir until all of the sugar is dissolved.
6. Increase to medium-high heat and stir until it reaches a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Watch closely to make sure that it does not boil over.
7. Remove from heat and skim foam from top of jam.
8. Pour into hot, sterilized, half-pint canning jars, and seal.
   

   5 - Stir in 3-1/3 cups sugar until all of the sugar is dissolved.

   

   6 - Bring to full boil over medium-high heat and boil hard for 1 minute.

   

   7- Remove from heat and skim foam from top of jam.

   

   8 - Pour into hot, sterilized, half-pint canning jars, and seal.
9. Process the strawberry jam for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove the jars from the pot and place on a dry towel to cool. After two hours, check the jars to make sure that they are sealed. Then hold each jar with a dry towel or hot pad and gently shake to prevent all of the pieces of fruit from floating to the top. Leave undisturbed for another 10 hours until the jam reaches room temperature.

Jars of Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam.

If you would like more detailed instructions on water bath canning, then you may like to try thespruceeats.com located here. You can also check out simplycanning.com located here.

Notes:

1. Although this recipe calls for 3 pounds (48 ounces) of strawberries, you will only need about 40 ounces. But it is hard to buy just 40 ounces of strawberries at the market. Most of the time they are sold in 12-ounce baskets or 1-pound plastic clambshell containers. So you will need to purchase four 12-ounce baskets or three 1-pound clambshell containers of strawberries. If you grow your own strawberries or have access to a farmer’s market, then you should be able to get exactly 40 ounces. My point here is to let you know that you may have an extra half pound of strawberries left over when done.
2. For many,  many years I used 3-1/2 cups of strawberries with an equal amount of sugar, to prepare this jam. That is what the recipe in the cookbook The Joy of an Empty Pot uses. But recently, in about the last year or so, the jam did not set up properly. It was too soft. So I reduced the amount of strawberries and sugar slightly to 3-1/3 cups. Now it sets up to a perfect, spreadable consistency. I suspect that strawberries do not have as much acid as they used to have. This also shows how important it is to carefully measure your ingredients.

If you liked this recipe, you may also be interested in these recipes:

Tangerine Marmalade

Small Batch Blackberry Jelly

Homemade Fresh Apricot Jam with Pectin

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Homemade Fresh Strawberry Jam with Pectin

Fresh Strawberry Jam with pectin is a real hit. This recipe uses original pectin and reduced sugar to help bring out the strawberry flavor.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword fresh, jam, pectin, strawberry

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting time 1 day

Total Time 1 day 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 80 Tablespoons

Calories 39 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Fresh strawberries You will only need about 40 ounces.
• 1 package Original Sure-Jell powdered fruit pectin
• 3-1/3 cups sugar
• 5 half-pint (8-ounce) canning jars with rings and lids

Instructions

1. Gently rinse and drain the strawberries. Remove stems and cut into halves and quarters. Now chop the strawberries into small pieces.

2. Place the chopped strawberries in a large bowl, mash with a potato masher, and measure. You should have 3-1/3 cups of mashed strawberries They will weigh about 28 ounces.

3. Combine the 3-1/3 cups of mashed strawberries and the package of powdered fruit pectin in a 3-quart saucepan.

4. Cook and stir frequently over medium heat until the strawberries come to a gentle boil. You do not have to bring the mixture to a hard boil.

5. Stir in the 3-1/3 cups sugar. Continue to stir until all of the sugar is dissolved.

6. Increase to medium-high heat and stir until it reaches a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Watch closely to make sure that it does not boil over.

7. Remove from heat and skim foam from top of jam.

8. Pour into hot, sterilized, half-pint canning jars, and seal.

9. Process the strawberry jam for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove the jars from the pot and place on a dry towel to cool. After two hours, check the jars to make sure that they are sealed. Then hold each jar with a dry towel or hot pad and gently shake to prevent all of the pieces of fruit from floating to the top. Leave undisturbed for another 10 hours until the jam reaches room temperature. 

Recipe Notes

• If you would like more detailed instructions on water bath canning, then you may like to try thespruceeats.com located here. You can also check out simplycanning.com located here.
• Although this recipe calls for 3 pounds (48 ounces) of strawberries, you will only need about 40 ounces. But it is hard to buy just 40 ounces of strawberries at the market. Most of the time they are sold in 12-ounce baskets or 1-pound plastic clambshell containers. So you will need to purchase four 12-ounce baskets or three 1-pound clambshell containers of strawberries. If you grow your own strawberries or have access to a farmer's market, then you should be able to get exactly 40 ounces. My point here is to let you know that you may have an extra half pound of strawberries left over when done.