Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe

What if you could preserve the flavor of summertime berries in a jar? You can! This homemade strawberry jam recipe is easy for beginners, sweetened with honey, and you’ll be able to savor the goodness of garden fresh berries all year long! 

You should also try making this strawberry cobbler when berries are in season!

3 jars of strawberry jam ready for lids.

Making — and preserving — jams and and jellies is one of the easiest ways to get started with home canning. I won’t go so far as to say it’s foolproof, but it’s pretty hard to make a mess of homemade jam. It’s one of my favorite projects to suggest for people who are just toying with the idea of canning at home for the first time.

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Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.

Strawberry Jam Canning Recipe

Whether you’re growing your own little strawberry patch, taking advantage of u-pick farms, or supporting your local market farmers, when strawberries are in season it’s a chance to indulge in fresh berries.

But if you’ve got extra berries, this easy strawberry jam recipe gives you a chance to preserve some of that flavor. Just imagine how happy you’ll be to pop the lid off a jar of homemade strawberry jam in the middle of winter! Ahhh!

Why Make Homemade Jam?

  • You can use less sugar than the grocery store brands
  • It’s a great way to save your favorite flavors
  • Jam making uses simple ingredients to net a delicious end product that’s great for your pantry or for gift giving
  • The flavor is out of this world!

Making strawberry jam — or other jam recipes — is easy. It’s a matter of smashing berries and adding a sweetener and pectin, which makes the mixture set. Old fashioned commercial pectin brands (like Sure Jell) require crazy amounts of sugar in order to create the “gel” for a thick jam.

I prefer to use Pomona brand, since it allows me to use much less sugar. There are a couple of steps when using this brand, but they’re easy steps.

rows of homemade strawberry jam

Ingredients

Strawberries — Fresh berries are ideal for this recipe, but frozen berries will do. Choose fully ripe berries that are firm; avoid overripe fruit.

Sweetener — Honey is delicious as a sweetener for this recipe, but you can use granulated sugar as well. Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.

Pectin – This recipe is made using Pomona’s Universal Pectin. This is the only pectin I use anymore as it allows me to use much less sweetener. The standard pectin brands use an obscene amount of sugar in my opinion, often requiring equal amounts of sugar and fruit! This product uses a low methoxyl method and calls for using two different ingredients, which are included in the box: pectin (the large packet) and calcium powder (the small packet). The dry pectin is mixed with the sweetener before being added to the fruit. The calcium water is added directly to the fruit.

Of note: This recipe does not require the addition of lemon juice for acidification.

Making the Jam

First, you’ll use the calcium powder (in the small packet), and mix 1/2 teaspoon powder with 1/2 cup water. This will result in what we’ll call calcium water. You’ll have more calcium water than you need. Keep the leftovers in the fridge for your next batch of homemade jam. [This collection of 100 jam and jelly recipes might inspire you.]

process photos for making jam

Crush the strawberries in a food processor or with a potato masher. Heat the crushed strawberries in a large saucepan along with the calcium water. 

Combine the pectin powder (in the large packet) with the sweetener, in the case of this recipe, honey. You want to make sure that it’s thoroughly combined before adding to the cooking berries.

Bring berry mixture to a boil, add pectin, and stir well to combine. Return to a boil and you’ve just made homemade strawberry jam. Easy, right?

process images of water bath canning jam

🍅 Safety First!

Canning is an excellent way to preserve food for the pantry, but there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind. The recipes on this site have been made following safe canning procedures by a certified Master Food Preserver.

  • Know the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. Low acid items must be pressure canned for safety. 
  • Altering ingredients may change the recipe’s pH, posing a safety issue. I highly recommend investing in pH paper to test your products for acidity level when canning. Note: For safe water bath canning, the Hawaii Master Food Preservers suggest a pH of 4.2 or lower in the tropics. In other regions, the recommended pH is 4.6 or lower.
  • Use the proper jars and lids. Never reuse lids, with the exception of the Tattler or Harvest Right hard plastic lids that are intended for such a purpose.
  • For more on canning equipment, please go here
  • Want to learn more? The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the go-to resource for safe canning information.

Canning Jam

This is often the sticking point for people who have never canned before. It’s something “new” and why is it that we think “new” is difficult?? It’s not! You’ll need special canning jars, lids, and rings (read more about canning equipment here).

Making gifts? Grab these cute printable canning labels — complete with a gentle reminder to return the jar — for just 99 cents!

label for strawberry jam.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars and wipe the rims to remove any sticky residue. (This assures a good seal.) Center lid on each jar and screw ring on finger tight. 

Once the jars are filled, place jars in a water bath canner. What this means is you’ll put the filled jars of strawberry jam into boiling water and heat them for ten minutes. 

Remove the jars to a towel-covered countertop and allow to cool fully and let jam set. As they cool, you’ll hear the little “tink” sound of the jars sealing. Store any unsealed jars in the fridge and use those first. (This is unusual, but it does happen once in awhile.)

canning jars filled and sealed with strawberry jam

Remove the ring from each sealed jar, rinse to remove any jam residue, and store (without the ring) in the pantry (or other cool, dark place) so you can enjoy fresh strawberry flavor all year long. 

Here’s a more detailed look at canning jam and jelly.

Do you have questions about home canning? First time canner? Check out this list of 101 frequently asked canning questions!

More strawberries than you know what to do with? Make some of this sugar-optional strawberry puree for the pantry, too!

jars of red jam in a line

★ Did you make this strawberry jam recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

3 jars of strawberry jam ready for lids.

Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam

Yield: 9-10 half pints
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Canning time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

What if you could preserve the flavor of summertime berries in a jar? You can! This homemade strawberry jam recipe is easy for beginners, sweetened with honey, and you'll be able to savor the goodness of garden fresh berries all year long! 

Ingredients

  • 8 cups strawberries, mashed (measure after mashing)
  • 1 cup honey (or 1-1/2 cups of sugar)
  • 1 box Pomona brand pectin

Instructions

Prepare for Canning

  1. Prepare the calcium water: Combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (from the small packet in the box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small jar. Screw on a lit and shake until well-combined. You'll have more than you need for this recipe. Store the excess in the refrigerator for use in making additional jam or jelly recipes.
  2. Wash the jars you'll use, making sure each is clean and free of nicks in the rim, which could impede sealing.
  3. Wash the lids and rings in hot soapy water. (If you're using non-Ball brand lids, prepare as suggested by manufacturer.)
  4. Place empty jars in a canning pot or large stock pot with enough water to cover by an inch or two, cover pot, and set on high heat. It can take awhile for the water to heat, so get it started before you begin making the recipe.

Make the jam

  1. Measure mashed strawberries into a large pot along with 4 teaspoons of the prepared calcium water.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the honey (or sugar) with 4 teaspoons pectin powder (the large envelope) until thoroughly combined.
  3. Bring strawberries to a full boil. Add sweetener, stirring vigorously for a couple of minutes to dissolve the pectin. Once returned to a full boil, remove from heat.

Canning strawberry jam

  1. Ladle hot strawberry jam into half-pint jars. This jam requires a quarter-inch headspace, which means you'll ladle jam to within a 1/4" of the top of the jar. A canning funnel makes this easy.
  2. Wipe jar rims to remove any jam that may have spilled. A clean rim is essential to a good seal.
  3. Place lids on the jar rim and screw bands on finger tight.
  4. Use a jar lifter to gently submerge jars into simmering water in canning pot with a canning rack in the bottom of the pot. Water should cover the top of the jars by an inch. The water will cool somewhat in reaction to the addition of the jars. Return the water to a low boil and then set the timer.
  5. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Add a minute to the boiling time for every 1,000' above sea level.
  6. Check seals. Lids should be solid and pulled down tight. (if they flex and pop, the jar didn’t seal; put unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use those first).
  7. Remove rings and wash outsides of jars. Store jars of jam in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Notes

This recipe is made using Pomona’s Universal Pectin. This is the only pectin I use anymore as it allows me to use much less sweetener. The standard pectin brands use an obscene amount of sugar in my opinion, often requiring equal amounts of sugar and fruit! This product uses a low methoxyl method and calls for using two different ingredients, which are included in the box: pectin (the large packet) and calcium powder (the small packet).

You can mash strawberries by hand or a use a food processor to make a finer jam. 

Boiling lids or heating above 180°F as once recommended can damage the sealing compound.

Of note: This recipe does not require the addition of lemon juice for acidification.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 80 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 323mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

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Originally published March 2020; this post has been updated.

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

9 comments… add one
  • Robin Jun 13, 2020 @ 13:20

    Where do they sell it

    • Kris Bordessa Jun 21, 2020 @ 15:39

      I’m guessing you mean the Pomona Pectin? Usually available at natural food stores or online.

  • nevada dovell Apr 9, 2020 @ 10:27

    never heard of pomona pectin.can another brand be used?

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 12, 2020 @ 10:30

      This particular recipe is made to work with Pomona pectin. It’s a bit different than other brands and allows me to use less sugar.

  • Annie Apr 9, 2020 @ 1:35

    What is calcium pack do you have to use that kind of pectin ? Can you use a different brand like sure gel thanks in advance
    Annie

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 12, 2020 @ 10:31

      This particular recipe is made to work with Pomona pectin. It’s a bit different than other brands and allows me to use less sugar. The calcium packet comes WITH the Pomona pectin.

    • Eleanore Bloniarz May 25, 2020 @ 10:48

      WiI make Strawberry freezer jam for many years, I use Sure Jell fruit pectin and only use one half the sugar it calls for. I cook the pectin and sugar and liquid twice as long as it calls for then add your mashed berries and stir thouroughly. Pour mixture in your washed jars coverlwith lids and rings but don’t tighten. Let stand out over night. Tighten covers and place in freezer.

  • Darlene e barry Apr 8, 2020 @ 22:35

    Im embarrassed to ask but what is the calcium powder? Your book is amazing!

    • Kris Bordessa Apr 12, 2020 @ 10:31

      The calcium powder is a packet that comes with Pomona brand pectin. It’s a bit different than other brands and allows me to use less sugar. (And thanks!)

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