This simple 3-Ingredient Strawberry Jam is the only recipe you’ll ever need. It’s syrupy sweet, loaded with strawberry chunks, and simply delicious!
You will LOVE serving it with our perfect buttermilk biscuits or even over a classic New York Style Cheesecake.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Homemade jam is so delicious because it’s usually made when the fruit is in season, and therefore, at peak sweetness. This 3-ingredient Strawberry Jam recipe is sure to become a family favorite because of its simplicity and yummy flavors.
- TASTE: This Strawberry Jam is perfectly sweet with a hint of citrusy tartness.
- TEXTURE: Thick and syrupy, it has chunks of delicious strawberries throughout.
- TIME: It takes 50 minutes to make.
- EASE: With just 3 ingredients, this recipe is super simple. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make your own homemade jam.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries- Fresh strawberries are best here. You can use organic, if you have it.
- Lemon juice- This adds a little tartness and also adds acidity that will allow the jam to set.
- Sugar- The sugar not only sweetens the jam, but is necessary to preserve the fruit. If you don’t put enough sugar, the jam will go bad faster.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute honey for sugar- You can use 1/2 cup of honey to replace the 1 cup of sugar in this recipe.
- Add pectin- If you want to use pectin, you can add it to the jam ingredients and cook them for less time as the pectin will thicken it more quickly.
- Substitute other fruits- Make this 3-ingredient jam with raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, cherries, pineapple, and more.
- Use frozen strawberries- If you only have frozen strawberries, thaw them under running warm water before cutting and cooking. They will release more water than fresh, so add 5 minutes to the cook time.
How to Make 3-Ingredient Strawberry Jam
- Combine the ingredients. Once you have your cut strawberries into quarters, add them to a pan with the granulated sugar and lemon juice.
- Boil and simmer to thicken. Cook everything over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Then turn the heat to high again, let it boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Make sure to properly weigh your strawberries using a kitchen scale before adding them into your saucepan for accuracy.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh fruit- Fresh strawberries and fresh lemon juice are the key to getting the perfect flavors for this jam. Frozen or concentrated will affect flavor and texture.
- Cut the strawberries into quarters- The smaller pieces of strawberry will offer more of a chance to cook off the water in them, helping to thicken the jam more quickly.
- Check the temperature with a thermometer- Use a thermometer to make sure your jam reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit at the height of its boil to ensure it sets properly.
- Place it in the fridge if it’s runny- If your jam came out thinner than you wanted, place it in the refrigerator overnight to allow it more time set. It should thicken as it cools completely.
FAQs
This recipe has no pectin, which is a thickening agent. The key to thickening jam without pectin is TIME. Cooking the fruit longer allows the water to evaporate, leaving the jam thick and syrupy.
Depending on if you added fruit pectin or not, it can range from 15 minutes to 50 minutes for the jam to thicken.
Serving Suggestions
This Strawberry Jam is simply delicious and perfect for adding to your favorite things. Make sandwiches, add it to breakfast, or top desserts for an amazing meal.
- Breads: Serve it over these Buttermilk Biscuits, Brioche French Toast, Cottage Cheese Pancakes, or Rustic Bread Recipe (overnight).
- Cakes: Add some Strawberry Jam to a slice of New York Style Cheesecake, Berry Chantilly Cake, Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Strawberry Bundt Cake.
- Sandwiches: Enjoy it between slices of Buttery Brioche Bread or Sourdough Bread with your favorite nut butter.
- Breakfast: Serve this homemade jam over oatmeal, in a Mandarin Banana Smoothie, or in an Acai Bowl.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Because this jam stores so well, you can make it weeks in advance of when you plan to use it. Just keep it in an airtight container so it stays fresh.
Storing: Store this Strawberry Jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Freeze: You can freeze homemade strawberry jam in an airtight container for up to 2 years! After that, the taste will begin to change, and it won’t be as delicious.
More Tasty Toppings!
Full Recipe Instructions
3 Ingredient Strawberry Jam (no pectin)
Ingredients
- 2 lb fresh strawberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut 2 pounds (use a scale) of strawberries into quarters and place them into your saucepan. Then add in 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Cook on medium heat-high until it comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Then turn the heat to high again, let it boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Use fresh fruit- Fresh strawberries and fresh lemon juice are the key to getting the perfect flavors for this jam. Frozen or concentrated will affect flavor and texture.
- Cut the strawberries into quarters- The smaller pieces of strawberry will offer more of a chance to cook off the water in them, helping to thicken the jam more quickly.
- Check the temperature with a thermometer- Use a thermometer to make sure your jam reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit at the height of its boil to ensure it sets properly.
- Place it in the fridge if it’s runny- If your jam came out thinner than you wanted, place it in the refrigerator overnight to allow it more time set. It should thicken as it cools completely.
- How to store in the fridge: If you keep the homemade jam in the fridge, it can last up to 3 months. Always store in an airtight container.
- How to freeze it: You can freeze homemade strawberry jam for up to 2 years! After that, the taste will begin to change, and it won’t be as delicious.
Nutrition
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Rileigh says
does this resipe need to be sealed for canning for it to last up to 2 years frozen?
Dina says
Hi Rileigh, I do not seal it for canning for freezing. After 2 years, it will probably not taste as good though. So 2 years is maximum. Hope that helps.
Susan Baker says
Love this recipe, as I always have leftover strawberries. I just make them into jam, and it’s so good!
Dina says
Hi Susan 🙂 Yes, I love using leftover strawberries to make this jam recipe! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Missy says
Thank you for clear and concise instructions for a small batch. I was always apprehensive about jam as I thought you needed copious amounts of fruit. I have made jam twice now and its wonderful! Family loves it.
Dina says
Hi Missy 🙂 You are very welcome! Glad to hear my instructions were easy to follow. Thank you for giving my recipe a try and thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Jeaninne Bauer says
It turned out great. I also added 1 tsp of homemade vanilla extract. Delightful 😊
Dina says
Hi Jeaninne 🙂 Awesome to hear this strawberry jam turned out great! The addition of the homemade vanilla extract sounds delicious! Thank you for giving my recipe a try and for your feedback! 🙂
Leigha says
Wonderful recipe!
Are the strawberries meant to be weighed before cutting or after? It ends up being a lot less than 2 lbs due to cutting tops…so is it 2 before slicing or 2 after?
Dina says
Hi, yes you want to weight the strawberries after they are cut 🙂
Ed says
With this 3 ingredient jam, is it necessary to put the sealed jars in a boiling water bath and if so how long should the jars be in the bath? Doesn’t the bath help insure the lids are sealed to the jars?
Dina says
Hi Ed, here is a great resource on how to properly seal jam. I hope this helps 🙂 https://www.greedygourmet.com/condiments/equipment/how-to-seal-glass-jars/
Sue says
I was wondering if I can make jelly with this recipe. I can’t have the seeds I have colon problems.
Dina says
Hi Sue, you can make the recipe the same way, just strain the seeds out using a fine mesh sieve after it is done cooking.
Elly says
Hello,
After the last part of it saying to simmer for the last 10 minutes it doesn’t say anything about how long it needs to cook or any Ty like that before putting in the canning jars or air right containers.
Dina says
Hi Elly 🙂 You want to simmer until the jam starts to thicken up. I hope that helps and I hope you love this strawberry jam recipe! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Narine says
Help,
Thanks for sharing the receipes.
May I use frozen strawberries to make a jam?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Narine 🙂 Yes, you can use frozen strawberries to make this jam. They may give off more water, so it may take a little longer to simmer. I hope you love this recipe 🙂
George Randel says
What a waste of time. I only got 2 and a half pint jars. Other recipes I have gotten over 4 jars. There was no statements about canning. I did not gave a rating because there is never way to give less than one.
Dina says
Hi George, I never claimed that this recipe makes a massive batch. It was a standard amount of about 2 lb of strawberries. You are welcome to double the recipe if you want more jam. You are correct, there were no statements about canning because this is not a “canned jam” recipe. very few people know how to properly can, so I always suggest freezing. If you ever have questions about a recipe, feel free to reach out and I will do my best to help.
Crystal Pickering says
This is so good and so very easy.
I also did this with rasberries and it turned out very nicely too.
.
simplyhomecooked says
Very happy to hear you loved this strawberry jam! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂 I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog!
Angela landers says
Great recipe simple easy to follow . Really good
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Angela! Happy to hear you loved this strawberry jam recipe 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂