Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe
Have you ever wanted to make your own jam, but with ingredients you already have on hand? Recipe developer and health coach, Miriam Hahn, brings us this easy strawberry jam recipe that doesn't require pectin. Hahn notes that "pectin helps in thickening the jam and the process is a little quicker, but once I tried it without pectin, I realized it doesn't make that much difference. I still get a thick jam and don't need to have that in the house if I want to make jam."
Without the ingredient pectin, this jam recipe is made from only 4 ingredients, most notably coconut sugar. Hahn likes using coconut sugar in this recipe because "it is a little healthier than cane sugar and the process does not involve bleaching." She also likes to add lemon zest and juice to provide tartness in order to balance out the sweetness from the strawberries.
Gather your ingredients for strawberry jam
To make this easy strawberry jam, you should start by gathering your ingredients. Luckily, this recipe only calls for a few items: strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and coconut sugar.
Prepare the strawberries and lemon zest
To start, you need to prepare the strawberries by removing the stems. Once you've plucked off the stems, use a paring knife or a strawberry hulling tool to remove the small core of each strawberry. Then, give these strawberries a rough chop. You don't need to be exact here — you'll eventually mash these all up. Finally, go ahead and zest the lemon and set the zest aside.
Cook the strawberries down & mash them
In a medium pot, add the chopped strawberries, the lemon juice, and the coconut sugar. Place the pot over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved — about 3 minutes. Bring this mixture to a boil and continue to cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until it is thick and bubbly.
Using a potato masher, break down the strawberries until they are the consistency of jam.
Cool the strawberries and add the zest
Remove the pot from the heat and add the reserved lemon zest to the strawberries. Stir well, then let the jam cool for at least 10 minutes. Pour the jam into a glass jar. You can store this jam jarred in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Now it's ready to serve! Hahn recommends serving this jam on "English muffins, toast, any type of muffin, or even as an oatmeal topper. It is great also on pancakes or waffles. You can also add a small amount to plain yogurt to add a little strawberry sweetness!"
- 16 ounces. strawberries
- 1 lemon, zested
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- Pluck the stem off each strawberry and remove the tiny core with a paring knife. (Or, use a strawberry hulling tool if you have one.)
- Chop the strawberries.
- Zest the lemon and set it aside.
- Put the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium pot. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. This will take about 3 minutes.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. It will get thick and bubbly. Take a potato masher and break down the strawberries in the pot.
- Remove the jam from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a glass jar. It's now ready to serve or store in the fridge.
| Calories per Serving | 264 |
| Total Fat | 0.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 69.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 60.2 g |
| Sodium | 27.0 mg |
| Protein | 1.9 g |
