Homemade strawberry jam, sweetened with honey, is one of our favorite ways to enjoy those sweet summer strawberries all year long. It’s the ultimate way to top freshly baked bread or biscuits.
Strawberry jam perfectly encompasses the flavors of summer that we all love so much. It is without a doubt the best way to use all of those fresh you-pick and farmers market strawberries that are abundant in the warm and sunny months. Plus, this recipe is made with honey which makes it a great option if you want to limit the amount of sugar you use in your kitchen, or even just prefer recipes with less sugar!
Fresh strawberry jam is so versatile, and the ways that you can enjoy it are endless. If you need a good reason to whip this recipe up, you can use a little jam to top freshly baked sourdough bread or fluffy sourdough biscuits. Slather it over hot sourdough buttermilk pancakes or to fill delicious tender sourdough crepes. Take this jam to the next level by using it to fill hand pies, homemade pop tarts, or strawberry yogurt popsicles for a special treat that your family is sure to love!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Make strawberry season last – This recipe leaves you with a thick jam that will last a long time past strawberry season, preserving fresh strawberry flavor to use even in the coldest months.
Flavorful – The combination of ripe berries and fresh lemon juice in this perfect strawberry jam, has just the right balance of fruit with the added sweetness from the honey. Once you have a taste of homemade jam, you’ll never want to reach for a store bought jar of jam ever again.
Simple preserving – If you are newer to home food preservation, this is a great recipe to start with. Water bath canning is simple and non intimidating. You don’t have to be a master food preserver to stock some mason jars full of fresh jam in your home!
Ingredients
Strawberries – We love to do pick your own strawberries when they are available in our area, but this jam is great for farmers market berries or even fresh strawberries from the grocery store. If you are on the hunt for more recipes to make with an abundance of strawberries, try making sourdough strawberry cream cheese cobbler, strawberry stuffed French toast, strawberry cheesecake ice cream, or sourdough strawberry shortcake.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
- Jars, lids, and rings
- Large pot – for water bath canning you just need a large pot with a lid
- Canning rack
- Jar lifter
- Funnel – (optional) can make it easier and less messy
How to Make Strawberry Jam
Step 1: Rinse strawberries and trim off greens.
Step 2: Blend in a blender until smooth.
Step 3: Pour into a large saucepan or pot, add honey, pectin, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer. Stir constantly with the lid off, until thickened. About 30 minutes.
Step 4: While this is cooking, make sure your jars are clean and sterilized. Place clean jars into a large deep pot and fill with cool water until the water is covering the jars about 3 inches. Cover the pot and place over medium heat until the water is simmering. Make sure not to bring to a full boil. Wash lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse with hot water and dry.
Step 5: Carefully take out the jars of simmering water, pour the water out of the jars and back into the pot. Place jars on the counter.
Step 6: Ladle the strawberry jam into the clean, sterilized jars leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.
Step 7: Slide a rubber spatula down the inside of the jars a few times to make sure to remove any air bubbles.
Step 8: Wipe jar rim and threads down with a damp clean cloth. Add lids and rings, then add the jars to the pot.
Step 9: Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes over high heat (it should be a rolling bowl before starting the timer).
Step 10: Remove the canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars of hot jam from the canner. Place on the counter to let the jam cool for 24 hours without disturbing them. Check that the jars are sealed by pressing on the middles on the top of the jar.
Tips
- Cleanliness is very important. Make sure your jars are sterilized and cleaned, and lids and rings are washed with hot soapy water.
- For water bath canning, you just need a large pot with a lid. Nothing special.
- When making strawberry jam, I find it easiest to just puree the strawberries in the blender. You could also use a potato masher and try to get it as smooth as possible.
- Since strawberries are a low acid fruit, you will need to add lemon juice to the mixture.
- With canning anything, you will want to make sure there is at least 1/4 inch head space (space between the jam and the top of each jar).
Recipe FAQs
This strawberry jam is made with four simple ingredients: strawberries, honey, pectin, and lemon juice. The natural flavors of the strawberries really shine in this recipe!
Pectin is a thickener that reacts with the sugars and acid in recipes to thicken, help reduce the cooking time, and preserve a fresher flavor. Since strawberries are naturally low in fruit pectin, adding pectin during cooking ensures the jam thickens and gels. While strawberry jam can be made without pectin, it will leave you with a different texture and flavor than if pectin is added.
Pectin is a thickener that reacts with the sugars and acid in recipes to thicken, help reduce the cooking time, and preserve a fresher flavor. Since strawberries are naturally low in fruit pectin, adding pectin during cooking ensures the jam thickens and gels. While strawberry jam can be made without pectin, it will leave you with a different texture and flavor than if pectin is added.
Not only does it add a bright flavor, but it also adds crucial acidity needed in recipes made with fruit that is low in acid. To make homemade jam safe for water bath canning, an acid – in this case, lemon juice – must be added.
More Delicious Ways To Preserve The Harvest
- How To Make Fermented Fruit
- How To Make Fermented Carrots
- How to Make Raw Milk Butter in a Blender
- Lacto Fermented Salsa Recipe
- Homemade Fermented Pickles
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Homemade Strawberry Jam Sweetened with Honey
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon pureed strawberries
- 2 cups honey
- 1/3 cup pectin
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Rinse strawberries and trim off greens.
- Blend in a blender until smooth.
- Pour into a large saucepan or pot, add honey, pectin, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer. Stir constantly with the lid off, until thickened. About 30 minutes.
- While this is cooking, make sure your jars are clean and sterilized.
- Place clean jars into a large deep pot and fill with cool water until the water is covering the jars about 3 inches.
- Cover the pot and place over medium heat until the water is simmering. Make sure not to boil.
- Wash lids and bands in hot soapy water. Rinse with hot water and dry.
- Carefully take out the jars of simmering water, pour the water out of the jars and back into the pot. Place jars on the counter.
- Ladle the strawberry jam into the clean, sterilized jars leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.
- Slide a rubber spatula down the inside of the jars a few times to make sure to remove any air bubbles.
- Wipe jar rim and threads down with a damp clean cloth.
- Add lids and rings and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes over high heat (it should be a rolling bowl before starting the timer).
- Remove the canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars from the canner.
- Place on the counter to cool for 24 hours without disturbing them.
- Check that the jars are sealed by pressing on the middles.
Notes
- Cleanliness is very important. Make sure your jars are sterilized and cleaned, and lids and rings are washed with hot soapy water.
- For water bath canning, you just need a large pot with a lid. Nothing special.
- When making strawberry jam, I find it easiest to just puree the strawberries in the blender. You could also use a potato masher and try to get it as smooth as possible.
- Since strawberries are a low acid fruit, you will need to add lemon juice to the mixture.
- With canning anything, you will want to make sure there is at least 1/4 inch head space (space between the jam and the top of each jar).
- There should be at least 1 inch of water above the jars during processing.
- Higher altitudes will have to adjust and add processing time.
- You can tell if the jars have sealed if they don’t give or pop at all. Store all unsealed jars in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I am enjoying your website – I just found you today! I have two questions about the Honey sweetened Strawberry jam. How many cups of smashed berries are in a half gallon? And, secondly, Do you use a special pectin that works with no sugar? I’ve heard there are differences in pectin – just wondering if you can help me acquire the correct pectin to make this recipe.
Thanks so much!
Christy in AL
Yes! I use a low sugar pectin.
I made this jam today using frozen strawberries from last season
4 full qts of berries = 8 cups blended in food processor = 1/2 gallon stated in recipe
Ball “Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin” comes in a 5.4 oz container. Sold with regular pectin and other canning supplies.
Was just wondering if Sure Jell would work.
It should.
I’ve been looking high and low for a recipe using honey instead of sugar. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try this recipe and can that yummy fruit.
Hope you enjoy it!
I’m wondering if you could use less honey in this? Like maybe half it? Or would it affect the setting part of it or just the sweetness? I’ve always bought jam in the past (the smuckers fruit and honey or simply fruit) but looking for something I can just make and can myself with berries I get.
I haven’t personally tried this, but I do believe it would work.
Did you use normal pectin or pectin for low sugar? Thanks for the recipe?
Tastes great! I used fresh strawberries that I had frozen, and after they thawed there was a lot of juice. I wish I had strained some of it, because my jam is kind of runny. Still delicious, though.
This made 9- 6oz. Jelly jars for me. It wasn’t getting thick after an hour simmering so I canned it. I hope it works! I hope my senior brain didn’t miscalculate something!
Have you tried using green apple for a natural pectin instead of store bought? Wondering if that works without sugar being used
You don’t have to use pectin at all. 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and make sure your name gets to 220 degrees before turning off the burner and it’s perfectly thick! Been doing this for 8 years or so! I haven’t tried the honey but I might try it one day lol.
Can these just be stored in the freezer instead of canned?
That should work just fine. Let it cool and leave enough head room to accommodate expansion to prevent the jars from breaking (if using glass).
In the video you turned the jam jars upside down, I think instead of water bath canning? Can you explain about that? Thanks!
This recipe works great! This was my first attempt at making jam and using pectin. I halved the recipe and ended up with about 4 cups of jam, perfectly set. I’ve always been a bit nervous to make jam for some reason, but it turned out to be super easy. Thanks for the recipe!