Summer

Homemade Strawberry Jam (no pectin)

jam

“She wanted only her own strawberry farm, the fragrance of the fields and the cedar trees, and to live simply in this place forever.”  – David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

There’s something about standing in the middle of a field of strawberries.  There, the air is different; heavy with a sweet sugary perfume that can only come from berries warmed long by the sun.  It’s a simple pleasure to fill a basket with berries picked fresh off the vine.

It’s equally as satisfying to take those sweet berries home and make homemade jam.

There’s no pectin added — the generations-old recipe I use doesn’t include it, and in my experience, it doesn’t need it.  Pectin is merely a thickening agent, it’s used to give that jelly-like texture and consistency.  However, by simply boiling down the crushed berries with sugar, this jam thickens-up beautifully and sets well overnight.

Disclosure:  As a way of supporting Chasing the Seasons, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement, recommendation, and/or link to any product(s).  That support allows me to continue to share my recipes with you.  I only recommend products that I love and use personally or are similar to the products I use, all at no additional cost to you.   I sincerely appreciate all the love that has been given to this little blog of mine.  Thank you.

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jam

Homemade Strawberry Jam (no pectin)

Fresh strawberries, sugar and a squeeze of bright lemon is all that's needed for this thick, sweet, Homemade Strawberry Jam (no pectin).
Course: condiment
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: Jam, Strawberry
Author: Chasing the Seasons

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lb fresh strawberries, washed, hulled & halved
  • 3 ½ cups sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

Instructions

  • Add a small glass plate to the freezer – you’ll need this a little later to check if the jam is done, and the plate will need to be ice cold.
  • Add the strawberries to a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot.  Mash them to desired consistency (I use a metal potato masher for ease) noting that the strawberries will break down more as they cook.
  • Over low-medium heat, add lemon juice and sugar and stir until the sugar completely dissolves – you’ll know when it's properly dissolved when there are no more grainy bits on the bottom of the pan, don’t forget to stir from the sides of the pot, too.
  • Turn up the heat and bring the contents to a full boil.  Boil until the mixture thickens and reduces, about 20-30 minutes; gently skimming any white foam that accumulates on the top.
  • Note that the jam will still be quite loose when it’s hot and will thicken-up significantly as it cools.  To test if the jam is ready – add a thin layer of jam (a scant spoonful) to the frozen plate.  Return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute, then run your finger through the jam.  If the line you’ve created with your finger remains there and the jam doesn’t come back together, it's set.  If the jam is not set, continue to boil for another 10 minutes and test again.

Notes

Over-cooking the jam will result in an overly-thickened jam when it cools.  Be mindful to check to see if the jam is done at the 20 minute mark and go from there.
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© chasingtheseasons.  All images & content are copyright protected.  Please do not use my photography without prior written permission.  If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or kindly link back to this post for the recipe.

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