Name: Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 lbs); 1/4 cup lemon juice; 6 tablespoons Pectin; 6 cups granulated sugar

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This homemade Strawberry Jam recipe for water bath canning is a true classic and makes about 8 half-pint jars of Strawberry Jam.

Nothing quite says summertime like fresh fruit. And fresh fruit means it’s time to do some home canning so my family can enjoy the taste of fresh fruit all year long.

I love strawberries and I think every one of our seven children do too. And our grandchildren! You could say we are a strawberry lovin’ family! In fact, our son and daughter-in-law take our granddaughters strawberry picking every summer.

The really great part about them picking strawberries, is there’s always plenty to share!

There are many ways to enjoy strawberries and one of my favorite is to simply make some jam. When I make homemade jam, preserves or jelly, like my Jalapeno Pineapple Jelly or Pear Jam, I always make enough to share with our kids, family and friends. And I make sure to make enough to give as gifts at Christmas, too.

Strawberry Jam Recipe

This Strawberry Jam recipe is a simple and classic recipe that was handed down to me by my husband’s grandfather. It uses only five ingredients: strawberries, lemon juice, pectin and granulated sugar. It really doesn’t get much simpler!

This recipe includes instructions for water bath canning. So, you’ll need about 8 (8 oz) half-pint jars or 16 (4 oz) jelly jars, plus a canner and a jar lifter comes in really handy!

Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe

Yield: 8 (8 oz) Jars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 12 hours 20 minutes

Nothing quite says summertime like fresh strawberries. And there's no better way to preserve the fresh fruits of summer than by making homemade Strawberry Jam. Be sure to make plenty to share with family and friends!

Ingredients

5 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 lbs)
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons Pectin
6 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.

In a 6 or 8-quart saucepan, combine strawberries and lemon juice. Gradually stir in the pectin. Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Be sure to stir constantly.

Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam from the top of the mixture, if necessary.

Carefully ladle the hot jam into a hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim and center lid on jar, then apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes in the canner. Remove jars and cool on a towel covered counter 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.

Notes

Processing time begins once the water in the water bath canner begins to boil.

Strawberry Jam Variations

If you want to kick your Strawberry Jam up a notch, then simply try one of these variations:

Lemon

Add the grated zest of 1 large lemon to the crushed strawberries.

Balsamic

Reduce the lemon juice to 1 tablespoon and add 3 tablesoons good-quality balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar not only accents the strawberry flavor, but gives the jam a robust taste.

Vanilla

Add half a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, to the crushed strawberries. Cook as directed and remove vanilla bean before ladling jam into jars. The resulting jam will be enhanced with subtle yet distinct vanilla overtones.

More Recipe Ideas

If you liked this homemade Strawberry Jam recipe, or maybe you enjoy home canning or just enjoy making homemade jam, jelly or preserves, you might also like these recipes from The Birch Cottage blog:

And, don’t forget about my favorite Vanilla Infused Honey and Homemade Vanilla Extract. All these recipes are easy to make and they make for beautiful, thoughtful and tasty homemade gifts, too!

Here are a few other versions that might interest you, too:

Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Strawberry Jam Without Pectin
Classic Strawberry Banana Smoothie (I know it’s not “jam”, but it is sooo good!)

Til next time…

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to save it to your favorite Pinterest board where you can easily find it and share it with family and friends!

Strawberry Jam Recipe for Water Bath Canning