Easy Low Sugar No Pectin Strawberry Jam

Looking for an easy strawberry jam recipe with lower sugar? We’ve got good news for you! This jam is made with fresh strawberries, no added pectin, and it’s so easy and delicious to make – it’s a great way to use all those strawberries you’ve picked from strawberry season! It’s great to spread on jelly sandwiches, biscuits, pancakes, and to share with friends!

Learning to make your own fruit jams is a fun skill that is also quite delicious! There’s nothing quite as delicious as having your own jar of jam in the fridge ready to go! While most jam recipes have quite a bit of sugar and require pectin, we’ve got you covered with a very simple, low-sugar strawberry jam recipe that you will use over and over again.

This homemade strawberry jam is simple, fast, and delicious. It’s a great alternative to a high sugar jam, or a jam made with pectin. Many people prefer to make jam without pectin, because it’s a processed product, and because it’s not always available when you need it. Knowing how to make jam without pectin is a great cooking skill, as is knowing how to make your own jam. No need to run to the grocery store every time you need jam!

Also, jam has a lot of sugar, sometimes even having more sugar than fruit! For many, this is just too much sugar to justify. It can be hard to find a low-sugar jam recipe. This recipe cuts down significantly on the sugar, making it a healthier option than other recipes.

Instead of sugar and pectin to thicken it, you cook the strawberries down until they’re reduced by half. This results in a delicious, beautiful jam for sandwiches, biscuits, or amazing dessert. In fact, it’s a great jam to use in this easy strawberry jello salad with whipped cream turned into a fun dessert!

Because it has no pectin and just a few ingredients, this is a really simple recipe that’s perfect for getting started with making your own jars of jam.

Ingredients

• 8 cups ripe strawberries, with stems removed (a cup weighs about 8 ounces, for reference)
• 3 cups of sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water

What is pectin?

Pectin is a naturally occurring starch found in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables. It appears in higher quantities in some foods, like crab apples, Concord grapes, and cranberries.

Lemon juice helps to bring out natural pectin as well, so it’s often included in recipes that don’t use pectin.

People have known for a very long time how to take advantage of the natural pectin in foods for canning, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that people were able to manufacture a product for quicker and easier canning. A natural pectin source is in different plants and fruits.

Powdered pectin is a great shortcut to canning foods and making jams and jellies. Foods set faster, require less or no cooking, and retain a vibrant fresh color. However, many people like to know how to make jam without it.

Whether it’s a health concern, a desire to know traditional cooking techniques, or you just don’t want to buy pectin, this recipe will help you make amazing jam with just three readily available ingredients.

How do you make jam without pectin?

Making jam requires four things: fruit, sugar, pectin, and time. If you remove or reduce the pectin, or sugar, or both, you need to increase other elements. By increasing the time you cook the berries, you can successfully decrease the other additions and still have a great result.

Keep in mind, the jam will never be the sticky, gooey stuff like you get from a jar of Smucker’s, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! It will have a beautiful rich color, smooth texture, and great flavor.

Can you really make a low-sugar jam?

Most jams have *so much* sugar! Any traditional recipe calls for at least a cup of sugar for every cup of fruit, and many call for even more sugar than that! The amount of sugar in something that looks healthy and tastes great is shocking.

“Low sugar” jams still have plenty of sugar, both to help it set and to make it taste so great. But they have a lot less than traditional jams! So, making jam with less sugar is a great choice to make for your family.

These jams do take longer to cook and set, so they’ll have a different flavor than a quick cook or instant set jam, but it’s delicious and still completed in about 40 minutes, start to finish.

If you’re more concerned about getting the sugar content as low as possible, there are “no/low sugar” pectin options that might fit your needs a little better.

How do I know it’s ready?

Making jam starts with berries, sugar, and a little lemon juice and water. Then bring it to a rolling boil and maintain that boil for about 25-30 minutes to ensure the cooking process is complete, until it has been reduced by nearly half, and is thicker. You can test that it has set a few different ways.

You can put a spoonful of jam onto a very cold frozen plate, and turn vertically. If the jam slowly slides down the side, rather than running, the jam is set.

Also, you can just pop a spoonful onto a plate and stick it in the freezer for two minutes, until it’s room temperature.

If it’s sticky and jammy, then it’s set. But, if it runs, you need to keep cooking. The third method is putting a spoonful on a frozen spoon and seeing how it sticks.

If, after 30 minutes of cooking and reducing, your jam is still not set, you should add a half cup of sugar and cook for five more minutes.

The jam will thicken as it cools, but it will not completely transform from a runny liquid to a jammy state.

What are the keys to success with this recipe?

Low sugar no pectin jam is straightforward. But doing two things will ensure a better experience every time.

• First, mash the berries thoroughly. Don’t just chop them. In fact, after removing the stems, you don’t even need to slice them at all. Mashing them brings out the natural juices faster, and helps activate the pectin. Do this every few cups, rather than trying to do a full pot all at once.

• Second, stir regularly and watch the heat.
  • As the jam condenses, it requires less and less heat, so you want to make sure you use the correct amount of low heat.
  • Reduce the heat slowly from where you start on high, down to medium/medium-high, down to medium, and stir regularly.
  • This avoids burning the bottom, which becomes an increased risk the longer you cook it.

Supplies Needed

• Large pot
• Potato Masher
• Canning Supplies (if desired) – Mason jars, jar lifter, water bath, etc.

Instructions

1. Cut the stem off the fresh fruit, being careful not to include any green bits along with the berries.
2. Rinse the fruit very thoroughly. This will remove any bits of stem, and remove some of the small hair and fibers on the outside of the fruit.
3. As you prepare the fruit, it’s okay to use very ripe berries.
4. They will taste better and make a better jam. In fact, it’s better to have nearly over ripe fruit than just barely ripe.
5. The berries are softer, sweeter, and have more natural sugars.
6. Add the berries and mash them in batches.
7. I usually mash two or three cups at a time, just to make sure I don’t miss a berry and end up with an outsized chunk at the end.
8. Put the fresh berries in a large, tall cooking pot and add the sugar, lemon juice, and water.
9. Bring the mix to a roaring boil on high heat, stirring regularly.
10. The boil needs to be strong, one that does not diminish when you stir.
11. Maintain this level of boil for at least 20 minutes.
12. Stir regularly and watch the heat, turning it down to medium-high heat as the jam thickens to avoid burning.
13. When your jam begins to thicken and has reduced by nearly half, you can check to see if it’s done.
14. Total cooking time is over 30 minutes.
15. When you’re sure it’s set, pour it into sterilized jars, or clean plastic storage containers, and let it cool on the counter.
16. Be careful not to spill, as it is very hot and will give you a nasty burn.
17. The hot water from the pot should be handled carefully as well.

Can I preserve this jam?

Yes! This can be canned using various preserving methods.

If you are going to preserve the jam, be sure to use clean jars and follow proper canning techniques to ensure it stays safe and fresh. Work in small batches for the best success. This works as a freezer jam or using a water bath canning method.

How long will this jam last?

Jam will keep two to three weeks in the fridge, a year in the freezer in a tightly sealed container, or as long as a year on the shelf in a cool dark place. It will not last as long as other canned jams, as it has less sugar and pectin to serve as preservatives.

A recipe starting with 8 cups of berries will reduce to about 4.5 cups of jam, depending on how long it boiled and how quickly it set.

What can I do with my strawberry jam?

This makes a great neighbor gift, teacher thank you, or amazing topping on anything from sandwiches to biscuits, pancakes and waffles, to even being used as a garnish in dessert, like ice cream! There is really nothing better than using your own homemade jam for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

What jars should I use for canning?

There are a variety of different jam jars that you can use – mason jars are very popular and easy to find at the grocery store, garage sales, or thrift stores. Just make sure you thoroughly clean and sanitize them with hot soapy water. You should use containers that are marked specifically for the freezer if you are planning to use this as freezer jam.Half pint jars seem to work well for this.

Can I make this in the Instant Pot?

We haven’t tried this, but in theory, yes, you could! Let us know if you experiment with it.

Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?

No, we would not recommend doing this for the best results

What are some variations on this recipe?

Some people really like to put chia seeds in their jam, which is an option. You could add some lemon zest or lemon juice. You could also try and add in some different types of berries for a different flavor profile.

This low-sugar strawberry jam boasts simple, basic ingredients, a delicious flavor, and is a great jam to make for first-time jam makers. It makes for a great introduction to home food preservation, and we know that you will love it! This can be made as a small batch strawberry jam recipe or in larger batches!

More Recipes You May Enjoy:

• The BEST Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
• Easy Strawberry Syrup Recipe – Only 15 Minutes
• Easy Strawberry Jello Salad
• Tropical Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream
• The Best Fruit Dip with Cool Whip
• Fruit Salad Dressing
• How to Make the Perfect Fruit Salad (And What Fruits to Choose)
• Easy Grilled Watermelon – AKA Watermelon Steak

.