Strawberry jam in a glass jar with strawberries and leaves on rustic background. Homemade strawberry jam recipe
|

Pennywise Plates Strawberry Jam Recipe

0.0 from 0 votes

Strawberry jam is a favorite in our household, but sourcing fresh strawberries can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Unfortunately, I don’t have a secret strawberry patch that magically supplies me with an endless amount of free berries. But I do have an awesome strawberry jam recipe!

[While you are here, you might want to check out some other favorite recipes: Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Rhubarb Jam, and Raspberry Jam!]

I do have a few budget-friendly tricks up my sleeve to make sure we always have enough strawberries to make our delicious jam.

One of our family traditions is visiting a local u-pick farm. I love taking the kids out for an afternoon of berry picking. It’s a fun activity that gets us outdoors, and there’s something special about eating a strawberry straight from the plant, warmed by the sun. We usually fill a few pails and come home with enough berries to last us for several weeks.

When fresh strawberries are on sale at the grocery store, I make sure to stock up. I can’t resist a good deal, especially when it comes to something as delicious as strawberries. Sometimes, I even manage to find discounted berries that are perfectly fine for jam making.

But let’s be real – most of the time, I rely on frozen strawberries. They’re incredibly convenient, and buying them in bulk is a real game changer for budget-friendly cooking.

I found a fantastic deal where I can get 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of “slightly imperfect” frozen strawberries for just $13.50 CAD. That’s enough for two batches of jam. With this I can make my jam for just under $1 per jar (not including cost of jars) – that’s pretty cost effective!

picking berries to make homemade strawberry jam, strawberry field with dish of strawberries in the foreground

My Strawberry Jam Recipe

One of the best things about making strawberry jam is how versatile it is. In our house, we love two versions: a smooth jam that’s perfect for spreading on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a slightly chunky jam that makes a great topping for ice cream or a bowl of plain yogurt.

This recipe uses 4.5 cups of prepared strawberries (2.2 lb). Measure the strawberries out by weight, not by volume, for accuracy.

Smooth Strawberry Jam

Fresh berries: Wash and clean berries, cut in halves or quarters, then place in a pot with 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for several minutes until the berries are soft, and let cool. Puree the strawberries with an immersion blender or food processor, then proceed with making the jam.

Frozen berries: let berries thaw, then puree as above. No need to cook them, they will be nice and soggy already from the freezing!

Chunky Strawberry Jam

Fresh berries: Wash and clean berries, cut in halves, then place in a pot with 1/2 cup of water. Simmer for several minutes until the berries are soft, and let cool. Mash lightly with a potato masher, and they are ready for jam making.

Frozen berries: Thaw the berries, then mash lightly with a potato masher and proceed with making your jam.

Pennywise Plates Strawberry Jam Recipe

Recipe by Jessie
0.0 from 0 votes
Cuisine: Canning and PreservesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

250 ml jars
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 4.5 c prepared strawberries

  • 7 c sugar

  • 1 pkg (57 g) powdered pectin

Directions

  • In a large pot, combine the strawberries and pectin.
  • Stirring continuously, bring to a full boil.
  • Add sugar, return to heat and bring to a full boil while stirring continuously.
  • Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
  • Remove from heat and skim off any foam that forms on top.
  • Carefully ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace.
  • Wipe the rims of the jars clean, place the lids on, and secure the bands
  • Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

With one bag of frozen strawberries, I can make about 16 jars of jam. It’s still very budget-friendly and gives us plenty of jam to last through the year.

Plus, knowing that I’ve made it myself from quality ingredients makes it taste even better. Whether we’re spreading it on toast or drizzling it over dessert, homemade strawberry jam is a treat that never gets old.

PENNYWISE PLATES

WEEKLY RECIPE ROUNDUP

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest recipes and cooking tips delivered directly to your inbox.

We respect your privacy: your email remains confidential, and we will not spam you, ever.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *