Small batch strawberry jam: just TWO ingredients!
You will love this Easy Strawberry Jam
Have you ever taken your toddler strawberry picking? I’m considering taking Camille, who is 2, but I have some questions. Do they teach the kids about bees and how not to piss them off and elicit a sting? And do they go over exactly why you shouldn’t eat unwashed berries covered in dirt in the field?
Help this first time Mama out, and she’ll reward you with a small batch strawberry jam recipe. :)
I’m one of those crazy Mams that doesn’t buy sweetened yogurt for my kid (grass-fed full-fat plain, please!), and so I made some jam to stir into her yogurt for a flavor boost.
I can’t get over how much FRESHER this strawberry jam tastes than store-bought. It has a bright, acidic FRESH strawberry flavor that tastes like real berries…with a little extra sweetness. And I have to say…the red in these photos hasn’t been enhanced. It’s just bright red because it’s so fresh!
This small batch strawberry jam is great on ice cream, stirred into yogurt, and even right off the spoon. I also have plans to use it for a dessert for two, so stay tuned for that!
I used 2 pounds of strawberries to make just 1 pint of jam. Scale it up as you need to, but if my recipe for a small batch of apple butter is any indication, you guys love making small batches of jam.
All you need is a surplus of fresh strawberries and a little sugar. And some time. You definitely need time.
I’m not going to give you hard and fast rules for making this jam. I want you to cook it, while stirring every 2-3 minutes until it starts to feel like it’s sticking to the pan. It will thicken and threaten to stick to the bottom. Take it 1 minute further while constantly stirring. It will set into jam as it cools, I promise. No pectin needed. Though, if you have some leftover from my strawberry pate de fruit, I’m sorry about that. That reminds me, I need to make those again.
Off to the kitchen!
Oh, and these are the exact jam jars I used in the photos. They’re half pint mason jars that hold 8 ounces.
Homemade Strawberry Jam ingredients
- Strawberries. Two pounds of fresh strawberries, washed and hulled. The size of the berries does not matter, but taste them to make sure they’re fresh, bright and flavorful. Turning fresh fruit into jam is just going to condense the flavors, so make sure the fruit is good.
- Sugar. Regular granulated sugar. No, this recipe doesn’t contain any pectin. Strawberries have enough natural pectin in them, so this jam will set without pectin.
How to make Strawberry Jam
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the berries and sugar.
- Mash the berries with a potato masher to get some of the juice going, and then bring to a simmer.
- Cook the jam until it thickens and starts to cling to the bottom of the pan. Stir it every 2-3 minutes, and keep an eye on it, about 10 minutes total.
- Once it starts to look like it’s going to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir it constantly for 1 minute to thicken further.
- Pour into a pint jar (or two half-pint jars). Let cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge. Use within 2 months.
How to Use/What to Make with Strawberry Jam
You can use jam any way that you prefer, but here are my favorite desserts with strawberry jam:
How to store Small Batch Strawberry Jam
This recipe is not made with pectin, nor is it pressure cooked for canning. This means that it must stay in the fridge at all times, and it must be used up within 2 months. For longer storage, follow a different recipe with a canning method.
Strawberry Jam Recipe FAQs
This is true for all flavors: jelly is made with juice while jam is made with whole fruit. Both are cooked down and condensed until thick.
My personal opinion is that this version of fresh strawberry jam without pectin has the brightest, most authentic strawberry flavor. Because it’s stored in the fridge, the cold temperature keeps it fresh, too.
Yes, absolutely you can over boil jam. If the jam becomes overly thick, dense and hard in the pan, it is ruined. There is no saving it. Again, this recipe isn’t for a canned version, so just pull it from the stove when thickened and let it thicken completely in the fridge. A canning recipe will have methods for testing to see if it’s thick enough, but that is not what this recipe is here.
Yield: 1 pint or 2 half-pint jars of jam
Easy Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Small batch strawberry jam made with just two ingredients.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries (washed, hulled and chopped)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the berries and sugar.
- Mash the berries with a potato masher to get some of the juice going, and then bring to a simmer.
- Cook the jam until it thickens and starts to cling to the bottom of the pan. Stir it ever 2-3 minutes, and keep an eye on it, about 10 minutes.
- Once it threatens to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir it constantly for 1 minute to thicken further.
- Pour into a pint jar (or two half-pint jars). Let cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge. Use within 2 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 85Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 1g
