Fresh strawberry jam is easy, so very delicious, and can be made without refined sugar or packaged pectin. Best of all my recipe doesn’t require any special canning tools or skills!
I have been getting a lot of requests for the recipes I used to make strawberry jam this year. Homemade strawberry jam has been a summer tradition in our house for the last 6 or 7 years, ever since my very good friend turned me on to the wonderful world of freezer jam.
When I was a kid, my mom used to do a ton of canning in the late summer/early fall. I wanted no part of that evil–too complicated and too much equipment! Freezer jam was quick and easy and something my family LOVES (honestly, who DOESN’T like homemade jam?). However, in making the jam every year, there is a certain amount of guilt that goes into pouring cups and cups of sugar on top of these beautiful fresh berries. I thought there has to be a better way.
Fresh Strawberry Jam No Sugar No Packaged Pectin
Since we are trying to eat healthier (raw, organic, real–which is for another post), I started searching the Internet for alternative jam recipes that did not include refined sugar or packaged pectin–yep that’s right. No pectin either. The recipe also had to be easy like my old freezer jam recipe and the results had to receive the approval of the critical taste buds of my family. Sounds impossible, right? Well I am happy to report that IT IS POSSIBLE! I made three different recipes, all without refined sugar and packaged pectin, and all were a success. We had a little “tasting” party last Friday night and the kids, my husband, and father-in-law all had the opportunity to taste each one and vote for their favorite. It was a tough vote, as they all were good, so which recipe you use, might just depend on your personal preference to method or sweetener.
Fresh Strawberry Jam-No-Cook Method
Click here for a printable recipe
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- liquid sweetener to taste – honey or 100% pure maple syrup
Instructions:
- Place berries in food processor or blender and mash until desired constancy.
- Combine water, chia seeds, and sweetener in a separate bowl. Mix well.
- Add mixture to mashed berries in the food processor or blender. Blend to combine. I just pulsed it a bit in the food processor so the berries did not get over mashed. If you over process/blend your end result will be more like jelly than jam.
- Pour into clean jars. I like the glass canning jars but you can use plastic ones if you like.
- Allow jam to set in refrigerator for at least one hour before eating–that gives the chia seeds time to do their thing. You can store the jam in your fridge for up to two weeks and up to a year in the freezer.
Fresh Strawberry Jam (crock-pot method)
- 12-15 cups of strawberries-washed, tops removed and cut in half
- 1-2 cups of honey
- 1/4 cups of chia seeds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
- Place berries, honey and about a half inch of water (to prevent sticking) into crock pot. cook on HIGH for ONE hour and then LOW for 2-3 hours. When cooking on low, be sure to leave to crock pot lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape.
- Once berries are cooked, give them a taste and add additional honey if needed. Here, I took a potato masher and smashed the berries up a bit.
- Stir in lemon juice (if using) and chia seeds.
- Ladle into clean jars.
- Allow jam to set in refrigerator for at least one hour before eating–that gives the chia seeds time to do their thing. You can store the jam in your fridge for up to two weeks and up to a year in the freezer.
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I would like to try the first recipe. About how much syrup did you use?
I would like to try the first recipe. About how much syrup did you use?
Hi Julie
I'd start with a tablespoon, mix it up and taste. Add more in small increments until you reach desired sweetness. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for reading 🙂
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