Strawberry Jam

Jars full of strawberry jam in kitchens is a sure sign that spring has arrived. Because when the berries are plentiful, the stove is hot and bubbling with wonderful, flavorful jams for eating, gifting, and enjoying.

Our recipe for strawberry jam comes to us from business owner Cheryl Day. As COVID-19 swept the country, she was forced to temporarily shut the doors of her nationally praised and locally beloved Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. Undeterred, she turned the space into a part-time cannery, offering the world a small slice of Savannah by selling her homemade jams online.

"I have always been inspired by what my grandmother called 'the craft of putting up,' saving and preserving the bounty of the season," says Day. Making jam was a hobby and a topic she wrote about in her cookbooks before it became her pandemic pivot. Day encourages everyone to try making their own jams, and kindly shared her recipes with us. Her advice? Lean into the craft, take your time, and—above all—have fun. 

Learn how to make homemade jam, and impress yourself and your family with this special strawberry spread.

What Makes This Jam So Good?

Day's recipe is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and isn’t overly sweet thanks to tartness of fresh lemon juice folded in. Compared to store-bought strawberry jam, the fruit retains more of its original flavor and texture with her recipe. This jam is definitely on the looser side (as she doesn’t include additional pectin), but is beautifully syrupy with crushed bits of strawberry.

Ingredients for Strawberry Jam 

All you need to make this jam are three simple ingredients:

• Strawberries: Try to find the fresh, ripe ones you can for the best strawberry flavor. If you prefer blueberry, Day offers a variation, as well as renditions made with botanicals. (More on those below.)
• A lemon: The citrus fruit elevates the flavor of the berries. You'll use the juice, zest, and whole lemon.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and thickens up the jam.

Equipment For Strawberry Jam 

You won’t need much specialized equipment to pull off this recipe, but there are a few simple items to have ready before you embark on the jam-making process:

• Cheesecloth bag: You’ll enclose the lemon halves in this bag, which both makes it easier to fish them out after cooking, but also prevents the lemon seeds from getting lost in the mix.
• Heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot: You’ll need a substantial pot that is nonreactive (i.e. stainless steel, glass, or enamel-clad cookware) because acidic ingredients can react with other materials (especially aluminum) and leech a metallic flavor into your jam.
• Plate and metal spoon (in the freezer): An easy way to check if your jam has cooked long enough is to dollop a small bit of it onto an ice cold plate and drag a finger or spoon through it. If it leaves a clear trail, you’re ready to go. If it’s runny, you need to keep cooking. So, don’t forget to plop a plate and spoon in the freezer before you get started on your jam. 

How To Make Strawberry Jam

Making homemade strawberry jam requires some time and patience but not a lot of complicated steps. Here's a brief outline of the process; the full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Prepare your equipment: First, you need to place a large plate and a metal spoon in the freezer.
• Step 2. Prepare the lemon: Then, zest and juice your lemon, before placing the squeezed halves into a cheesecloth bag. 
• Step 3. Bring ingredients to a boil: You’ll then place the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and juice, as well as the bag into the pot, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and gently boil the jam, stirring often and scraping the bottom of pot to prevent sticking, until it thickens to a syrupy consistency. You’ll want to skim any foam from the surface of the jam as it cooks. 
• Step 4. Test jam: Remove the jam from heat. Grab the plate and spoon you stashed in the freezer. Using the spoon, scoop a small amount of jam onto the plate. Return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute, then pull a finger (or spoon) through the jam and across the plate. It should leave a clean trail. If it’s runny, return the jam to a boil and put the plate and spoon back in the freezer. Boil, stirring often, for 3 more minutes. Retest the jam using the cold spoon and plate. Keep repeating the process until the jam reaches the desired thickness.
• Step 5. Add jams to jars: Lastly, remove the cheesecloth bag. Using tongs, carefully squeeze the lemon halves to release any juices into the jam. If desired, mash strawberries with a potato masher until the jam reaches preferred consistency. Carefully pour the jam into jars, and cool to room temperature. Seal the jars, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ways To Use Strawberry Jam

Naturally, strawberry jam is great on baked goods (like biscuits, scones, and breads), but Day loves using her jams in savory dishes, too, pairing the strawberry flavor with chicken or pork. Her favorite combo however, is the Blueberry Rose flavor on a sausage biscuit.

You can also use Day’s four jam flavors in these Southern Living recipes: 

• The Jam Cake: Traditionally made with blackberry jam, you can use Day’s strawberry or blueberry varieties instead for a fun twist on this classic cake.  
• Tennessee Jam Bundt: Try one of Day’s botanically-infused variations in this fruity Bundt cake. 
• Apricot Thumbprints: Make an array of colorful thumbprint cookies by swapping some of the apricot jam for any of Day’s jams.
• Easter Hand Pies: You don't have to use Easter shapes; any shapes will do.

How To Store Strawberry Jam

Spoon the jam into clean jars, and you can store them in the refrigerator for 10 days to 2 weeks. If you gift any of your jam jars to a friend or loved one, just make sure they know it should be used quickly. You can also freeze your quick strawberry jam up to 3 months, but use it within 10 days after thawing.

If you want to can the jam jars, they will last longer and can be stored at a cool room temperature. Most jams will last up to one year if properly canned and stored.

How long can you store homemade strawberry jam?

Uncanned, strawberry jam will last up to two weeks in the fridge. For longer storage, we suggest canning your jam using a water-canning method. 

Varitions for Strawberry Jam

These variations are a great way to have some fun with flavors and fruit:

• Strawberry-Chamomile Jam: Prepare the recipe as directed, adding 1 Tbsp. edible dried chamomile flowers to the ingredients in the nonreactive pot in Step 2.
• Blueberry Jam: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 3 lb. fresh blueberries for strawberries in Step 2.
• Blueberry-Rose Jam: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 3 lb. fresh blueberries for strawberries and adding 1 tsp. rose water to the ingredients in the nonreactive pot in Step 2.