The Best Homemade Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

This strawberry jam is the best! Sweet and smooth, this homemade low sugar strawberry jam recipe is made with whole strawberries, lemon juice, and pectin for a yummy jam you can add to toast, biscuits, cookies, cake, and much more. If you are looking for a low sugar jam, this recipe is it!

this Recipe

It’s not summer until we’ve been strawberry picking.

The official start of summer in my mind; ditching the cooler days of Spring for shorts, sun, and all-you-can-eat strawberry fields. 

What to do with all of these berries? Fresh strawberries naturally lead to my vegan strawberry shortcake, strawberry lemonade scones and strawberry basil margaritas. The possibilities are endless. I think I ate 5 cups of fresh sliced strawberries the moment we got home. Still warm from the sun, these are the berries I wait all year for.

This strawberry jam recipe feels like the gift that keeps on giving. We made two batches of this low-sugar jam recipe, allowing me to stockpile jars of homemade jam for effortless gift-giving and thank you’s.

Neighbors who took our trashcans in while we were gone? A jar of jam for you. A friend who picked up my kids while I was running late from a meeting? Two jars of jam! Strawberry jam is really good currency.

Since having kids, I’ve become more conscious on how much sugar and salt we’re consuming. Therefore, it was a no-brainer that this jam would be lower in sugar than traditional recipes.

Spoiler alert- you cannot tell. It’s not as cloyingly sweet as some jams can be, but who wants that anyway? This strawberry jam tastes like summer! I swear I can still taste the sun-kissed strawberries straight from the garden in every bite.

Ingredients for Homemade Strawberry Jam

To make this easy strawberry jam recipe, you’ll need the following:

• Strawberries: I crushed up whole strawberries for this jam so it would be smooth and easily spreadable. You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries that have been thawed, but fresh is recommended.
• Pectin: To keep this recipe low in sugar, be sure use to find pectin specifically for low-sugar canning. It can be harder to find at some grocery stores, but you can purchase online.  
• Sugar: White granulated sugar is needed for this recipe for best success. If you use alternative sweeteners, the final jam may not thicken the same. 

This recipe works with other fruits as well. Use the same measurements with other berries to make raspberry preserves, blueberry jam, peach jam, and more.

How to Make Strawberry Jam

How to Can Homemade Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

You’ll need to sterilize the jars first. Some suggest that it’s enough to wash jars in soapy water, but the safest way is to sterilize your jars first and not just wash them. This is true even for jars that you just purchased, as they are not sterilized, and debris from the packaging, along with dust, can be in the jars.

To sterilize your jars for canning, boil clean mason jars in a water bath for ten minutes, then remove them. Some dishwashers have a sterilizing option that you can use. Not only does this help sanitize the jars, but it also warms the jars before you put the hot jam in. For water bath canning, like in this strawberry jam recipe, placing the warm jam directly into hot jars is recommended.

Once your homemade jam is ready to be canned, ladle the hot jam into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace at the top of the jar. Wipe the rim of the jar with a clean towel and then screw the sanitized lid on top. Place the sealed jars into a boiling water bath canner and boil, fully submerged, for 10 minutes.

Remove and let the cans cool completely.

Should I use pectin in my homemade strawberry jam?

If you want your homemade strawberry jam to be thick, then you will want to use pectin! Without pectin, your strawberry jam will be cooking for a very long time until it sets. 

Make sure to grab the pectin specifically for low-sugar canning for this strawberry jam recipe; regular pectin will not work. If you don’t want to use pectin, then you’ll need to choose other thickeners, like chia seeds. My recipe for chia seed jam is here.

Can I make jelly instead of strawberry preserves?

Yes, if you want to make jelly instead of strawberry jam, then you’ll want to blend the strawberries in a blender first and then strain the juice, discarding any seeds and pulp.

Your jam can be as chunky as you’d like, depending on how much you crush your berries first.

If you’ve never canned before, let me assure you how simple it is to do. Years ago, when we lived in our first apartment in Sacramento, I thought I was going to be one of those people who canned everything. We were living in the middle of the salad bowl, with fresh-grown produce of every variety on literally every corner. Why not learn to can?

That lasted all of two months, but long enough for me to buy a few tools. A giant stock pan for holding a dozen mason jars, a funnel for easy filling, and a magnet for placing the lid on top. Though, you really don’t need any of this. A funnel will make things easier, but you can do without it. You will need a large enough pan to place the jars in, mason jars, and that’s it!

Now, living in St. Louis, I can regularly. Making my homemade salsa for canning and homemade tomato sauce a few times each summer.

You can find low-sugar pectin in most grocery stores or online. The regular pectin won’t work, so make sure you find the low-sugar one.

Tips for Success

This low-sugar strawberry jam will thicken considerably as it cools. Don’t try to add more pectin if your jam is thin. If, for any reason, your jam is still very thin after canning, processing, and cooling for 24 hours, then you can reprocess it.

This jam is low-sugar, but it’s not a sugar-free jam. I don’t recommend adding less sugar than the recommended cup, as the amount is helpful to thicken the jam.

You need to use the low sugar pectin, not regular pectin, for this low-sugar strawberry jam. The regular pectin will not work as it won’t thicken the same way.

Ways to Enjoy this Jam

Enjoy this strawberry jam recipe on strawberry scones, shortcake or on ice cream! A spoonful of jam on ice cream or yogurt is delicious!

We also love it on homemade waffles or in a classic PB&J sandwich.

If You Like This Strawberry Jam, Then You Will Love These Strawberry Recipes:

• Healthy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
• PB and J Overnight Oats
• Vegan Strawberry Pudding
• Strawberry Yogurt Bowl
• Kale and Strawberry Salad

More Canning Recipes:

• Best Homemade Salsa for Canning
• How to Can Tomatoes
• Homemade Spaghetti Sauce for Canning
• Low Sugar Blackberry Jam

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Homemade Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: ~8 half-pint jars
• Category: breakfast, jam, sauce
• Method: canning
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Description

This healthy strawberry jam is the best! Perfect and subtly sweet, this freezer-friendly recipe is so easy to make and tastes delicious with almost anything! You will love this strawberry jam made with lemon juice, pectin, and just a little bit of sugar!

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Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: ~8 half-pint jars
• Category: breakfast, jam, sauce
• Method: canning
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

• Author: Alexandra Caspero
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: ~8 half-pint jars
• Category: breakfast, jam, sauce
• Method: canning
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 8 cups crushed strawberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons Ball Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 half-pint mason jars

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Instructions

1. If you are canning your jam, then sanitize and prepare the jars. Boil them in a water bath for ten minutes, then remove. Not only does this help sanitize the jars, it also warms the jars before you put the hot jam in.
2. Wash strawberries and remove the stems and hulls. Crush the strawberries either by using a food mill or hand potato-masher. If you want jelly, then blend the strawberries in a blender and strain the juice, discarding any seeds and pulp.
3. Place strawberries, water, and lemon juice in a large stock pot. Stir in pectin and heat the mixture over high heat until it comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Keep stirring the mixture to prevent the bottom from burning.
4. Add in the sugar and return to a rolling boil. Continue boiling for a minute, while stirring then remove from heat.
5. If you don’t plan on canning the jam then let cool for a few minutes before pouring into containers. Cool completely, then place in the fridge to harden. You can store jam that hasn’t been canned for ~5-6 days.
6. If you are canning the jam, place a funnel in jar, then ladle the hot jam into the warm jars, leaving a 1/4″ head space. If any jam got onto the lid space, clean off then top with lids and rings.
7. Place sealed jars into a boiling water bath and boil, fully submerged, for 10 minutes. Carefully remove jars (I use tongs or my special canning tongs) and place on a cooling rack to cool. Once cooled, the lids should seal. You can check this by pressing down on the center of the lid- if it is able to be pushed down, then it hasn’t sealed correctly. The one’s that haven’t sealed (if you have any) can either be reprocessed in a water bath or just placed in the fridge to eat immediately.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
• Calories: 18
• Sugar: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 4.5 g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

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