Name: Strawberry Refrigerator Jam
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh strawberries (hulled and quartered); ¾ cup sugar; 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Jump to Recipe

This quick and easy homemade Strawberry Refrigerator Jam is made with just three simple ingredients, has no added pectin, and only takes 30 minutes. This recipe makes a small batch of deliciously sweet jam that you store in the refrigerator or freezer, so no canning required!

close up view from the top of a jar of strawberry refrigerator jam with strawberries in the background

Jump to:

What Pectin Is & Why You Don't Need It
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Strawberry Refrigerator Jam
Common Questions
More Strawberry Recipes to Try
📋Recipe

Strawberry season will be here soon!

Although we can buy strawberries all year long in the grocery store, I love getting super fresh strawberries from local farmers and farmers' markets. I especially love going to farms where they let you pick your own!

Fresh-picked strawberries are so good that I usually end up getting way more than I can use in the short amount of time that they will last in the refrigerator. I freeze a bunch to use in smoothies and other recipes, and then I make this jam. Some goes in the fridge, and some goes in the freezer so I can get a little taste of summer all year long!

Although I love to cook and have been cooking for a long time, I have to admit that one thing I have never done and still don't have the courage to do is canning, so I was thrilled when I found out that I could make homemade jam without canning it.

Another awesome discovery was finding out that you don't need to add any store-bought pectin when making this jam. Hey, if I can keep things as simple as possible and not add any unnecessary ingredients, I'm all for it!

mason jar full of strawberry refrigerator jam

What Pectin Is & Why You Don't Need It

Without getting into the biology and chemistry (which I totally don't understand and won't pretend to) and using words I can't (and don't want to) spell, the short and simple answer is that it's a starch that occurs naturally in fruits. When making jam, it's used as a gelling/thickening agent.

Different fruits have different levels of natural pectin in them. Strawberries have a relatively low amount of pectin. By themselves, they don't have enough to thicken the jam.

That's where lemon juice comes in. Lemons have a high amount of pectin, so the addition of lemon juice helps the jam thicken nicely and eliminates the need to add any store-bought pectin.

Sugar plays an important role too, so please don't leave it out. You can adjust it a little if your berries are really sweet, but know that if you don't have enough sugar, your jam won't gel.

When you heat the natural pectin in the strawberries and lemon juice with sugar, that's when the magic happens and you get that nice gelatinous consistency. Sugar also acts as a natural preservative.

close-up of spoonful of strawberry refrigerator jam being lifted out of the jar with strawberries in the background

Ingredients Needed

Strawberries
Sugar
Lemon juice

How to Make Strawberry Refrigerator Jam

three images showing the steps to make strawberry refrigerator jam

When cooking the jam, you really don't want to walk away from it. You need to keep an eye on the heat and stir it occasionally to make sure that it's not bubbling over or burning on the bottom of the pan. The whole process doesn't take that long, so just hang around and babysit it.

Keep in mind that the jam will thicken a little more after it has cooled and has been refrigerated for 24 to 48 hours, so it's done when it's almost as thick as you would want the finished product to be.

The foam that forms on the top of the jam while cooking is just air bubbles. Removing it helps give your jam a clear appearance rather than it looking cloudy or having streaks. It's hard to get every little bit off without removing some of the jam with it.

Personally, I am not overly picky about how my jam looks - I just want it to taste good - so I remove as much foam as I can without sacrificing any of the super yummy jam!

Common Questions

Can I use frozen strawberries? Sure. Although fresh strawberries are best, you can definitely use frozen strawberries. I would defrost them first.
Can I use bottled lemon juice? Absolutely. I use it all the time with great results.
Can I freeze it? Yes. Once it's been in the refrigerator for 24 hours, put it in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer-safe jars or containers and make sure you leave a little room at the top to allow for expansion. Jam will last in the freezer for up to a year.
Can I make a larger batch? Yes. You will just need to adjust the cooking time. It will take longer for the jam to thicken.
Can I use other fruit? Yes. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches...lots of possibilities!

strawberry refrigerator jam spread on a slice of peanut butter bread with a jar of jam in the background

One of my favorite ways to eat this jam is on a thick slice of my easy peanut butter quick bread. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but so much better!

Another way I love to use it is to make my easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish made with crescent rolls.

Of course, I also like it on an old-school PB&J sandwich or slathered on toast, biscuits, English muffins, or croissants. Sometimes I stir it into oatmeal or yogurt or put it on ice cream. Ooh, and then there's pancakes, waffles, and French toast. And cheesecake.

What will you put it on?

I hope you try this Strawberry Refrigerator Jam recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!

More Strawberry Recipes to Try

If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

📋Recipe

close up of a spoonful of strawberry jam being lifted out of the jar

Strawberry Refrigerator Jam

4.88 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate & Comment

Author: Michelle

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Servings: 20 (1 tablespoon each - recipe makes about 1¼ cups total)

Estimated Calories: 35

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Instructions

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan (I use a 3-quart saucepan). Mash the strawberries a little (I use a potato masher to do this).
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently and occasionally mashing the strawberries.
Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat to make sure the jam doesn't bubble over or start to burn on the bottom of the pan. Keep in mind that the jam will thicken a little more once cooled, so it is ready when it's almost as thick as you would want the finished product to be.
Remove the pan from the heat and skim the foam off the top. This will help keep your jam clear rather than cloudy or streaky. Take off as much as you can without removing too much of the jam.
Cool slightly and pour into jars. If you plan to freeze the jam, make sure to leave a little space at the top of the jar to allow for expansion. Allow the jam to cool at room temperature.
Once cooled, refrigerate the jam for 24 hours. The jam will thicken a little more during this time. If you are freezing the jam, put it in the freezer after it has been in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Notes

Jam should last in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a star rating and comment below. Also, share a photo on Instagram and mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes.

Recipe slightly adapted from Epicurious.