Strawberry Lemon Jam

Name: Strawberry Lemon Jam
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs strawberries ((about 4 cups mashed)); 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed); 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 1 cup honey ((or 1½ cups regular sugar)); 2 teaspoons Pomona's Pectin; 2 teaspoons calcium water ((this ingredient is included when you buy Pomonas Pectin))

This strawberry lemon jam recipe is a lemony spin on classic strawberry jam. Did you know most jam recipes have more sugar than actual fruit? Instead, I’ve made this a low sugar strawberry jam that is has way more fruit than added sweetener.

Three jars of lemon strawberry jam on a counter.

Table of Contents

We love to plant strawberries on in our garden. Over the years, I’ve learned some tips for growing organic and natural strawberries and I’m so excited we are finally getting a good harvest!

This post contains affiliate links. Here is the full disclosure.

When strawberries are in season, some of our favorite things to make are strawberry rhubarb sorbet, freeze dried strawberries, strawberry pie, and this jam!

It’s is delicious spread on sourdough english muffins or a whole wheat sourdough bread. We also love to stir this strawberry lemon jam into plain yogurt so we can customize the sweetness.

This recipe was inspired by Marisa McClellan, author of Naturally Sweet Food in Jars.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fast and Easy This recipe has added pectin making the jam super quick to gel and no chance of a runny outcome.
Safe for Canning Strawberries are a high acid food which makes them safe for water bath canning (even without the lemon!) New to canning? Check out my beginners guide to water bath canning before you get started.
Low Sugar I use Pomonas Pectin which helps the jam to gel very quickly even with a smaller amount of sugar added.

Ingredients

Strawberries: Use fresh strawberries, grown as naturally as possible.

Lemons: Since this recipe uses the lemon zest, be sure to use organic lemons.

Sugar or Honey: I usually use honey in this recipe but regular sugar works great too. Keep in mind that honey has a potent flavor that will be present in the finished jam

If substituting sugar for honey add oney and a half cups sugar instead of just one like the honey. Honey is sweeter than sugar!

Pomona’s Pectin: This is a key ingredient for this recipe to work. There are no substitutions! Unlike most pectins, Pomonas Pectin works even with low sugar amounts.

Pomona’s is different from other pectins because it is not pre-mixed with dextrose. This means that the pectin powder is more potent and it also means you cannot add the pectin powder directly to the fruit or the pectin will clump.

You can purchase bulk Pomona’s Pectin or smaller boxes of Pomona’s Pectin.

Calcium Water: Pomona’s Pectin is activated by calcium, so calcium has to be present in the mixture either naturally or added by you. Calcium is included with every purchase of Pomonas Pectin. It is made into water by adding 1/2 teaspoon of calcium to a 1/2 cup of water. The extra can be saved in the refrigerator for future jam and jelly recipes.

Strawberry Jam Step by Step Instructions

Becky loads jars into a water bath canner.

STEP 1 If canning, prepare a boiling water bath canner. Heat 4 half pint jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil.

A liquid measuring cup is filled with mashed strawberries.

STEP 2 Rinse and cut leafy tops off strawberries. Then cut into quarters, place in a bowl and mash strawberries.

Pectin is being poured into honey in a measuring cup.

STEP 3 In a separate bowl, mix 2 teaspoons Pomonas Pectin with the honey (or sugar).

Strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and calcium water in a saucepan.

STEP 4 In a large saucepan, combine mashed strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 teaspoons calcium water. Stir and heat to a full rolling boil.

Becky adds honey and pectin mixture to the strawberry mixture in the saucepan.

STEP 5 Add the pectin and honey mixture. Stir constantly to dissolve the pectin and bring to a full boil again. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Adding strawberry jam into half pint jars.

STEP 6 Ladle jam into half pint jars leaving a 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rim. Center lid on the jar. Screw on the band with until it is finger tip-tight.

Jars of jam are inside a water bath canner and immersed in water.

STEP 7 Place jars in canner and ensure the jars have at least one inch of water above the tops of the jars. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Adjusting for altitude if needed (see note below).

Three jars of jam with lids and rings are on the counter cooling after processing.

STEP 8 Remove lid, turn off heat, wait 5-10 minutes then remove jars. After 24 hours remove rings, check seals, then store in cool, dark place.

Storage & Supplies

The shelf life for cooked and water bath processed strawberry lemon jam is one year. Once opened, cooked and processed jam lasts 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Here’s where you can find my favorite canning lids and jars. Use code SEASONALHOMESTEAD20 for 20% off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is strawberry jam better with or without pectin?

Strawberry jam with pectin is fast and easy to make. Boiling is cut down to mere minutes. However some say the flavor is more mellow.

On the other hand, strawberry jam without added pectin has a stronger, richer strawberry flavor but it takes a very long time to boil and reach the gel stage since strawberries are naturally low in pectin.

Can strawberry jam be healthy?

Strawberry jam is both heated and has sugar added. I wouldn’t consider it healthy on it’s own.

However, there is a wide range of added sugar in strawberry jam. A lower sugar version that is minimally heated could be called healthy compared to others.

Tips & Tricks

Make sure your jars are prepped and ready before starting the jam. This jam sets quickly and needs to be poured in the jars right away for the best results.
You can double or triple the recipe. For most jams, you don’t usually want to double a recipe because it won’t set. However, since this recipe has pectin, the jam sets without issue even with larger batches.

If you made this Strawberry Lemon Jam or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!