Name: Strawberry Jam for Canning
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 24 cups fresh, halved strawberries; 22.5 cups (10 pounds) sugar; 1/2 cup lemon juice

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Looking for a recipe for strawberry jam for canning? This large batch, no pectin strawberry jam recipe is just what you’re looking for! Preserve that strawberry harvest and give yourself something to look forward to in those cold winter months.

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There’s something to be said about turning the sweetness of summer into something to enjoy in winter. Being able to preserve the memories of the hot summer days spent outside picking these berries is a welcome gift in the bitter, dark, and long days of the cold winter long months. But the best parts about berry picking are not the beautiful and delightful jams and jellies that come from it. They’re good…but there’s more to berry picking than that.

In the spring, we felt the anticipation of eating the first food from the land once again. We were excited to get outside, to pick something for ourselves, and to taste that sweetness. That eagerness, that excitement is something that only comes after a long winter without being able to do so. That gratitude for the gift of something so sweet to eat is only possible because we couldn’t have it in the winter. And so, we learn to appreciate these gifts. We are forced to remember that everything has its season and time.

When the strawberries finally were ready to be picked, we made the berry picking day a special one. We woke up early, got dressed, and drove to the local berry farm. The kids, not sure what to expect, had a twinkle in their eyes as we pulled up and walked over, feeling the excitement of the day. They giggled and laughed as we filled up our pails, helping me to find the best berries for our harvest. I crawled around in the dirt, feeling the coolness of it on my hands as I dug around for strawberries. It was a bright sunshine filled day, the kind of spring day you appreciate because it’s still so new. There were lots of smiles, red smeared faces, and so much more than berry picking that happened on that day.

Preserving Strawberries into Strawberry Jam for Canning
- How to Find the Gelling Point
  - How to Do the Spoon Test for Jellies and Jams
Ingredients for Strawberry Jam for Canning
Equipment You’ll Need to Make Strawberry Jam for Canning
Steps to Making Strawberry Jam for Canning
More Posts to Check Out
More Jams and Jellies
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Preserving Strawberries into Strawberry Jam for Canning

Preserving the strawberries is the next job after picking! Fresh strawberries have a relatively short shelf life, but they can last longer in the refrigerator if they are stored in a closed mason jar.

We preserve our strawberries by freezing them and by making strawberry jam for canning. This jam is great on a fresh piece of sourdough toast, sourdough pancakes or waffles, or even a bowl of ice cream. The strawberry jam uses traditional methods for thickening, which means bringing the jam to the gelling point at 221 degrees. It goes faster to use pectin, but if you’re like us and never have it on hand, then using traditional methods like this one works really nicely.

How to Find the Gelling Point

The temperature for the gelling point is 220 degrees (at sea level). I cook my strawberry jam for canning to just one degree higher to ensure gelling at 221 degrees Fahrenheit. To test the temperature, you can use a meat thermometer (because it’s all I have, but a candy thermometer would probably be better) to help me know exactly when it has finally reached the long awaited 220 degrees. When choosing a thermometer to use, I strongly suggest using a digital one, as these seem to be the most accurate.

As I mentioned before, the gelling point is 220 degrees, so cooking the jelly to this point *should* mean that the jelly will set. However, I want to make sure that my jelly is going to set, so I always use a back-up method. One of the back-up methods I use is the spoon test.

How to Do the Spoon Test for Jellies and Jams

To do the spoon test to test jellies and jams for readiness, place a metal spoon into the hot jelly. Put the spoon into a bowl, then place it into the freezer for a few minutes. When you take it out of the freezer, it should be a gel consistency. If it’s not, you haven’t reached the gelling point yet, and it’s best to continue to cook.

Ingredients for Strawberry Jam for Canning

This recipe is designed for a large batch of strawberry jam for canning, so you’ll need a lot of strawberries!

24 cups of hulled, fresh strawberries: These can be left whole or sliced smaller, depending on the consistency you prefer in your jam. We leave ours whole, and then I smash them as they cook. Some people leave them whole, then use an immersion blender to crush their strawberries more. It is all about your consistency preferences.
10 pounds of sugar (22.5 cups): You should use no less than 22.5 cups of sugar for this recipe, but you can use more based on your sweetness preferences or the sweetness of your strawberries. Using up to 24 cups of sugar is totally acceptable (and makes a 1:1 ratio for cups of strawberries to cups of sugar if you prefer that sweetness).
1/2 cup lemon juice: This helps to set your jam and also aids in the preservation process. You won’t taste it, and should not skip it!

Equipment You’ll Need to Make Strawberry Jam for Canning

Steps to Making Strawberry Jam for Canning

In a large stockpot, combine strawberries and sugar. Allow it to sit for a few minutes so that juices begin to flow from strawberries.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stir continuously to prevent any burning.
At this point, you can use your immersion blender to blend your strawberries to your desired consistency. You can also just leave your strawberries to the consistency you cut them up in, which is what we do.
Reduce heat to medium, simmering the strawberry mixture. Stir occasionally. Cook strawberry mixture until it reaches 221 degrees Fahrenheit and passes the gelling spoon test (see post for details). This will take some time (expect 1-2 hours).While strawberry mixture is cooking, prepare your jars for canning by sterilizing. Fill your water bath canner about 3/4 of the way full and bring it to a boil.
When strawberry mixture has reached 221 degrees, ladle strawberry mixture into jars, leaving about 1/4 inch headspace.
Boil the filled strawberry jam jars for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit for 24 hours. Check seals of jars. If any jars are not sealed, place them in the refrigerator and use within one week.

Yield: 12 pints