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    Home » Farm To Table » Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

    Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

    Posted on June 25, 2021 By Beth Neels

    827 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    strawberry jam Pinterest image
    Canning Strawberry Jam Pinterest Pin with text overlay

    This Low Sugar Strawberry Jam has such a bright flavor. It’s the flavor of June preserved to enjoy all year long. Can be made no sugar too!

    Spoonful of strawberry jam spilled over onto white board.

    When I was a kid, I remember my Mom and my Aunt making jams and preserves. As an adult, life got in the way and I always said I was too busy to make homemade jams.

    In the last 15 years, I have gotten into making a plethora of jams and preserves. You name it, every fruit imaginable. This Strawberry Jam is a family favorite!

    Since I resumed making my own jams, I absolutely can not eat store bought! It is pure sugar! This Low Sugar Strawberry Jam literally tastes like a bit spring, anytime of the year! Just like biting into a fresh, juicy strawberry in June!

    Close up of chunky jam.

    Making jam has a bad reputation, as far as the difficulty of the process. With a few specialized tools, jam making can be fun and easy. This set of canning tools is cheap and saves so much time and so many burns! Which, of course, is key!

    The only other tool you need is a canning pot, which is cheap, as well.

    One great trick that I have found is that you don’t have to make all of the jams in the summer when it is hot and humid! Freeze your strawberries whole and make a batch any time of the year.

    Learn how to freeze strawberries here.

    What you need

    • strawberries- the fresher the better. If you can’t get to them right away, freeze your berries.
    • sugar – can use sugar substitute according to package directions. raw sugar instead of white sugar. (This jam can easily be made with no sugar to make it diabetic friendly! Use a sugar substitute or simply use just fruit!) To use honey or corn syrup, this recipe would have to be modified. The sugar content that you choose is totally up to you.
    • bottled lemon juice or citric acid
    • water or mild flavored juice like apple or white grape. Any liquid will work. cranberry juice, strawberry juice and the like.
    • pectin – if you are doing low sugar jam, make sure you use low sugar pectin or jam may not set and it is important for the preservation of the fruit. You can not use regular pectin.
    Ingredients for jam strawberries, pectin, sugar, lemon juice.

    Don’t miss our complete step by step guide to canning.

    How to make it

    Prepare water bath canner. Wash jars and lids thoroughly in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Add jars to to canner and cover with water 1 inch above the jars. Sterilizing jars is no longer recommended if processing 10 minutes or longer but start heating the pot because it can take up to 40 minutes to boil. Let jars sit in hot water until ready to use.

    Pour boiling water over lids and let sit in hot water until ready for use.

    1. Rinse berries well.
    2. Hull the berries.
    3. Cut up strawberries into small pieces.
    4. Combine the fruit, juice or water and lemon juice in a large saucepan.
    5. Add pectin and about 1/4 cup sugar to bowl.
    6. Mix well.Step by step photographs of the process for making strawberry jam. See details in recipe below.
    7. Gradually stir in pectin.
    8. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that can’t be stirred down.), stirring constantly. Berries can be mashed down with a potato masher for a smoother jam. 
    9. Add remainder of the sugar, if using. Return mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
    10. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
    Step by step photographs of the process for making the jam. See details in recipe below.

    Ladle hot jam into hot jars, use of a canning funnel helps makes this process really easy.

    Wipe rims clean with damp paper towel. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. Cool to room temperature, if not canning. Then refrigerate immediately. 

    Important! If jam is not processed it MUST BE kept refrigerated. It is NOT shelf stable!

    How to water bath can strawberry jam

    1. Ladle hot jam into the half-pint or pint hot mason jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace.
    2. Wipe rims clean with damp paper towel.
    3. Center lids on jars.
    4. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by over 1″ water. Bring to a gentle, steady boil.
    Step by step photographs of the process for canning the jam. See details in recipe below.

    Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat. Let jars rest in hot water for 5 minutes before removing from canning pot.

    Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down in the center, when pressed. Store jars in a cool place.

    Important recipe notes

    • when making low sugar or no sugar jam yield will be considerably less than jams made with full sugar.
    • Make sure that the jam comes up to a full rolling boil (one that can’t be stirred down) before adding remainder of sugar.
    • Once all of the sugar is added, make sure you let it return to the full rolling boil and then boil for at least one minute. (If you don’t do this, the jam may not set properly.)
    • Do not increase this recipe more than 5 times. Jam may not set properly.
    • If you open a jar that is discolored, has any signs of mold or has an “off” smell, discard that jar. Serious health problems could be caused by spoiled jam. It is best to err on the side of caution.

    How long will jam last?

    If jam is processed in a water bath according to directions, it will last a minimum of a year.

    If jam is not processed, it is best to use it up within a few months.

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe for Low Sugar Strawberry Jam today! Give it a try! it’s not as hard as you think! Here is another great article to explain the canning process step by step.

    Spoon resting in jar of strawberry jam.

    Tools I Use to Make Strawberry Jam

    Contains affiliate links, for full disclosure, see FTC Disclosure, here.

    • canning pot
    • canning tools
    • low sugar pectin
    • jelly jars
    • wooden spoon
    Pint jar of chunky Strawberry Jam on barn wood board

    This recipe for homemade strawberry jam is so much better than the stuff you buy from grocery stores.

    Connect with us through our social media ages! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.

    If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

    Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

    Binky's signature
    Low Sugar Strawberry Jam JAr of opened jam next to a blue plate with a piece of toast with jelly and fresh strawberries on the side

    Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

    This Low Sugar Strawberry Jam tastes like biting into a fresh strawberry all year long.
    See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!
    4.84 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Processing time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 64 tablespoons
    Calories: 8kcal
    Author: Beth Neels
    Cost: $6

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped into pieces
    • 1/3 cup fruit juice or water
    • 3 tsp Bottled Lemon Juice
    • 1.5 Tbsp Ball RealFruit™ Low or No-Sugar Pectin
    • 0- 1/2 cup sugar, sugar substitute, honey

    Instructions

    • Prepare waterbath canner. Wash jars ad lids thoroughly in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Add jars to to canner and cover with water 1 inch above the jars. Sterilizing jars is no longer recommended if processing 10 minutes or longer. Let jars sit in hot water until ready to use.
    • Pour boiling water over lids and let sit in hot water until ready for use.
    • Combine the fruit, juice or water and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that can’t be stirred down.), stirring constantly.  
    • Add sugar, if using. Return mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
    • Ladle hot jam into hot jars. Cool to room temperature, if not canning. Then refrigerate immediately. 
    • If preserving, ladle hot jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Wipe rims clean with paper towel.. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.
    • Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by over 1″ water. Bring to a gentle, steady boil.
    • Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat. Let jars rest in hot water for 5 minutes.
    • Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down in the center, when pressed. Store jars in a cool place.
    canning jars- Pint
    canning tool set
    Water Bath Canning Pot
    See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!

    Notes

    Makes 2 pints.
    Recipe can be multiplied, but don’t do more than 5 times the recipe. The jam has a tendency not to set properly. 
    Test lids for seal. Press center of lid down in the middle. If it flexes up and down, jar is not sealed.
    If lids have not sealed, store those jars in refrigerator and consume those jars first. You can reprocess the jam. Use new lids.
    Store in a cool place.
    Use up to 1/2 cup sugar. I usually use over 1/4 cup but under 1/2 cup of sugar.
    Adjusting for altitude
    0-6000 feet above sea level process half pints  or pints for 10 minutes.
    above 6000 feet process half pints or pints 15 minutes 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 8kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Potassium: 6mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 1mg
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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something. See FTC Disclosure, here.

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    827 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      June 27, 2022 at 7:02 pm

      3 stars
      Didn’t set up for me at all, which was disappointing, but at least it was a small batch and can be used for other things :-).

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        June 28, 2022 at 10:17 am

        There are a few common reasons that low sugar jams won’t set up.
        1. The pectin wasn’t measured correctly.
        2. Too much liquid to pectin ratio.
        3. The jam wasn’t taken to a full rolling boil both times.
        4. Classic pectin was used instead of low sugar pectin.

        You can heat it up again and add more pectin. Then let it come to a full rolling boil and reprocess. In lieu of of that, use it as a strawberry syrup. It’s great in baked goods and as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese or cheesecake. Sorry it didn’t set up for you but I’ve been making it for years and have never had a problem.

        Reply
    2. Susie McCallister

      April 27, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Can you use peaches instead of strawberries (or any other fruit)? Also is it ok to use Splenda as the sugar substitute? My husband is afraid that boiling the Splenda will break it down wrong.

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        April 28, 2020 at 9:43 am

        I have not tried Splenda brand, but I have heard it works fine. You can also use honey. Here is a recipe for peach jam and here are recipes for all of the different fruits we have covered on BCC. Thanks Susie! Thanks for checking out the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Donna Dupont

      May 21, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      How many pints will I yield from this recipe?

      Reply
      • Beth Neels

        May 22, 2019 at 9:12 am

        Hi Donna! 64 tablespoons equals 2 pints. I do the servings in tablespoons, for nutrition facts purpose. I mean you would never eat a pint of jam! Thank you for stopping by!

        Reply
    4. Debbie

      August 25, 2018 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Hi my strawberry jam is not as thick as it should be. I used one pouch of liquid pectin. Will it thicken with time ?

      Reply
      • Binky

        August 25, 2018 at 10:12 am

        No it will not. Liquid pectin is different from powdered pectin. You should always base your pectin amounts on the manufacturer’s instructions. The good news is you can use it as strawberry syrup on pancakes, waffles, ice cream. It’s awesome!

        Reply
    5. cookilicious

      July 28, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      wow! Strawberry jam is my favorite! An d love the fact that its homemade! Thanks for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Binky

        July 31, 2017 at 12:08 pm

        Thanks, Priya! I love making my own jams!

        Reply
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    photo of Beth Neels aka Binky

    Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth "Binky" Neels, wife, mother of 2 boys and 3 dogs! I will impart tips and tricks I have learned over the years, to make cooking easier and fun for you!

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