Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

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!

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!

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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

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

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

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.