Homemade Strawberry Preserves

Spread some sweetness.

This homemade strawberry preserves recipe uses only three ingredients (berries, sugar, and lemon juice — no pectin needed). It’s easy, takes 15 minutes to make, and tastes beautifully fresh, sweet, and full of concentrated strawberry flavor.

Meet This Strawberry Preserves Recipe

Do you ever look at something in the grocery store and wonder if you could just make it homemade? I do. I honestly don’t know why I’ve been buying strawberry jam all these years. Making strawberry preserves from scratch takes minutes and requires only three ingredients:

• Fresh or fresh-frozen strawberries
• Sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

These ingredients get added to a pot and simmered until it forms a jammy spread. That is all it takes! It is important to note that the finished consistency of the strawberry preserves will be naturally a little more loose than if pectin was used (more on that below). It will be more jammy than gelled. This is a good thing, and perfect as a spread.

How to make strawberry preserves

This is seriously one of the easiest recipes on the entire website. Here’s how to make these no-pectin strawberry preserves:

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or fresh-frozen strawberries
• About 1 cup sugar (start with 3/4 cup if the strawberries are very sweet)
• Juice of half a lemon

You can also add optional ingredients like vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, balsamic vinegar, or ginger if you’d like to give your strawberry preserves added flavor notes.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Wash cut the green tops off the strawberries, keeping as much of the fruit as possible. Roughly chop the strawberries.
2. Put the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium pot. Stir in about two tablespoons of water. Make sure the berries are not filled to the brim because they will foam as they start cooking.
3. Heat over medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer.
4. Test the thickness of the strawberry preserves by running a spoon through a dollop of jam on a plate to make sure it holds a line. It will also thicken a little more once cooled.
5. Store in an airtight container and enjoy for up to three weeks in the fridge.

Why is there no pectin? Isn’t that a common ingredient in jams and preserves?

Pectin is often used to make preserves, but is not necessary. Here’s why: Pectin is a thickening agent common in preserves, jams, and especially jellies. Adding this citrus-based powder to foods helps liquids gel. When it comes to fruit preserves, this means that the combination of liquid, sugar, and fruit gels or “sets” more quickly and has stability. This is why jams and jellies often hold their shape when scooped with a spoon.

But there is no pectin in this strawberry preserves recipe. We are letting the preserves reduce on the stove, boiling out more of the water than would otherwise be necessary, thus naturally thickening the preserves. Why?

This serves two purposes: 1) you don’t have to fuss with pectin, which can be very tricky to balance between thin and too-thick jam, and 2) the strawberry preserves will have a more concentrated strawberry flavor.

Storing and freezing

Because so much liquid has been cooked out, these strawberry preserves will freeze well. Just thaw in the fridge and give it a good stir before using.

You can go the whole route of boiling and preserving this in sanitized, pressure-sealed jars. This will preserve the jam for about a year. But I like to skip this process (I’m always afraid I’ll do it wrong and make someone sick!) and just store it refrigerator in an airtight container. The recipe only makes about 3/4 cup of jam, so I go through it quickly. I love these Weck jars (the logo is even strawberries, so), but a standard Mason jar or any container will do.

How to enjoy strawberry preserves

This can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries, making this a year-round treat. You can dollop your preserves into yogurt or stir it into this no-churn strawberry ice cream, or fold it into pound cake or cheesecake. But my favorite ways to eat strawberry jam are with:

• English scones
• Buttermilk biscuits
• Spread on strawberry shortcakes or Irish soda bread, two other favorite springtime treats

Topping waffles or pancakes (have you tried these sheet pan pancakes yet?) with strawberry preserves is also delicious way to enjoy this fresh fruit preserve.

If you like this no-pectin strawberry preserves recipe, you’ll also like:

• Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
• Shortbread Linzer Cookies
• Fresh Fruit Tart

Fresh Strawberry Preserves

Author: Lisa Ruland

This homemade, fresh strawberry preserves recipe uses only three ingredients (berries, sugar, and lemon juice -- no pectin needed). It's easy, takes 15 minutes to make, and tastes beautifully fresh, sweet, and full of concentrated strawberry flavor.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 0.75 cups

Calories: 984kcal

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound (453 grams) fresh or fresh-frozen strawberries
• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar (plus more to taste)
• ▢ 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions

• Wash cut the green tops off the strawberries, keeping as much of the fruit as possible. Roughly chop the strawberries.
• Place the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium pot. Stir in about two tablespoons of water.

  PRO TIP: Make sure the berries are not filled to the brim because they will foam as they start cooking.
• Heat the ingredients over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 220° Fahrenheit on a thermometer. Taste for sweetness (careful, it's hot!). You may want to add up to an additional 1/4 cup sugar.

  Test the thickness of the strawberry preserves by running a spoon through a dollop of jam on a plate to make sure it holds a line. It will also thicken a little more once cooled.
• Store in an airtight container and enjoy for up to three weeks in the fridge.

Notes

Additions and substitutions:

You can add optional ingredients like vanilla bean paste and ginger if you'd like to give your strawberry preserves an added flavor note. Stir in up to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste, or 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger. 

Balsamic vinegar also pairs nicely with strawberry. Try one teaspoon and add from there, to taste.

Storage and Freezing:

Because so much liquid has been cooked out, these strawberry preserves will freeze well. Thaw in the fridge and give it a good stir before using.

You can go the whole route of boiling and preserving your strawberry preserves in sanitized, pressure-sealed jars. This will preserve the jam for about a year. But I like to skip this process and just store it refrigerator in an airtight container. The recipe only makes about 3/4 cup of jam, so I go through it quickly. I love these Weck jars (the logo is even strawberries, so), but a standard Mason jar or any container will do. It will keep in the refrigerator for about three weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 984kcal | Carbohydrates: 252g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 1029mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 231g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 394mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.