A gorgeously hued and bright-tasting strawberry honey jam is made with just two ingredients and skips the sugar in favor of honey. It needs no pectin and the sweetness can be adjusted to suit your tastes.
Homemade jam, specifically homemade strawberry jam, is one of summer's little gifts as well as one of life's true pleasures. If you haven't yet made your own jam, you're in for a treat - the fragrance of softly simmering strawberries in the summer kitchen is buttery-sweet and redolent of the garden.
In this strawberry honey jam recipe, the white sugar is replaced with honey, which is a lovely complement to the fresh strawberries. And as a bonus, we can reduce the amount of overall sweetener so that the flavor of the strawberries really shines through. Plus, it comes together in less than an hour and needs just two ingredients! Add it to gluten free honey cornbread muffins or a slice of gluten free Irish soda bread. Let's get to jam-making!
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Why I Love Honey Strawberry Jam
Homemade jam is not only fun and easy to make, but it also allows you to tailor the jam to your personal preference. Many jams are packed with sugar, which can overshadow the delicate sweetness of the fruit. This honey strawberry jam goes light on the sweetness, resulting in a beautifully sweet-tart jam that's lovely on all sorts of bready things or tucked in between gluten free butter cake layers. But not to worry - you can add more honey if you wish for a sweeter jam, and the result will be just as delicious. If you can, buy a flat of strawberries at your farmers' market or nearby produce stand, or spend some time at a local U-pick, and turn them into jam within a few days. You will be so happy you did!
Ingredients Needed
You need just two ingredients to make this jam - yes, it's that easy! I've included the detailed amounts and full instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Strawberries - Use fresh, in-season berries if you can for the best flavor.
- Honey - If you can, use local honey in your jam (we're lucky to have a honey shop in our small town that carries many varieties of locally sourced honey), but any type of pure honey will work.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Fresh or frozen strawberries can be used to make jam, although I always prefer fresh, in-season strawberries because they will have the best, most intense flavor and this will carry through in your jam. As a compromise, you can slice and freeze fresh strawberries and use them later to make jam - you won't need to defrost them first, but the cooking time might be just a tad longer than if you use fresh strawberries.
How to Make Sugar-Free Jam
Here's a little look through photos of how to make this quick jam:
- Prep fruit: Wash, drain, remove the tops, and coarsely chop the strawberries. Add them to a pot along with the honey.
- Boil: Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat, then simmer..
- Cook: The jam will thicken as it cooks.
- Mash: When the strawberries begin to soften, use a masher or the side of a big spoon to break them up. When the jam coats the back of a spoon, it's done.
Honey Strawberry Jam Tips
Jam-making can seem intimidating, but it is surprisingly easy to turn seasonal fruit into preserves you can enjoy all year. Here are a few tips to help you make the best jam:
- To can or not to can. This decision is entirely up to you. If you predict you'll eat up your honey strawberry jam within a few weeks, skip the longer canning process and keep it in the fridge until it's gone. But, if you've made a lot of jam and wish to keep it for year-round spreading on toast, I recommend going the preserving route. It's not hard to can your jam, and you don't need any extra equipment. I've included a link to some reliable canning resources below.
- Add more honey. I've included ½ cup of honey in the ingredients list as a starting point. Note that ½ cup of honey will result in a jam that's on the less-sweet side, especially if your strawberries are not super sweet. You can add 1 cup of honey for a sweeter jam, or taste as you go and add a bit more honey depending on how the jam tastes to you.
- Swap sugar. If needed, you can use sugar in place of the honey and follow the same cooking method outlined in the recipe card.
- Puree the jam. This is another aspect of this jam that is up to you - you can use a masher or the back of a big spoon to smash and help the strawberries break down as they cook into a smoother jam. Or, use an immersion blender to quickly blend the strawberries into a puree.
- Do I need pectin? I feel that cooking down the strawberries long enough creates a thick enough jam that doesn't require pectin. However, if you want a more gel-like strawberry jam you should add pectin.
Ways to Use Strawberry Honey Jam
Strawberry jam is summer on a spoon, and it's so versatile. (It's also my kids' first-favorite jam flavor, so it gets a workout added to all those pb & js). Other ways to use honey strawberry jam include:
- Over ice cream
- On buttered toast
- With gluten free lemon cream scones
- Spooned onto popovers
- In cake!
- Swirled into yogurt
How to Store Homemade Jam
If you wish to can your jam, please refer to the USDA's excellent canning guidelines.
Otherwise, you can transfer the cooled jam to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Gluten Free Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
- Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Muffins
- Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Recipe
Strawberry Honey Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries
- ½-1 cup honey
Instructions
- First, wash, drain, and remove the tops of the strawberries. Then coarsely chop them.
- Place the strawberries in a large pot and stir in the honey. You may use as much or as little honey as you like. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over low heat, skimming off the foam if like.
- The jam will thicken as it cooks. When the strawberries begin to soften, use a masher or the side of a big spoon to break them up. You can also use a stick blender to puree the strawberry mixture if you like a smoother jam.
- When the jam coats the back of a spoon, transfer it to sterilized jars and either use a water bath to can it, or let the jars cool to room temperature and store them in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Notes
- To can or not to can. This decision is entirely up to you. If you predict you'll eat up your honey strawberry jam within a few weeks, skip the longer canning process and keep it in the fridge until it's gone. But, if you've made a lot of jam and wish to keep it for year-round spreading on toast, I recommend going the preserving route. It's not hard to can your jam, and you don't need any extra equipment. I've included a link to some reliable canning resources below.
- Add more honey. I've included ½ cup of honey in the ingredients list as a starting point. Note that ½ cup of honey will result in a jam that's on the less-sweet side, especially if your strawberries are not super sweet. You can add 1 cup of honey for a sweeter jam, or taste as you go and add a bit more honey depending on how the jam tastes to you.
- Swap sugar. If needed, you can use sugar in place of the honey and follow the same cooking method outlined in the recipe card.
- Puree the jam. This is another aspect of this jam that is up to you - you can use a masher or the back of a big spoon to smash and help the strawberries break down as they cook into a smoother jam. Or, use an immersion blender to quickly blend the strawberries into a puree.
- Do I need pectin? I feel that cooking down the strawberries long enough creates a thick enough jam that doesn't require pectin. However, if you want a more gel-like strawberry jam you should add pectin.
Jennifer says
Could I freeze this? Have you ever done this? Thank you in advance!!!
Nicole Spiridakis says
Hi Jennifer, Yes you can freeze it! Let the jam cool then transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze.