Typically, I am not one to buy produce like strawberries out of season. But occasionally, a little splurge is called for — like Valentine’s Day, when I love to give little tokens of my love to a few of my very favorite people in the world. The deep, ruby-red color and luscious, vibrant flavor of strawberry jam makes it kind of a perfect contender.
Jam-making can be tricky; in these instances I heed the advice of those who’ve been at it a while. Among my favorites is Marisa McLellan’s site Food in Jars. This delectable preserve is perfect paired with dark chocolates, a rich cheese, or at breakfast with pancakes or toast.

Strawberry Jam
Adapted from Food in Jars
2 pounds fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped (about 7-8 cups chopped strawberries)
2 cups sugar
Juice and zest of two lemons
1 package no-sugar pectin
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, optional
5-6 1/2 pint jam jars
Wide-mouth funnel
Note: Different types of pectin have varying directions for when and how much to be added to the jam. Make sure you follow the instructions of the pectin you’ve purchased.

In a large, non-reactive pot, combine the strawberries with one cup of sugar to macerate. Allow them to sit for at least one hour, letting their juices begin to release.
While the strawberries macerate, thoroughly wash your jam jars with hot, soapy water.
In a large pot (a stock pot will do if you don’t have a canning pot) fitted with a rack (a small baking rack will work), arrange the jars and lids to prepare them for a water bath. Fill the pot with water and set on the stove — but don’t bring to a boil just yet.
Combine the pectin with the remaining sugar. Sprinkle over the strawberry mix and stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir. Add the black pepper now if using. (It will give a subtle little zing to the jam.)
Bring the jam to a vigorous boil, stirring frequently to keep the jam mix from burning. Strawberry jam can be quite frothy. Skim the foam off with a spoon as needed. You can reserve the foam and top yogurt or pancakes with it.

Continue to boil the jam, stirring often, until the consistency thickens, about 15-20 minutes.
While the jam boils, bring the water bath with the jars to a low simmer. You want the jars to be hot when they’re filled with jam. Some people simmer the gummy lids or rubber rings separately in a shallow pan. I toss them all into the same pot.
Once the consistency of the jam is thicker, turn off heat.
Using tongs or jar grabbers, carefully remove the jars and lids from their water bath, placing them on a dish towel.
With a wide-mouth funnel placed over the mouth of the jar, carefully ladle hot jam into each jar, leaving 1/2 inch of space between the jam and the top of the jar. Continue with each jar. Wipe the rims clean. Finish by affixing lids to each according to the directions of the jar manufacturers.

Place jars back into water bath. Bring to a boil and boil for at least 10 minutes to process. Remove jars and let sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. After that time, remove the metal rings or metal clips to test for a strong seal. Gently lift the jams by their lid, without the seal, to test. If the lids stay affixed, they have been properly sealed and can stored in a cool, dark place. If the lids come off, they don’t have a strong seal and should be stored in the fridge and used within a couple weeks.
All photos by Kimberley Hasselbrink.
82 comments
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 8 years ago
Looks amazing!!!
Christiana Odum from YarnDarlin said 8 years ago
YUMMM!!! I want to make some!!
Alisa from AlisaDesign said 8 years ago
Looks good!
Field Trip Vintage from FieldTripVintage said 8 years ago
Strawberry jam has always been one of my breakfast favorites, I'm definitely inspired to try jam making in the summer! Thank you for the wonderful post :)
M Wheatley from wheatleypaperworks said 8 years ago
I bottle everything I can get my hands on in the months before winter. It's not unusual to see bushels of soft fruit riping on every surface in my tiny kitchen. At some point I begin to think that there's going to be no end to the bubbling pots; and then, just like that, it's over. Until I open a jar of apricot jam some winter morning and revel in the sweetness that is Mother Nature's handiwork and my summer toils.
LetsAllMakeBelieve from LetsAllMakeBelieve said 8 years ago
YUM!
Debbie from thelittlemarket said 8 years ago
delish....love everything strawberry!!
Elaine Kean from RedorGrayArt said 8 years ago
beautiful ...but wow that's alot of white sugar!
Jane Priser from JanePriserArts said 8 years ago
Thank you for the recipe and directions! This looks great!
Laurie from BirdinHandVTG said 8 years ago
The addition of the pepper sounds intriguing - thank you.
MyHazelnut from MyHazelnut said 8 years ago
I've started canning using no-sugar pectin. It's amazing. You can totally reduce the amount of sugar you use down to NONE and the jam still jels perfectly. I've made sugar-free non-sweetened raspberry jam... boy is that tart!! but my kids still love it. If you are using no-sugar pectin, instead of refined sugar, you can use any sweetener you want... stevia, xylitol (my current favorite), Splenda, or whatever you prefer.
Amanda Gynther from CafePrimrose said 8 years ago
Yummm!
Patrick from EdelweissPost said 8 years ago
Those rubber-topped jars remind me of an earlier time in my mother's kitchen. I'm heartened they are making a return.
Shola from YarningKnots said 8 years ago
I tried making jam once...did not turn out well.
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 8 years ago
Yum! Thanks for the recipe.
Thomas and Jo Ferguson from FergusonsFineJewelry said 8 years ago
Ohhh man.. this is what I am looking forward to in a couple months!! Amazing pictures, amazing jam... my mouth is watering!! Thanks for the recipe! ~Jo
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 8 years ago
Great!
Kindah from kindah said 8 years ago
That looks yummy! Thank you for including my strawberry clutch!
Marta DQ from tribomo said 8 years ago
Delicious and so natural!
Xenotees from Xenotees said 8 years ago
Yummy, and I love the Food in Jars blog!
ACR from WoodsyWools said 8 years ago
OMG, looks delicious!!
Jen from PipsEmporium said 8 years ago
Never thought of adding pepper to it! I'll have to try that next time I make jam!
Annette from TheLeveretsNest said 8 years ago
goodness! who knew? and I just thought jam was splodged into the jar and then splodged onto my toast and voila?! ...hungry now :)
Edda Winter from ilovecutecrafts said 8 years ago
aaaawww~ yam yam yam :D
Elizabeth from LeadOnDogs said 8 years ago
This looks wonderful, jam and cheese is a natural pairing. I've just made some strawberry jam (in season here in Aus), so now I have a great excuse to make some more!
Carol from MezzalunaVintage said 8 years ago
That looks great, the photos help too. Jam and toast is a wonderful treat on a quiet sunday morning with the papers and a cup of strong coffee :-) thanks- Carol
HandiworkinGirls from HandiworkinGirls said 8 years ago
Yum, yum! Homemade strawberry jam is one of our favorites - we make it each summer. Never thought of adding black pepper, though!
April McGee-Riess from RawLuxGems said 8 years ago
Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing this!!!
Rebecca Goebel from OctoberNative said 8 years ago
Wow that sounds delicious .. I've had Hot Pepper Raspberry Jam before and that was amazing I can only imagine what black pepper strawberry tastes like ... Thanks!!
Balea-Raitz from LorenasLaceDesigns said 8 years ago
Time to make some jam! It looks great!
Lorena Balea-Raitz from LorenasInkDesigns said 8 years ago
I love jam!
thedelhistore from theDelhiStore said 8 years ago
Yumm! Wll have to try that!
Linda from lovelygifts said 8 years ago
Looks great!
MaruMaru from MaruMaru said 8 years ago
Oh my!!!
Kathy Johnson from KathysLittleAttic said 8 years ago
Looks easy enough, I'll have to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Rodinia from ShopRodinia said 8 years ago
Those looks like Weck jars (that happen to have a strawberry embossed on the lid). Wonder if that style of jar is a better choice for jams. (?)
Emily Wirt from emwi said 8 years ago
Yum this looks great! I've always wanted to try making my own jams. Now I can. :) Thanks for sharing!
Carmen from MontanaGirl said 8 years ago
I never would have thought to add black pepper. Yum!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 8 years ago
Great treat for winter! We usually pick and make jam in June.
CHRISTINE SHMISTEEN from TheArtOfFinerThings said 8 years ago
They played the jam episode of Friends yesterday. Between that and this post... I want jam.
Veronica Race from BorboletaAffair said 8 years ago
Yummy! This looks amazing. Thanks for the share :)
Aristocrafts from Aristocrafts said 8 years ago
Oh, I just love strawberry jam! And I'm a big fan of spice too, so this is simply gourmet for me! I'm most certainly writing this recipe down and can't wait to try it! Thank you for the delicious idea :)!
pam from stunningstuff4u said 8 years ago
okay now I AM HUNGRY for some STRAWBERRY JAM!
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 8 years ago
I appreciate the thought of giving a little luxury, but the food miles imvolved in buying strawberries at this time of year anywhere in the Northern hemisphere (coupled with the fact that if you do buy them they'll be watery & tasteless because they've been grown under glass) means this is a less than environmetally friendly option. If you want to go the route of spreading the love to everyone, I really feel you should include the planet as well.
Gary and Heather from littleRamstudio said 8 years ago
Have to say air miles do concern us too - and - any strawberries bought here just now would be horrid! Much better to dream of summer and enjoying the heady delights of those fresh, ripe, juicy strawberries... Sounds a great recipe though and perhaps the addition of a splash of aged balsamic vinegar might add yet more depth of flavour.
Monica from ThreeBarDGifts said 8 years ago
I love homemade jam! The very first time I tried to make my own was a disaster! I overcooked it and it turned out hard as a rock! So it became "candy" instead of "jam"! I'm much better at it now! Thanks for the recipe!
Andrea from TheWeirdGirlWorkshop said 8 years ago
I wish there was a way to 'mark' these recipes on Etsy- looks fabulous!!!
WoodlandCottage from WoodlandCottage said 8 years ago
Yep, I'm with mazedasastoat and Gary and Heather--this sounds GREAT, BUT I'm going to save it until the LOCAL strawberries come in--they're much better than strawberries in the stores now that were picked before they were ripe then lugged halfway around the world. When the LOCAL strawberries get here, they will have MUCH more flavor, will be less expensive and will be more friendly to Mother Earth. THEN I'll be canning this recipe to last all year! Thanks for a keeper, killer recipe!
Katrina Alana from KatrinaAlana said 8 years ago
What a yummy present!
France Gallery from FranceGallery said 8 years ago
This looks wonderful!
Trina from PishPoshDesignStudio said 8 years ago
Yummy! I would love to make my own jelly! :)
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 8 years ago
I love strawberries...This looks yummy!
Sheryl Potts from MetamorphosisSuite said 8 years ago
Mmmmm... strawberries with a dash of black pepper are amazing. I can't wait to try it as a jam.
Arina Kushnir from bariand said 8 years ago
Delicious...Mmmm
Josephine from MettleMakes said 8 years ago
Strawvberry and cardamom is a winning combo too!
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 8 years ago
Looks good!
Janine from MomsantiquesNthings said 8 years ago
Looks great! Homemade jams taste the best!
Mary Lezcano from BellaBboutique said 8 years ago
The combination of strawberries and black pepper is so far flung from something I would normally put together and yet I bet they marry happily for a party in your mouth.
David and Patricia from dellcovespices said 8 years ago
Ooooh, strawberry and cardamom. Yum! If you want a bit of tang to the strawberry and black pepper blend, you can add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the blend. It's great!
Bealtaine Cottage from BealtaineCottage said 8 years ago
It looks yummy! I usually have a glut of Blackcurrants...come to think of it, there's lots at the bottom of the freezer, so I'll get on and make some jam. Thanks for being so inspiring!
Martha Muthoni from LadyGatsbyLuxePaper said 8 years ago
Mm! Mm! Good!
Jennifer from JennysTreasuresForU said 8 years ago
David and Patricia from dellcovespices says: Ooooh, strawberry and cardamom. Yum! __________________________________________________________ Love that idea!I love cardamon. Not too sure about the black pepper,but I bet one day I'll be brave enough to try.I love experimenting with foods and trying new things,whether my own ideas or others.
Genise Park from GeniseParkArts said 8 years ago
Oh yum looking forward to trying this! Thanks for the recipe.
gladi gladi from GLADIGLADI said 8 years ago
Looks yummy!!!very nice, I love it!!
kathi roussel from 5gardenias said 8 years ago
total yumminess-- thanks for how to and recipe!
Alison Herr Scates and Chuck Scates from ACESFINDSVINTAGE said 8 years ago
Sounds like a fabulous combo. Thanks for sharing. The photos are absolutely lovely as well! ♠
Lynsey from lmouer said 8 years ago
sounds delicious!
Nathaly from GiselleGiselleShop said 8 years ago
love!!
David and Patricia from dellcovespices said 8 years ago
Jennifer from JennysTreasuresForU says: Love that idea!I love cardamon. Not too sure about the black pepper,but I bet one day I'll be brave enough to try.I love experimenting with foods and trying new things,whether my own ideas or others. ................. Oh, definitely try the black pepper. It's a great addition - or you can opt for white pepper, if you're wanting less bit. There's a fantastic preserve maker named Christine Ferber - her preserves book is gorgeous and worth every dime. (Though, if you can find it used, all the better.) She has a recipe for strawberry, black pepper and balsamic vinegar preserves that tastes like summer on a spoon. I know it sounds like a weird combination - but the flavors really work. She's SUPER precise in her directions - and we've found if you follow them, the results are spectacular.
David and Patricia from dellcovespices said 8 years ago
er....less bite. *sigh* cell phones...apologies!
iammieCLAYshop from iammieCLAYshop said 8 years ago
Looks really good!
Linda Martin from LindaLMartinArtist said 8 years ago
I love those Jars! Great thing adding pepper. Who knew. Im going to try that when my straw berries come in!
Tori Burrows from monkeynorman said 8 years ago
Can't wait to give this a try. I've had strawberries with black pepper as a desert a few time and it really brings out their flavour, just got to be patient now and wait for summer!
Stacie from StacieFamilyTree said 8 years ago
Another great recipe.
Kimberley H from continentaldrift said 8 years ago
Hey all: I love the idea of adding cardamom to jam, it's my favorite spice! Balsamic vinegar sounds equally luscious. The black pepper is pretty tame, so don't be intimidated by the thought of a super spicy batch. You can nix it too.
theresatron from TheMonstersLounge said 8 years ago
Ooh dang this looks good. A man at the farmers market last summer sweet talked me into trying his balsamic black cherry and black pepper jam. It was soooo good and spicy. AMAZING with brie and crusty bread. I miss that man...
Regina from ChainAndCluster said 8 years ago
Nom nom nom.... I think this would be amazing on buttermilk pancakes. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Rachel from PeppersJewelry said 8 years ago
I love strawberries! I had not heard of black pepper in strawberry jam until reading this, though. Thanks for giving me something new to consider trying!
gaiadesignstudios from GaiaDesignStudios said 8 years ago
oh wow, looks really good!!
Darren from naturalwooddesign said 8 years ago
Looks delicious - can't to try !! :)
Emiliana Patriotou from CushionsandMore said 8 years ago
seems like a great recipe. Do you have to use pectin? I usually don't and it's just fine
ArleenDesign from ArleenDesign said 8 years ago
Looks so decadent....yum!