An Easy Strawberry Jam Recipe filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla bean. Everyone loves this recipe. The combo of strawberries and vanilla is amazing! No pectin needed – ready in 30 minutes.
You’re about to look like a superstar.
We’re making jam, people! And it couldn’t be easier (pinky promise).
Let’s talk about what is NOT necessary when it comes to this Strawberry Jam Recipe (because these were the things that always deterred me from making jam).
- You do NOT need pectin. No need to buy any out of the ordinary ingredients for this recipe. We have 5 regular ingredients that are available at just about any grocery store.
- You do NOT need to boil jars and lids and make a big ‘ol production of this. I can’t tell you how many times I swore off making jam because I thought it meant I had to learn to properly can jam. Nope, nope, nope.
Check out how easy this is!
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Here’s the lineup:
- Fresh Strawberries
- Sugar
- Juice of 1/2 an Orange
- 1/2 Granny Smith Apple (this gives us the pectin we need to thicken the jam)
- Vanilla Bean (optional, but, sooooo good – see below)
Place everything in a saucepan and cook it for 30ish minutes. It’s ready once it reduces, it’s thick, deep red and er, jammy. If you want to you can pack and seal this jam in canning jars, but I simply put it in a glass storage container and keep it in the fridge for 2 weeks or so.
Prefer Peach Jam? I got ya covered! Click here.
Now, what are we going to do with our fresh Strawberry Jam? My family loves it on biscuits, toast or muffins. It’s fantastic swirled into Greek yogurt or oatmeal. You could even spoon it over vanilla ice cream (← totally doing that soon).
Let’s talk for a quick minute about vanilla beans. I seriously believe the addition of fresh vanilla bean takes this recipe over the top. It adds a subtle sweet-vanilla flavor, and those beautiful black specks can’t be beat. That being said, I am aware that vanilla beans are quite expensive. You really only need 1/3 to 1/2 of a vanilla bean, so technically you can stretch it and use it for other recipes. If you don’t feel like taking the plunge for a vanilla bean, you can add a splash of pure vanilla extract immediately after the jam cooks.
If you’ve never made jam before, don’t be intimidated. It’s easier than you think.
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Easy Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, stems removed
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Juice of 1/2 an orange
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely minced
Instructions
- Chop the strawberries. The larger you chop them the more chunky your jam will be (I quartered the small berries and chopped the larger ones into eighths).
- Put the chopped strawberries in a deep heavy pot. Split the 1/2 of vanilla bean lengthwise and add it to the pot of strawberries along with the remaining ingredients.
- Stir all of the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and allow it to continue boiling for 25-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The jam is done once it has reduced, thickened and is dark red. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, remove the vanilla bean. Using your fingers or a knife, squeeze/scrape remaining seeds from the vanilla bean pod into the jam and mix in. Discard the pod.
- Transfer the jam to a covered container and store in the fridge up to 10 days.
Veena Azmanov says
Oh, I love love love strawberries. This jam looks very tasty. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I definitely want to try this recipe, and I’m sure that this will be one of my favorites. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Leslie says
This is definitely my kind of jam recipe. I have no interest in learning how to can items. I know people love it, but it seems like far too much effort for me. I’ll definitely be giving this a try with my 8-year-old someday soon. Thanks for the recipe!
Jem says
This looks so good and the colour makes it even more tempting.
Lizzie says
I love the idea of using an apple to get the pectin. We make chutney sometimes but have never tried jam – we heat the jars in the oven so there’s very little mess/fuss but they keep for months. I bet this would be yummy swirled into porridge!
Debbye says
What a beautiful jam. Love the color. I haven’t done any canning lately but this recipe inspires me to do some in celebration of spring. Can’t wait to try it!
Jenn says
Yummy!! Strawberry jam is my kids’ favorite!
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
You’re so right, I’ve also been put off of making jam by the thought of canning, which holds just no interest to me. It makes perfect sense, though, that it would keep for awhile in the fridge! And this has such a beautiful color, not to mention the great strawberry-vanilla bean combo. Thanks for a great recipe!
Teri says
This strawberry jam is incredible and so easy to make. I was disappointed I didn’t have the vanilla bean but it was still so yummy. I added a few raspberries too. I will be making this jam throughout the summer while strawberries are in season. Thanks for this simple recipe!
Teri says
This is my 2nd reply but I wanted to share that I made this recipe again and I reduced the sugar. I used 1/3 cup of sugar, plus 1 tablespoon and it turned out great. I still added some raspberries because I love the mixture of the 2 berries. I love how eady this recipe is!
Mary says
Looks delicious!
Can Gala Apple be substituted for green? I’m trying not to go to the grocery store! Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets says
Hi, Mary. Granny Smith apples contain the most pectin which helps to thicken the jam. Gala should work but your jam might just be a tad thinner than mine. Enjoy!