This Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam (1st prize winning) is super quick & delicious, small batch recipe that requires no added pectin or special equipment. If you’re from across the pond a punnet is the plastic container you get strawberries in!
If you’re looking for a soft set, homemade strawberry jam recipe that is super quick and easy and requires no jam sugar or added pectin then you’ve come to the right place!
Back in July 2014 my Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam won 1st Prize in the Byfleet Parish Day Show! It was to be my 2nd year running winning 1st prize as the previous year my Peach & Apricot Jam came first!
So as the photography was really poor and this is such a popular jam I remade it this week and took some fresh shots to give it the justice it deserves. I also updated the recipe a little with more precise information about the quantity it yields.
I am a sticker for detail and I think that is why my jam recipes are so popular or at least that’s the feedback I get from you the lovely reader!
I originally made this no pectin Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam to put in my Victoria Sandwich.
Inspired by watching the contestants of Great British Bake Off I decided to knock up a small batch of jam using the remainder of a large box of strawberries I had in the fridge.
Not having planned my jam I didn’t have any spare jam jars to hand so just grabbed a short glass (the type you buy that famous chocolate hazelnut spread in) from my dishwasher and put it in a warm oven for 20 minutes.
The beauty of this jam is that you don’t need to own a huge preserving pan as your largest saucepan should be fine. I used half my jam in my Victoria Sandwich and the other half was enjoyed with scones and clotted cream.
My first attempt had far too much lemon juice in it so I reduced it to 1 tsp for my second attempt which was perfect; I don’t like stiff jam that you can stand a spoon up in! My husband didn’t notice anything wrong with my first batch and I overheard him raving about it and the Victoria Sandwich to his mother!
So the funny thing was that my Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam was never intended to be entered into the Parish Show.
As my Peach & Apricot Jam had won the previous year (much to my disbelief as I’d only just started making jam) I thought I’d need to enter something along those lines again.
Hence I decided to create a Cherry & Apple Jam but my lack of experience meant that I didn’t factor in the high pectin level from the apples and I boiled the jam for far too long and ended up with jam akin to concrete.
So, with no time to start afresh I just grabbed a recently made jar of my Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam and entered that instead, expecting it to go nowhere as it was just plain old strawberry jam and nothing fancy.
There was no-one more surprised than me when it won!
You can scale my Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam recipe up to whatever size punnet of strawberries you have. Just use equal prepared strawberry to sugar weight and then scale the lemon juice up as necessary, a little extra boiling may also be needed to reach setting point.
However smaller batches work far better so try to keep to one punnet!
If you’ve never made jam before I hope that this small batch strawberry jam recipe will inspire you to take the plunge – you can have delicious jam potted up within 20 minutes (the actual jam only takes about 10 minutes to make on the hob)!
How long will this Strawberry Jam keep?
This jam is best eaten within 12 months for colour and quality but will be safe to eat for years. Just keep in a cool, dry, dark place. Once opened, keep in the fridge and use within a few months.
More Strawberry Jam Recipes:
- Strawberry & Gin Jam
- Strawberry Jam (made with jam sugar)
- Rhubarb & Strawberry Jam
- Strawberry & Peach Jam
- Strawberry & Elderflower Jam
- Strawberry, Raspberry & Redcurrant Jam
- Summer Fruits Jam
- Tutti Frutti Jam
- Whole Strawberry & Vanilla Preserve
- Speedy Summer Berry Jam
Here’s a picture of my Strawberry Jam with it’s 1st Prize Winning certificate from my original post!
So if you’ve never made jam before or just need a delicious small batch of strawberry jam to fill a cake or use in an afternoon tea I can’t recommend this recipe enough.
I’m sure you’ll love this strawberry jam so please leave a comment and rating. You can also tag @FabFood4All on Instagram with your pictures as I love seeing my recipes come to life!
Pin One Punnet Strawberry Jam for later!
NB: Originally posted 14 May 2014.
Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- 2 Saucers
- 1 Digital scale
- 1 potato masher
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 teaspoon
- 1 Large metal spoon
- 1 small ladle or jam funnel
- 1 Table knife
- 1 Paring knife
- 1 240 ml glass jar and lid
Ingredients
- 230 g Hulled strawberries washed & dryed (1 punnet)
- 230 g Granulated sugar equal to prepared strawberry weight
- 1 tsp Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- A knob of unsalted butter optional
Instructions
- Put the strawberries in a large saucepan and crush with a potato masher (leave some texture).
- Add the sugar and lemon juice.
- Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Increase heat to bring to a rolling boil and then time for 5 minutes whilst stirring with a wooden spoon (to stop jam from sticking to pan)..
- Remove pan from heat.
- Next, test for set by placing a few drops of jam on a chilled saucer and place in fridge for 30 seconds.
- Then run your finger through the jam on the saucer and if it forms a crinkle and is tacky it’s ready.
- If not boil for another minute and retest until ready.
- Skim any scum from the surface with a metal spoon and add a small knob of butter to disperse any remaining scum if you wish.
- Ladle into a 240 ml sterilised jar and seal with lid immediately.
- Once cool, store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Notes
Put 2 saucers in the freezer.
Sterilise jar by washing in hot soapy water (or take straight from dishwasher), fill with boiling water, empty and then place in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C where you leave until the jam is ready. Washed lid should be sterilised with boiling water and then left to drain.
Christina
You are the jam-making queen! I know how much you recipe test before sharing all of your recipes with us (which many others NEVER do) which is why I trust that your recipes are solid. Thank you for this award-winning recipe!
Camilla
Aw, thank you so much Christina. My recipes and in particular my jam recipes are like children to me so I’m very protective over them:-)
Alison
I’ve made this jam several times, plus your versions for cherry jam and apricot jam. Even tried a mixed berry version with fruits from the garden. Always turns out perfect, soft-set and delicious! Quick and easy too, thank you xx
Camilla
Awesome Alison, so very glad you like the recipe:-)
Aggie
FINALLY a strawberry jam recipe that works! My third attempt this year and now you have come up with the perfect recipe. THANK YOU!
Camilla
Wow Aggie, I’m blown away with receiving a lovely comment from you. Was an avid watcher of How Clean is your House back in the day and never missed an episode. So glad you like the recipe, it’s been hear many years so sorry you missed seeing it before now. You might also like my new Strawberry & Gin Jam with a hint of vanilla which is utterly divine and makes 2 x 200 ml jars:-) https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/strawberry-gin-jam/
Glynis Bright
Like you I had made a Victoria sponge for a friend’s birthday. As I had some home grown strawberries I wanted a quick jam recipe to make the cake extra special. I’m so pleased I found your recipe, I didn’t realise jam making was so easy! Delicious jam!
Camilla
Awesome Glynis, I bet your Victoria Sandwich went down a storm:-)
Clara Jay
We are going to try your recipe with our Beaver and Cub Scouts for our Christmas community involvement project. We are making cards for a local nursing home and a couple of jars of jam. The residents are then going to have a cooking class to bake scones for the gifted jam 🙂
Clara from Ireland !
Camilla
Aaw, that’s lovely Clara, good luck with it all:-)
Jemma
I love this very simple Recipe. We don’t eat a lot of jam or have loads of jars available so this is perfect for us. Could I do the same but other fruits too? I have blue berries being given to me and won’t eat them all just wondering
Camilla
Hi Jemma, you could adapt my Blueberry Jam and scale down the ingredients: https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/simple-blueberry-jam-no-pectin-just-3-ingredients/ And the same goes for any of my other jam recipes but the timings would be quicker so you might want to invest in a digital thermometer to guide you as to when the jam has reached setting point. Jam sets at 104 – 105.5C.
Elle
Excellent recipe, first tried with home grown strawberries, today I’m trying wild blackberry.
Camilla
Thank you Elle, good luck!
Sheilah
Thank Goodness I found your recipe ! Absolutely lovely ! Thank you.
Camilla
So pleased that you like it Sheilah:-)