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I originally made this no pectin Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam to put in my Victoria Sandwich.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.
Sam McKean
You can’t beat a good homemade strawberry jam and i’m always buying strawberries on clearance!
Camilla
Totally true:-)
Richard Eldred Hawes
I do like strawberry jam on my toast in the morning
Camilla
Fab, hope you get to make this quick recipe:-)
Ashley
How should I store the jam and for how long is it good?
Camilla
Once open it’s best to keep it in the fridge. I don’t think storage will be an issue as it’s so delicious but should last in the fridge until you’ve finished it, which in our house is about 2 weeks but I’m sure it would be good for 2 – 3 months or more. If it hasn’t been opened jam will keep in a cool dark place for at least a year and often far, far longer! Again this shouldn’t be an issue with such a small batch;-)
Ashley
Thank you! I made it and it’s yummy!
Camilla
Brilliant, glad you liked it:-)
Hazel Rea
Such a great idea – next summer we will use it to make jam with Hapil from the PYO farm – this variety is not available in supermarkets as it does not travel well but it has the most amazing flavour.
Camilla
Sounds great:-)
Lesley
Thank you Camilla, My husband and l have retired and now live in France with our daughter, son in law and three teenage granddaughters. This is our first year here and I have started making jellies and jams for the first time in many years. Principally using the glut of apples we have from the orchard and the mint which is rampant our hedgerows. However I had some strawberries and thought I would look for a recipe on the web that was easy and reasonably quick.
Wow ! I have just finished making your recipe and again, WOW ! So quick and easy and tasty, so tasty that two of the girls were dipping teaspoons into the final jar and eating the still warm jam ! If that isn’t a great recommendation, I don’t know what is. I will need to go and buy some more berries and make some more because I have a feeling the 3 remaining jars won’t last long !
We have plenty of big juicy wild rose hips, so I was wondering if you have a good recipe using these. I think I remember my grandmother saying you shouldn’t pick them until after the first frost, is that correct ?
Camilla
Lesley, so glad you like the jam and love the sound of your hedgerows. I only started my foray into jam making in the last 3 years and love it so much but I’m afraid I’ve never cooked with rosehips so can’t help on that one! If you’ve got lots of apples do check out my Plum & Apple Jam and Blackberry & Apple Jam both of which I’m sure you’d love:-) https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/plum-apple-jam/ & https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/easy-blackberry-apple-jam/
Rebecca
Many thanks for posting as with this recipe I was award 1st place in a class of 6 at the Churchdown Show last Saturday 🙂 The only change I made was to use Jam Sugar simply because that’s what I had in the cupboard.
Camilla
That’s so funny, winning an award with my award winning jam LOL:-) Nice to know it can win awards elsewhere too:-)
Tracy Nixon
This sounds gorgeous! A must have for scones and cream!
Camilla
Definitely good for scones & cream;-)
Kirsty Fox
Great idea, I had loads of strawberries left over last week from strawberry picking and didn’t know what to do with them, so I chucked them away, I wish I had seen this earlier.
Camilla
Oh goodness Kirsty you could have frozen them!
Ursula Hunt
Bet you were thrilled to win first prize, I would have been!
Camilla
Yes, couldn’t believe I’d won 2nd time in a row and it wasn’t even the jam I intended to enter but a mishap with a cherry one meant I used this one!
Angie Hoggett
brilliant recipe, thanks for sharing!