This delicious Watermelon Jam recipe is made without pectin and is so beautiful and summery with its vibrant pink colour! You can make it 2 ways, plain or with white rum!
I’m so excited to bring you this delicious, quick and easy, no pectin Watermelon Jam recipe which can be made 2 ways, with or without white rum.
What does Watermelon Jam taste like?
Well, it’s like summer in a jar and brings to mind a tropical beach vibe! Plus it’s so smooth in texture, it’s almost like a Watermelon Jelly
I made 2 versions and the family agreed that the version with white rum really brought out the flavour of the watermelon which is quite subtle on its own.
Both are delicious though. I recommend serving it straight from the fridge just like you would actual watermelon as this also enhances the flavour.
The theory behind this Watermelon Jam recipe!
Due to its subtle flavour, I added half the lemon juice to the watermelon at the cooking stage for it to infuse.
I chose to cook the watermelon first (unlike many recipes) as I didn’t want it to have a granular texture.
Cooking the watermelon takes away the graininess but don’t be fooled into thinking it will soften, it goes chewy! However, this is overcome by blending!
My Watermelon Jam is made without pectin (if this is your first time here, I don’t add pectin to any of my jams).
Watermelon is very low in pectin so adding lemon juice aids the gel formation.
How to make Watermelon Jam 2 Ways (full recipe at bottom of post)
- Gather your ingredients: watermelon, sugar and lemon (white rum is optional).
- Dice the watermelon.
- Add to a preserving pan with 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp water.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer under a lid for 10 – 12 mins.
- Be sure not to simmer the pan dry!
- Place cooked watermelon in a bowl or blender (it will be very firm).
- Blend until smooth.
- Return to the pan with the sugar, another 2 tbsp of lemon juice and optional 1 tbsp white rum if using.
- Stir over a low heat to completely dissolve the sugar. Check for grittiness with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to a rolling boil and time for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Place a few drops of jam on a chilled plate and place in fridge for 1 minute. Then push your finger through the jam. It should form a crinkle (quite subtle) as you do this and feel gel like and tacky. Reboil for 30 seconds if not there yet.
- Once ready, pot up into hot sterilised jars.
- Then screw on lids immediately and allow to cool.
How much jam does this recipe make?
This is a small batch Watermelon Jam so it will make 2 small or one large jar, 400 ml in total.
What’s the best way to remove seeds from Watermelon?
The trick is to buy a small watermelon where the seeds haven’t yet fully developed, that will save you a lot of time. Otherwise just click them out with the tip of a knife.
Can you double the recipe?
You could easily double the recipe but would have to feel your way with the boiling time (I’d still start with 2 minutes). I did use a digital thermometer and the theory is that a set is reached at about 105°C but my jam went up to 107°C and is quite soft set.
As this jam is very quick to reach setting point it would be easy to over do things and end up with toffee so better to go cautiously with timings.
Is Watermelon Jam shelf stable?
Yes, the sugar acts as a preservative and sterilising the jars first ensures no spoiling.
Can you freeze Watermelon Jam?
You can do but there is no need to.
How long will this jam keep?
Watermelon Jam will keep for years in a cool, dark place but is at its best for colour and flavour in the first year.
Do you need to water bath (can) Watermelon Jam?
This is a question I get asked frequently about my jams.
Water bathing isn’t something we do to jams in the UK (and elsewhere) but if you live in the USA and feel more comfortable doing that then you’d need to adapt this recipe by looking at another as a guide.
What can you use Watermelon Jam for?
Apart from using as a spread for bread, croissants, pancakes etc you could also use it as a cake filling, swirl into yogurt, porridge or cheesecake, top ice cream or add to a watermelon Margarita.
More Summer Jam Recipes
Summer is a wonderful time for jam making so here are some more jam recipes that you should definitely try once you’ve made my Watermelon Jam!
Simple Elderberry Jam
- Simple Elderberry Jam
- Quick & Easy Raspberry Jam
- Easy Grape Jam
- Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam (1st Prize Winning)
- Strawberry & Peach Jam
- Simple Blueberry Jam
- Cherry Jam
- Tutti Frutti Jam (Bumbleberry Jam)
- Rhubarb & Ginger Jam
- Rhubarb & Gin Jam
- Peach & Apricot Jam (1st Prize Winning)
- Apricot & Vanilla Jam
- Low Sugar Plum Jam
I’m sure you’ll love this quick and easy Watermelon Jam recipe with or without white rum so do leave a comment and rating below. If you’re on Instagram you can share a photo and tag @FabFood4All as I love seeing my recipes come to life!
Pin for later!
Watermelon Jam 2 Ways
Equipment
- Preserving pan (or similar)
- long wooden spoon
- 2 jam jars with lids
- jam funnel
- Small plate/saucer
Ingredients
- 450 g watermelon flesh (without skin) about a ¼ of a small watermelon
- 450 g granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp (60 mls) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30 mls) water
Optional
- 1 tbsp white rum
Instructions
- Dice the watermelon (about 2 cm), remove seeds and weigh out 450g.
- Place watermelon, half the lemon juice (2 tbsp) and 2 tbsp water into a preserving pan or similar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer under a lid for 10 – 12 minutes. (Stir a couple of times and don’t let the watermelon dry out). This will cook the watermelon but it won’t soften.
- Transfer the watermelon to a bowl or blender and blend until smooth (I use a stick blender).
- Pour the puree back into the pan along with the rest of the lemon juice (2 tbsp) sugar and optional white rum (1 tbsp) if using.
- Heat gently (do not allow to simmer) and stir until the sugar has dissolved completely. Check for any grittiness with a wooden spoon.
- Turn the heat up and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place a few drops of jam on a chilled plate then pop into fridge for a minute.
- Test for set by pushing a finger through the jam, if it forms a subtle crinkle and is tacky and gel like then it is ready. Mine was just ready at 2 minutes but I probably could have done another 30 seconds for a firmer set but it would be easy to go overboard and make toffee so do be cautious).
- If not, bring to a rolling boil for another 30 seconds (yes, this jam is so quick to reach setting point) and test again until setting point reached.
- Pot up into hot sterilised jar/s and seal with lid/s immediately and allow to cool. (A jam funnel is useful here but not imperative).
- Store in a cool, dark place, I like it straight from the fridge!
- Yield 400 mls (1 large or 2 small jars).
Video
Notes
Place 2 - 3 saucers/small plates in the freezer.
Sterilise jars 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 them until the jam is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and then left to drain (if still wet place in oven once you’ve turned the heat off and run with just the fan for a few minutes).
Courtney
The recipe never thickened, not even a little. In the picture, it looked like it at least stayed in place on the plate. No matter how long I cooked it, it stayed the consistency of water. And I followed the recipe/instructions to the letter. 450 grams of sugar was WAY too much. It was sickeningly sweet. Even my kids wouldn’t eat it.
Camilla
Hi Courtney, I’ve amalgamated your 2 comments into this one as otherwise I’d be getting 2 x 2 star ratings from the same person which isn’t fair as your are one person. I’m sorry you didn’t get on with the recipe. With any jam you do need to keep boiling until the jam passes the chilled plate test and not pot up before that is reached. With regards to the sugar content, your watermelon may have been sweeter than the one I used or a different variety.
Darlene
I am making the gin version and tested jelling several times. It is still not very thick. I kept boiling. I am canning now but not convinced it will gel. Maybe my purée was just juice and not much pulp. We’ll see what happens after canning. Since I doubled the recipe I may not have enough pectin. But if it helps without pectin, I’m confused. If it doesn’t gel this time I’ll reboil it with more pectin. The flavor isn’t very watermelon either so far. Maybe after it sits a bit? The gin didn’t help.
Camilla
Hi Darlene, it’s never a good idea to double jam recipes as it really increases the boiling time needed to evaporate the water content from the fruit. You should have boiled until you got a crinkle and the time needed most likely doubled. There’s no gin in this recipe but white rum which goes really well and brings out the flavour of the watermelon. I wouldn’t advise using gin in this recipe. This jam is not a firm set jam as you can see from the photographs but it’s not a liquid either. You may need to reboil to get to setting point if you didn’t get that far. When going off piste with a jam recipe a digital thermometer comes in handy as you can gauge when to test for set when the jam gets to 104 – 105.5 C.
Veronica Bullard
This did not work for me. All I got is watermelon syrup in jars. I would have to process this for at least an hour or until reduced by half or more. It’s a runny, watery mess. My jars sealed beautifully, all except for one jar, and I don’t feel like wasting my lids to try to re-boil the concoction to try to make it into a respectable jam. Boiled watermelon smells like turnips or some other vegetable, squash. It smells like squash. I was disappointed. I thought the watermelon flavor would be intensified but it’s no bueno. No good. Eating raw watermelon is a more pleasant experience.
Camilla
Hi Veronica, could you clarify if you followed my recipe as written whereby you carry on boiling the jam until a crinkle forms on a chilled plate or did you try to convert this to a canning process? I only ask as you say “the lids sealed beautifully” which has no bearing on whether or not a jam is ready. I’d also point out that the jam will look just like it does in the photos, it’s not a thick, stiff jam as you can see on the Scotch pancakes. Adding the rum is my favourite version.
Retsuko
Sadly, same. It’s all syrup in jars, with separation. I will be reprocessing it with pectin once I get some in an attempt to save it.
Camilla
Hi Retsuko, can I ask if you followed the recipe as written?
Jeremy Stulak
try adding another teaspoon of lemon juice to the batch! always use fresh squeezed because the pulp in the lemon juice is where a lot of pectin is. add a teaspoon of butter at the second time you boil after you add the sugar. this will prevent foaming and clarify the jam [gramma’s secret trick].
you can also slice an apple in fourths [around the core] and steep it in the jam on the second boil [imparts little flavor and adds a LOT of pectin] just make sure there are no apple seeds when you boil. remove the large slices and proceed to jarring.
good luck! i really hope you can enjoy this delightful recipe!
A
How much sugar??
Camilla
Gosh I literally had heart failure then. It’s there in the recipe, 450 grams.
Gilly
Watermelon jam, why didn’t anyone think of that before 🙂 Thank you for posting.
Camilla
Glad you like it:-)
Sarah
I’m new to canning and want to try this. Can you tell me why you don’t use pectin? Is pectin bad for you? I’m a little nervous for my first try to not thicken up without pectin. But if it’s better for you without the pectin then it’s worth the try.
Camilla
Hi Sarah, the first jam I ever made was with jam sugar that contains pectin and I just disliked the firm texture that it gave. Lemons are natural and the juice gives a softer set in jams that need additional pectin (lemon juice doesn’t contain pectin but it aids in the gelling process). Lemons are also cheaper than buying manufactured pectin and they’re kinder to the environment as not packaging to dispose of.
Jere Cassidy
This watermelon jam is a must-try, I can only imagine what it tastes like especially with the rum.
Camilla
Thank you Jere, I’m sure you’ll love it:-)
Sara LaFountain
Delicious summer jam! Easy to make recipe and loved the flavors. Kids want to make another batch!
Camilla
That makes me so happy Sara, so glad you all liked my Watermelon Jam:-)
Liz
I have never made watermelon jam before, but what a great idea! Who doesn’t love watermelon?!
Camilla
Thank you Liz, it’s a great way to prolong the summer:-)
Choclette
I’m completely intrigued by the concept of watermelon jam. And I love the idea of a rum version. What a fabulous recipe.
Camilla
Thank you Choclette, it’s a lovely change from the usual:-)
Ina Patience
Could you substitute GIN for the rum ?
Camilla
Hi Ina, I have made Rhubarb & Gin Jam which was delicious. It had a sort of “clean” flavour, so it could work here but I couldn’t vouch for it 100% as I haven’t tried it. But do let me know how you get on if you try it!