Microwave Strawberry Jam – No Pectin
This microwave strawberry jam is a great option when you need a delicious jam quickly. Just one bowl, three ingredients, and 15 minutes of cooking. And it’s without any pectin or artificial flavorings. Use fresh or frozen strawberries, and you will never have to buy a store-bought jam again.
I never buy jam or jelly. First, I find it too sweet. And secondly, the fruit content is very low. I like my jam to be fruity, not sugary or sweet. So, I would rather have a jam with a shorter shelf life than one that can be stored for a year because it’s preserved with too much sugar. Know what I mean?
Why make microwave jam?
- Unlike classic strawberry jam, which is made on the stovetop and sterilized in canning jars, this jam is made in the microwave.
- This is a quick and easy version that gets done in less than 15 minutes.
- A very forgiving recipe – For example, if you cook it less and find it is still not set, just put it back in the microwave for a minute or two. Similarly, if you find it too thick, just add a few tablespoons of water and stir well.
- And, of course, unlike our strawberry jelly, this is made without pectin.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Strawberries – The best candidates for jams are the strawberries that are dark red and more on the soft side. For instance, the ones that have been kept aside in the fridge for a day or two.
Pro tip – Never let the strawberries soak in water, as they absorb water, and make a very runny jam. I like to wash, hull, and dry the strawberries with a paper towel or leave them in the fridge to completely dry – this also helps reduce the cooking time. - Sugar – Traditionally, people use a ratio of 1:1 for fruit and sugar, just like commercial jams. That’s too sweet for me. Since I prefer my jam to be more fruity, I use less sugar. Sometimes, I prefer using thick granulated sugar so it cooks slowly with the fruit. Today, I’m using fine-grain sugar.
- Lemon juice – It’s best to use fresh lemon juice. You can also add zest, but I’m not a big fan of zest in my strawberry jam.
Step-by-step: Microwave Strawberry Jam
- Check the strawberries and remove any bad, discolored, or bruised ones. Give them a quick wash and drain them in a colander.
Pro tip – You can use soft strawberries, but discolored and bruised ones will ruin the jam. Also, don’t soak the fruit in water for too long, as they do soak up moisture. - Hull the strawberries and give them a rough chop.
Pro tip – Hulling strawberries simply means removing the stalk and white tough part below the stalk in the center of the strawberries. - In a microwave-safe bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Pro tip – Use a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup at least 4 times larger than the ingredients because the sugar mixture will rise high when cooking.
- Remove from the microwave, stir well, then use a vegetable masher and mash the strawberries.
Pro tip – This will give a smoother consistency of jam and break down the fruit pectin. - Put it back in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Remove, stir, and do the same again – 5 more minutes. Total cooking time so far: 13 minutes.
Pro tip – At first, all the sugar will dissolve, and it will look very liquidy. But it will thicken as the water in the sugar evaporates through cooking.
- Continue microwaving at 3 to 5-minute intervals. Depending on the power of your microwave, it will take from 15 to 25 minutes. I have an 800 W microwave, and it took me about 25 minutes.
Pro tip – What’s important is to note the consistency of the jam (as shown in the video). - Let the jam cool in the bowl for a few minutes until it is easier to handle, then pour it into a sterilized jar.
- This jam will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
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Frequently asked question
How can I thicken jam without pectin?
All fruits have pectin, which is a natural substance. Some fruits, like apples and berries, have more pectin than others. Our grandmothers did not use any artificial pectin. And yet, they’ve made us some amazing jams. Low-heat, slow cooking is the key to making a good jam because that’s when the pectin is naturally released.
Why do we add lemon juice to strawberry jam?
Almost all jams use lemon juice. Lemon is a great way to cut down on that sweetness with a citrus edge. It also prevents the sugar from crystallizing. Most importantly, the lemon helps prevent any growth of bacteria when canning the jam.
What can you do with strawberry jam? How else can you use homemade jam?
No matter what jam you make, there is so much you can do with it besides spreading it on toast. I often use jam in my macarons for a quick fruit filling. My kids love to help me make shortbread cookies, so they can stick their thumbs in the center and add jam. Also, nothing beats fresh, homemade fried donuts filled with a jam that just melts in the mouth. These classic Linzer cookies are made every year for gifts. And I use any or all types of jams I have from that year.
Microwave Strawberry Jam – (3 ingredients)
This microwave strawberry jam is a great option when you need a delicious jam done quickly. Just one bowl, 3 ingredients, 15 minutes of cooking, and without any pectin or artificial flavorings. Use fresh or frozen strawberries and you will never have to buy a store-bought jam again.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) Strawberries
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- ¼ tsp Salt (optional)
Method
- Check the strawberries and remove any that are bad, discolored, or bruised. Give them a quick wash and drain them in a colander.Pro tip – You can use soft strawberries, but discolored and bruised ones will ruin the jam. Also, don't soak the fruit in water for too long, as they soak up moisture.
- Hull the strawberries and give them a rough chop.Pro tip – Hulling strawberries simply means removing the stalk and white tough part below the stalk in the center of the strawberries.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Pro tip – Use a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup at least 4 times larger than the ingredients because the sugar mixture will rise high when cooking.
- Remove from the microwave, stir well, then use a vegetable masher and mash the strawberries. Pro tip – This will give a smoother consistency of jam and break down the fruit pectin.
- Put it back in the microwave for another 5 minutes. Then, remove it, stir, and repeat for five more minutes. The total cooking time so far is 13 minutes.Pro tip – At first, all the sugar will dissolve and it will look very liquidy. But, it will thicken as the water in the sugar evaporates through cooking.
- Continue microwaving at 3 to 5 minutes intervals. Depending on the power of your microwave, it will take from 15 to 25 minutes. I have an 800 W microwave, and it took me about 25 minutes.Pro tip – What's important is to note the consistency of the jam. (as shown in the video).
- Let the jam cool in the bowl for a few minutes until it is easier to handle, then pour it into a sterilized jar.
- This jam will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Wash, clean, and drain the strawberries – excess water in the bowl will need a longer cooking time.
- Use a bowl larger than you think it will need. Cooked sugar rises high and can overflow. Most importantly, cooked sugar can cause severe burns.
- Ensure the bowl you use is microwave-safe, as this mixture gets VERY hot.
- Use a fine grain of sugar so it dissolves quickly in the fruit.
- Mash the fruit if you like a spreadable jam. Leave the fruit larger if you like a chunky jam.
- Most of the scum in this jam settles on the sides of the bowl, so avoid scraping that into the jam.
- To increase the shelf life of the jam, use a clean, sterilized jar to store the jam.
- If not sure, let the jam cool for a few minutes, then if necessary, cook some more.
- If you like to flavor your jam – try orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla bean.
- For easy cleanup – pour hot water into the bowl and leave it for a few minutes. It is easier to clean.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Hi Veena , I want to make this jam on Monday but I have only frozen strawberries. Do I have to wash and dry these,e as the fresh ones…. what is the process for frozen strawberries? Also I bought 1 kg fresh plums to make Jam . Can the same recipe be followed. ? I like your recipe because I too it less sweet and more fruity.pls do give your advice so that I Can make this.
No Gayathri. You can use frozen strawberries as is. Just ensure you don’t have to much excess ice around it. You can also thaw it with the sugar in the fridge overnight. The sugar helps macerate the fruit. You can follow the recipe exactly like this
Thank you so much for your swift reply 🙂
This recipe turned out perfect! Have you ever tried freezing the microwave jam?
No, but I don’t see why you can’t. I just make small batches when I need them cause my freeze space is limited
It would have never occurred to me to use a microwave to make jam. This is awesome!
Thanks, Jen. Yes, so easy too
Making strawberry jam is a tradition for my family. I grew up heading out to the u-pick fields after dinner and picking a flat each night so eventually my grandparents had enough that they could make strawberry jam for us all year long.
Aww, such lovely memories Angelina. I hope you still make jam like your grandmom.
I had no idea you could make strawberry jam in the microwave! This is awesome. Thanks for all the great tips, too.
Thank you, Katherine. I hope you try it
This is a great way to make small batches of jam, for when I run out of my canned jams. Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely, Beth. This way you never have to run out of jam.
I rarely eat jam because, like you, I find it too sweet. What a great idea to come up with a recipe with more fruit and less sugar!
Thank you, Pam
This recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it. Quick question – I want to use blueberries and lime instead of strawberries and lemon. Would that be okay? Thanks!
Yes, Marcy. I have made blueberry and lime juice and that works perfectly. The lime and lemon are just to prevent crystalization later and of course, they have pectin as well. Let me know how it went