Easy homemade strawberry herb Jam is made without pectin, only 4-ingredients with a choice of herbs that enhance the sweetness of strawberries.
Modern Jam Recipes
Unless making huge batches of jam to sell to the public, there is no need to make jam the old fashioned way, with pectin.
As fast as we will eat this strawberry jam, an easy recipe made with only strawberries, sugar, a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of potato starch is what spring strawberry herb jam is all about.
No Pectin Jam
Yes pectin is a thickening agent, found naturally in most fruits and vegetables, and not only a commercial shelf-stable powder used to make jams.
Most often, the ingredients in pectin can range from dextrose, monocalcium phosphate, some form of fruit pectin, sugar and citric acid.
If enough sugar is added to the strawberries when cooking them, the sugar will thicken, much as when caramelizing sugar.
However, I want the strawberries to be the sweetness and not tons of sugar, so with a pinch of sugar and a pinch of potato starch (simply dehydrated potatoes), the perfect jam consistency is obtained.
Strawberries
Who doesn’t love the sweet juicy taste of freshly picked strawberries, spring’s first fruits of the year.
Thankfully we are able to obtain strawberries throughout much of the year, however the sweetest strawberries we can buy are often from our local farmers.
Five long months with naked trees, freezing temps and no sign of life coming from the ground, we are always excited when our local farmer in Maryland starts teasing us with messages of strawberries on their way.
So, after a long winter of no fresh fruits, who’s ready to make an easy strawberry jam with a hint of herbs for a variety of uses? Oh, yes we are!
Strawberries And Herbs Of Spring
The arrival of March, when suddenly the first strawberry leaves emerge from the ground, is when I know that spring is on its way!
Luckily for me, I grow strawberries and every year in a small corner of my yard, along with a variety of herbs that manage winter too.
When I see them return, I am absolutely amazed that they live throughout the cold of winter and pop up once again to say hello!
I do cheat a bit too by putting a few pots of strawberries and lots of herbs in my little greenhouse during the winter to hurry spring along.
A Strawberry Patch In Early Spring
Once I see a few strawberry leaves in my own yard, I hop in my car and drive to the large strawberry farm nearby to see how it’s looking over there!
By April, we are ready to pick strawberries and make them into jam, ice cream, cocktail, savory and sweet recipes; that is, if we don’t eat them all when freshly picked!
- Strawberry Ginger Ice Cream Bowls – Bowls that deliciously envelope garden fresh strawberries, ginger root, rum and ginger crisps.
- Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mocktail – A sip everyone can enjoy, and yes you can always add a little booze to a mocktail.
- Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles – Because summertime is all about popsicles, yet these are perfect to stash in the freezer for wintertime cold and flu season.
- Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad – The perfect savory strawberry salad with spinach, feta, bacon and a strawberry vinaigrette dressing.
- Farm Fresh Strawberry Tarts – Of course we must have a strawberry tart in a buttery pastry with a coconut custard tucked inside.
Strawberries Are Easy To Grow
Even though I grow a few strawberry plants, when strawberry picking season begins, I want to experience the excitement with others, so I make sure to visit a local ‘Pick Your Own Strawberry’ farm!
Since I have a small area I could designate to growing strawberries, I found the only work was when I put them in the ground.
After that first year, they come back every year and produce more strawberries with each spring.
Quick Homemade Strawberry Herb Jam
Fresh, sweet, juicy strawberries can be bought nearly year round, so why not make a quick jam out of them.
I’ve never been that cook that has lots of cans and jars in my pantry; I prefer to make much of my food from scratch.
For this reason, I created an easy strawberry jam technique that doesn’t use pectin, brought a deeper layer of flavor with herbs, and can last in the fridge for several weeks, or frozen.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Jam Recipe
Simple ingredients simmered together until the strawberries release their juices, the sugar dissolves, and the herbs add a deep layer of flavor to an otherwise, sometimes too sweet jam.
This easy herb strawberry jam will last for about a week to ten days in the fridge and several months in the freezer.
Strawberry jam is delicious as a spread on tea sandwiches, drizzled down a scoop of vanilla ice cream for sure, but let’s stretch your appetite for something totally whimsical: Button Cups!
Button Cups With Herb Strawberry Jam and Almond Butter
Button cups are something whimsical I made for a television cooking show, The Great American Recipe on PBS.
I was thrilled to be chosen to film in this first-class production and so I knew something absolutely spectacular had to be created for such an occasion.
These button cups, which are shortbread cookies, filled with strawberry jam and almond butter, wowed the judges, especially since I made every aspect of them in 60-minutes!
Having created these button cups for my daughter’s third birthday, they are loved just as much now that she is thirty!
What Inspired Button Cups With Homemade Strawberry Jam?
It was a whimsical attempt, with the help of my daughter’s older brother, to help me create something different for a little girl’s tea party.
We read Beatrix Potter critter stories and it was the little Tailor and Cutter mouse that caught my daughters fantasy.
I used a large wooden button to shape the cookie that would go on top of a tart shell, and filled the tarts with nut butter and jam. It was a hit then, and still is to this day.
Fast forward to a few years ago, when I was visiting the Cotswolds in England, and came across the enchanting World of Beatrix Potter shop!
It took me back many years to the memories of reading these stories to my children. I knew I had to take one of the critters home with me.
Aleppo In Strawberry Jam?
Robin, have you lost your mind? Oh… Not at all!! Sweet things, for me, open the door to so many other layers of flavors besides sugary sweet, which is why I often add herbs to my sweet recipes.
Aleppo pepper is a smoked, slightly sweet, yet a little bit hot, pepper flake, somewhat like a paprika only with a bit more heat.
When added to the simmering strawberry jam, it wakes the mouth up and brings out the natural sweetness of the strawberries.
Thyme The Versatile Herb
Thyme is a tiny, yet very aromatic leaf.
It was never a flower, and only when they have fully grown, and ready to produce seeds for another harvest does a flower form on the tops.
The flowers on the tops of thyme are not often what we cook with, though we can, the thyme leaves remain a very earthy and aromatic herbal essence.
More about a garden to table lifestyle can be found in my recent published book Dirt To Dish.
Herbs In Sweet Recipes
The combination of sweet floral essence and earthy aromatic essence makes for a beautiful umami flavor.
Add to that a pinch of heat and you’ve got a jam worth making a cookie or homemade bread, to spread it over!
More Jams You’re Sure To Love
Depending on the season, I love to make a fresh fruit jam to incorporate into lots of recipes.
- Homemade Orange Blossom Marmalade – Orange rinds, pulp, juice and the essence of the orange blossoms.
- Homemade Savory Or Sweet Fig Jam – With chilies, garlic and bourbon or simply sweet fresh figs.
How About A Strawberry Herb Jam Babka!
A babka dough, from a classic Mediterranean brioche dough recipe, with a delicious filling of strawberry jam, is a decadent way to show off your amazing strawberry jam!
Strawberry Herb Jam Babka is part bread, part cake, this rich brioche type bread, which originated in Jewish communities of Poland, also thought to have derived from a poplar Easter cake made in Eastern Europe, is as rich in flavor as it is in tradition.
Ingredients Needed
- Strawberries – the fresher, as in locally grown, the sweeter, since imported are often picked while still green and not sweet.
- Sugar – just a little sugar will bring out the sweetness of the strawberry, this jam is not swimming in sugar.
- Aleppo pepper – an optional ingredient, though adds a dimension of smoke and heat, which compliments the sweet natural strawberry juice.
- Fresh Thyme – though rosemary or sage would be my backup choices.
- Lemon juice and a little zest which compliments the strawberry sweetness.
- Potato starch or cornstarch – just a little is used to thicken a bit, so pectin is not needed.
- Salt because salt makes sweet, sweeter.
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan – preferrable a heavy weight saucepan, even small, will cook fruits evenly without the risk of burning the way a lightweight pan can do.
- Cutting board and knife to trim and chop the strawberries and herbs.
- Food processor, even a basic inexpensive food processor makes this and many kitchen jobs fast and easy.
- 12 oz. Mason jar with a lid for storing the strawberry jam once it is made.
- Whisk or wooden spoon to stir while cooking.
- Stovetop or burner to simmer the strawberries over the heat and dissolve the sugar into the juices of the fruit.
Easy Strawberry Herb Jam Without Pectin
Equipment
- Saucepan with lid
- Glass jar with lid
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Strawberries
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper see notes
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme or other fresh herb
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Potato starch or cornstarch
- Salt pinch to taste
Instructions
- Cut off the tops of the washed strawberries. Roughly chop the strawberries.
- In a food processor or blender, place the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and pulse enough to mash the strawberries, leaving little chunks of fruit.
- Transfer the strawberry mixture to a saucepan, along with the Aleppo pepper, potato starch (or cornstarch) and salt. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the strawberry mixture thickens. Cool.
- Transfer to a closed container and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Video
Notes
- Aleppo is a smoked pepper but can be substituted with 1 finely chopped chili pepper and 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika.Â
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.