This healthy strawberry jam is actually the best homemade jam I’ve ever made!
Inspired my Ina Garten’s strawberry jam recipe that creates a lemon syrup with the jam! It’s really the secret touch that brings the strawberry flavor to life!
Making a Healthier Version
Ina Garten’s recipe calls for white sugar and was a bit too sweet for me. So I decided to swap it for unrefined coconut sugar (and way less). Plus mashing the berries in this recipe helps to release their natural juices and sweetness. I use a potato masher for this.
The better quality the produce you can find, the less ingredients you need to add to it. I like a more chunky jam where you can really taste the flavor of the strawberries while still achieving a jam-like texture. Seems obvious but sometimes homemade jams aren’t as thick. This healthy strawberry jam truly has the right taste and texture!
The “secret” ingredient in this recipe is creating a lemon syrup using lemon juice, lemon zest and coconut sugar. This creates a fresh note that really compliments the sweetness of the strawberries. I use my microplane zester to zest the lemon for this recipe. The coconut sugar has a natural caramelized flavor which adds a nice depth of flavor to this healthy strawberry jam, however its not overly sweet.
Adding just a little arrowroot starch at the end of the recipe allows for it to thicken up just the perfect amount.
I always recommend choosing organic where you can and especially in this recipe since it uses the zest of the lemon. Berries are also at the top of the list when picking organic.
I find the organic berries actually have a better taste as well, making this healthy strawberry jam absolutely delicious!
Once you’ve cut your strawberry tops (aka hulled them) for this recipe, don’t discard them!
Make my low waste strawberry top vinaigrette instead! It’s so yummy and versatile and you get two recipes out of one box of strawberries! I love a good buy 1, get 1! 😉
This recipe calls for 4 simple healthy ingredients!
FAQs
Can I use frozen strawberries in this recipe instead?
Yes, if you only have access to frozen strawberries you can use them. Allow them to completely thaw and slightly mash before adding to the sauté pan. This will have a little more liquid-y texture once they defrost so you can add an extra tsp of arrowroot starch if needed.
Can I make this recipe with other berries?
Yes! This recipe is great with berries like raspberry and blackberry as well. If using raspberries, you won’t need to be to mash them down mush beforehand.
Healthy Strawberry Jam (inspired by Ina Garten)
Equipment
- potato masher linked above
- saute pan
- microplaner linked above
Ingredients
- 16 oz. strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar add more if you want a very sweet jam
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch/flour product linked above
Instructions
- Rinse, hull and half strawberries and add them to a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries for a few minutes to release their natural juices. This will break up the strawberries while still leaving some pieces in tact. Set aside.
- To a sauté pan, on low heat, add in the juice and zest of a lemon and coconut sugar to create a lemon syrup. Stir until well combined and sauté for about 5 minutes on a low heat.
- Then add in mashed strawberries and sauté on a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes and add in the arrowroot starch. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until it begins to slightly stick to the bottom of the pan. Turn of the heat and allow to cool.
- Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Video
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