Strawberry Jam: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
Skillet Strawberry Jam — Bright, Quick, and Spoonable
A glossy, one-pan jam that turns ripe strawberries into a bright, spreadable sauce in about 15 minutes on the stove.
This is jam the Snap Skillet way: fast, unfussy, and made entirely in a heavy 10–12 inch skillet so cleanup is a breeze. Ripe strawberries become a glossy, spoonable jam with plenty of texture — not overly processed — so you still get little pockets of fruit alongside syrupy jam. Leo Grant’s weeknight sensibility shows up here: prep is short, the skillet does the work, and the result feels homemade but achievable on a busy night.
The flavor is all about balance: granulated sugar and a touch of vanilla round out the berry sweetness while fresh lemon juice and a kiss of lemon zest keep things bright. A pinch of salt sharpens the fruit, and a cornstarch slurry gives the jam a silky set without long cooking. Stirring and gentle mashing let you control how chunky or smooth the jam ends up — I like leaving a few whole pieces for both texture and that fresh-strawberry burst.
Practical tips you’ll actually use: rinse and hull the berries and quarter any large ones so everything breaks down evenly; toss them with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and let them sit for a few minutes so the sugar starts to draw out juice. Simmer gently, mash to your preference, then whisk the cornstarch into the remaining cold water before adding it back in to thicken. Using a single skillet keeps the process fast and the stovetop tidy.
Once it cools, this jam is wonderfully versatile — spread it on toast for breakfast, swirl it into yogurt, spoon it over ice cream or pancakes, or tuck a jar into the fridge for quick weeknight treats. It makes about four generous servings and can be doubled easily if you want extra to stash for later.
Ingredients
How to Make Strawberry Jam
- Rinse and hull the strawberries; quarter any large berries so pieces are roughly uniform (this helps them break down evenly in the skillet).
- In a 10-12 inch heavy skillet, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the water and the salt; stir to coat and let sit 5 minutes so the sugar starts to draw juice from the fruit.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally; as the berries soften, mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to your preferred chunkiness.
- While the fruit simmers (about 6–8 minutes), whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth to make a slurry.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering fruit and continue cooking 1–2 minutes until the jam thickens and becomes glossy, stirring constantly near the end to prevent sticking.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest; the jam will continue to thicken as it cools—taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon if desired.
- Cool slightly, spoon the jam into a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate. The jam keeps in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or can be frozen in portions for up to 3 months.
Recipe Card
Strawberry Jam
Strawberry Jam: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse and hull the strawberries; quarter any large berries so pieces are roughly uniform (this helps them break down evenly in the skillet).
- In a 10-12 inch heavy skillet, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the water and the salt; stir to coat and let sit 5 minutes so the sugar starts to draw juice from the fruit.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally; as the berries soften, mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to your preferred chunkiness.
- While the fruit simmers (about 6–8 minutes), whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth to make a slurry.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the simmering fruit and continue cooking 1–2 minutes until the jam thickens and becomes glossy, stirring constantly near the end to prevent sticking.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest; the jam will continue to thicken as it cools—taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon if desired.
- Cool slightly, spoon the jam into a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate. The jam keeps in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or can be frozen in portions for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 48.5
- Saturated Fat
- 0
- Sodium
- 75
- Fiber
- 2.3
- Unsaturated Fat
- 0.1
- Protein
- 0.8
- Fat
- 0.2
- Cholesterol
- 0
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 197
- Sugar
- 43.1