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Did you know you can whip up jam without pectin or fancy equipment? We’re sharing our secret for making a 3-ingredient jam that’s not only foolproof but also comes in four berry-licious flavors. Whether you’re a jam-making newbie or just looking for a quick and easy recipe, this will be your new go-to!
save this recipe!The Easiest Jam Ever
Naturally occurring pectin in fruit and citrus zest will give us a perfectly thick, delicious fruit spread (in 4 berry tasty flavors!).
And the real beauty of this recipe? You can use frozen fruit! That’s right, homemade jam all year round. Just stir everything together and simmer it on the stovetop. Mash it up a bit to let the juices cook, then remove the mixture from the heat when your jam is nice and thick (I mean, does it get any easier?).
Reader rating
“Thank you – I’ve been making jams/jellies for 50 yrs. My signature is a holiday Wine Jelly. At 82, I’m slowing down a bit and so appreciate a quick, simple recipe for a jar or two for me. Wow – is all I can say – less work and delightful results.” —Maureen Hash
Grab These 3 Ingredients
Depending on the type of jam you choose to make, you will need slightly different ingredients. But the concept is the same for each.
- Berries: We will use 2 heaping cups of ripe berries. They bring that fun fruity flavor and naturally occurring pectin, which helps thicken the jam.
- Sugar: The sugar will vary depending on the sweetness of your fruit.
- Citrus: Orange or lemon work well and serve a few purposes. The juice of the citrus adds acidity, helping to bring out the fruity flavors. Orange or lemon zest adds natural pectin to thicken the jam (and add flavor!).
Making Jam Without Pectin Is So Simple
After making jam yourself, you’ll wonder why you ever chose store-bought jam to begin with! The taste is so much more flavorful, and you know that you’re consuming less gnarly preservatives. Homemade all the way!
- Cook the ingredients together in a saucepan, then mash them.
- Cool the mixture by removing it from the heat and letting it sit.
What is pectin?
Pectin is a starch that occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables (usually in the rinds or seeds). There is also a man-made version that is often added to recipes like jam. It activates in the cooking process, typically acting as a thickening agent that helps create a gel-like consistency.
When processed pectin is used, the resulting jam cooks faster but usually tastes less flavorful. Making jam without pectin takes a few extra minutes, but it’s way more natural and tastes uber delicious!
Customize It!
We kept this recipe super simple, but you can really amp up the flavor with some fresh herbs (basil or mint would be amazing), vanilla, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, or even black peppercorns.
Feel free to use the same measurements to make blackberry jam or peach jam without pectin—just adjust the sweetener and cooking time as needed!
Or add chia seeds to your jam for an even thicker texture and extra nutrients!
Serve This Jam With
- Yogurt Cheese: Smear some homemade cheese and jam on crackers for the most delicious snack ever!
- Eggless French Toast: Who can turn down jam-stuffed French toast?! Or, top your Sunday morning pancakes and waffles with a dollop!
- Egg White Oatmeal: The only thing to make this oatmeal dreamier is a swirl of berry jam and some peanut butter.
How To Make Jam Without Pectin (4 Flavors!)
Ingredients
Strawberry Jam
- 2 cups strawberries, 400 g, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup sugar, 56 g
- 2 Tbsp orange juice + 1 Tbsp zest
Blueberry Jam
- 2 cups blueberries, 400 g, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup sugar, 56 g
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp zest
Cranberry Jam
- 2 cups cranberries, 200 g, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar, 112 g
- 2 Tbsp orange juice + 1 Tbsp zest
Raspberry Jam
- 2 cups raspberries, 200 g, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar, 112 g
- 2 Tbsp orange juice + 1 Tbsp zest
Instructions
- Cook: Combine berries, sugar, juice, and zest in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook, uncovered, until berries begin to soften. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the berries a bit, then increase heat to medium/high and let simmer (10 min for cranberries, 20-30 min for strawberries and blueberries).
- Cool: Remove from heat and allow to cool (mixture will thicken as it cools).
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Thank you – I’ve been making jams/jellies for 50 yrs. My signature is a holiday Wine Jelly. At 82, I’m slowing down a bit and so appreciate a quick, simple recipe for a jar or two for me. Wow – is all I can say – less work and delightful results. Blessings to you and All
I would love your recipe for holiday wine jelly, if you’re willing to share!! That’s actually what I was looking for when I ended up on this site, so that I could give small mason jars to family and friends as part of their Christmas presents. I was trying to figure out how I can incorporate the wine with this one, but this might be just a recipe for me. Haha!
How much does this make? Can you use other fruits in it in combination, like strawberry and apricot?
Each will make a little less than 1 cup! And you can definitely combine different fruits like that 😀
Yes
When making the raspberry jam, is there a point in the process to strain the seeds out? I’ve never made jam before.
I don’t usually!
Love your recipes. couldn’t find jam recipe without pectin.
THANK YOU!
I have a recipe for strawberry jam which takes 3 days for various procedures so would this simple recipe really set well? I hate to think it won’t be successful and strawberries will be wasted.
Yep this recipe helps to release the pectins in the berries, which naturally set the jam. You can always make a small batch to test it for yourself before using all of your strawberries.
Yummy made all 3 and then canned it
What is the yield?
It makes about 1 cup of each! 😀
Hi and thank you for this great no pecked in recipes I was wondering if we could turn the cranberry into cranberry pepper jelly what would I need to add? Thank you for your time
I would add 1/2 to 1 jalapeno while cooking to infuse it with spice!
I haven’t tried these recipes yet but will do so when I get my next batch of fruit. I have problems with the setting. I use Certo but still not setting as it should. My marmalade is no better. I had to throw a whole batch of 8 jars of lemon away because of the set. A few months ago I made orange marmalade and it was great. At the moment I am re-boiling some plum jam because of the set. I used certo in it. I am making more plum at the weekend because 2 friends have loads on their trees and only eat a few of the fruits. I am doing something wrong because m sister in AUS uses same recipe and her jams etc win prizes. Can you PM me to help. I am getting on a bit (77 yrs) so I take ages to read and digest what you write. Thank you Barbara Duke PS which is best liquid or powdeed Pectin
Hi Barbara! This recipe doesn’t use any added pectin so it doesn’t set super firm. The natural pectin in the fruit peels and skin is enough to make it jammy. Are you heating it hot enough?
How about stone fruit jam without pectin. Would arrowroot work—without damaging the flavor?
That should work! 😀