An easy, small-batch strawberry jam with the herbal note of bay leaves. Bright, sweet, and summery, it makes good use of seasonal berries.
If you love jam but don’t love the amount of work and time it takes to make a large batch, we’ve got you covered! This small-batch strawberry jam makes a lightly sweet preserve, where you can actually taste the fruit. A couple of dried bay leaves added while the jam cooks add a subtle herbal background note which we love.
All you need is a pint of berries (though the recipe can easily be double or tripled), a small amount of sugar, a couple of bay leaves, and pectin powder. If you’re not familiar, pectin powder is readily available in the canning section of most grocery stores. Feel free to make the jam with frozen berries if that’s what you’ve got, but note that seasonal summer berries are best!
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Ingredients
Method
Place the sliced strawberries in a medium-sized pot. Use a potato masher to crush the berries until they are well-mashed but still chunky.
Add the bay leaves to the pot.
Place the pot over medium-high heat on the stove and bring the crushed berries to a rolling boil. Quickly stir in the sugar and pectin powder. Stir the jam constantly for two minutes as it continues to cook over medium-high heat.
Remove the pot from the heat and that’s it! As the jam cools, use a spoon to gently skim off and discard any foam that develops on top.
Once cool, remove the bay leaves and spoon the jam into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place the jar in the fridge to fully set. For more information about cooked jam, check your package of pectin to better understand how it works.
Tips and Notes
Fresh summer strawberries taste best for this recipe.
This recipe doubles and triples well.
Because of the low amount of sugar, if you want to can the jam, use a water bath or pressure-canning method. If you’re not an experienced canner, we recommend storing the jam in the refrigerator or freezer instead.
Substitutions
Frozen strawberries work well if you want to make small-batch strawberry jam out of season. If you choose this route, it might be helpful to thaw the berries in a sieve before cooking the jam. Thawing and draining the berries will help reduce extra water content.
Though they add a lovely flavour, the bay leaves are totally optional. You can use other herbs, such as thyme or basil, or leave the herbs out completely if preferred.
Liquid pectin can be substituted for pectin powder, however, you will have to read your specific pectin package to determine how to do this.
More Refrigerator Preserves
Candied Mixed Peel
Hibiscus Simple Syrup
Strawberry Ginger Simple Syrup
Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
Honey Elderflower Cordial
Recipe
Small-Batch Strawberry Jam With Bay Leaves
An easy, small-batch strawberry jam with the herbal note of bay leaves. Bright, sweet, and summery, it makes good use of seasonal berries.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 g) halved strawberries, stems removed
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tbsp pectin powder
Instructions
- Place the sliced strawberries in a medium-sized pot. Use a potato masher to crush the berries until they are well-mashed but still chunky.
- Add the bay leaves to the pot. Place the pot over medium-high heat on the stove and bring the crushed berries to a rolling boil. Quickly stir in the sugar and pectin powder. Stir the jam constantly for two minutes as it continues to cook over medium-high heat.
- Remove the pot from the heat and that's it! As the jam cools, use a spoon to gently skim off and discard any foam that develops on top.
- Once cool, remove the bay leaves and spoon the jam into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place the jar in the fridge to fully set. For more information about cooked jam, check your package of pectin to better understand how it works.
Notes
Summer strawberries taste best for this recipe.
This recipe doubles and triples well.
Because of the low amount of sugar, if you want to can the jam, use a water bath or pressure-canning method. If you're not an experienced canner, we recommend storing the jam in the refrigerator or freezer instead.
Substitutions
Frozen strawberries work well if you want to make small-batch strawberry jam out of season. If you choose this route, it might be helpful to thaw the berries in a sieve before cooking the jam. Thawing and draining the berries will help reduce extra water content.
Though they add a lovely flavour, the bay leaves are totally optional. You can use other herbs, such as thyme or basil, or leave the herbs out completely if preferred.
Liquid pectin can be substituted for pectin powder, however, you will have to read your specific pectin package to determine how to do this.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 36Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator.
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