31 Shares

This recipe for homemade strawberry jalapeño jam is sweet and zesty – the perfect way to capture the flavors of spring and summer together to top your cornbread with all year long.

In our house, we’re huge fans of strawberries – my daughter says it’s her favorite season (forget spring, summer, fall, and winter). On the flip side, spicy peppers like jalapeños are always controversial.

Not just whether we they’re good or not, but how. My dad is notorious for never mixing sweet and heat. pepper jelly? No. Peppers belong with vinegar and other savory flavors.

And I partly agree – but only partly.

While I do love savory heat, there’s something captivating about the juxtaposition of a sweet strawberry jam, with the heat of jalapeño pepper added to it.

Served on flaky sourdough biscuits in the morning, it will certainly wake you up!

Ingredients for Strawberry Jalapeño jam

If you’ve made jam before, it’ll come as no surprise that the ingredient list here is simple, and exactly what you expect:

Strawberries
Jalapenos
Lime or lemon juice
Sugar
Fruit pectin

While there are pectins designed for sugar-free jams, such as the one used in this sugar-free strawberry jam recipe, most jams have as much or more sugar as fruit.

For some dietary needs, this can make traditional jams undesirable, but for most of us, using a teaspoon of jam on an english muffin, it’s part of a balanced diet.

Can I use a different kind of pepper?

Technically, you could. But the flavor and heat level would be different depending on what kind of pepper you use, so do so at your own risk.

Should I use red (ripe) jalapeños, or green?

Since red jalapeños have had more time to mature, they will be hotter than green jalapeños. I used green for a slightly milder result, and you, of course, can use what you prefer.

On that note, there are mild varieties of jalapeños that you can grow, or potentially find at farmer’s markets, and some stores, if you like to enjoy the flavor of peppers, but not the heat.

How to make strawberry jalapeño jam

Prepare the strawberries

First, cap washed fresh strawberries, and then crust. You can do this by pulsing in a food processor, roughly chopping, then mashing with a potato masher, or, as shown in the video below, using an immersion blender. I like this method because it’s faster, and cleanup is easier.

Prepare the jalapeños

Cut stems from washed jalapeños, and deseed. Dice finely, or, pulse in food process. This method however, can result in some pieces being left larger, so beware if large pieces of jalapeño in your jam is a concern, you are better off using a knife and cutting board.

Make the jam

Combine prepared strawberries and jalapeños in a large saucepan (at least four quart)
Stir in powdered pectin, and heat over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a full boil
Add sugar all at once, and stir until dissolved
Bring mixture back to a full rolling boil that can’t be stirred down, and boil for exactly one minute
Remove from stove, and skim foam from the top. You can transfer this foam to a bowl or container to use later.

How to can strawberry Jalapeño Jam

Jams and jellies are canned via a process called water bath canning. For this, we don’t need a pressure canner, only a large pot that is at least two inches taller than your canning jars.

After skimming foam from jam, ladle into sterilized jelly jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace
Wipe rims of jars with a soft cloth to remove any debris that might inhibit a seal
Screw down lids and rings firmly
Fill water bath kettle with hot water, making sure the kettle has a canning rack in the bottom
Place jars of jam into the kettle. Make sure they are covered by at least an inch of water
Place lid on kettle, and heat over medium-high heat to a rolling boil
Process pints for 15 minutes, or half pints for 10 minutes
Remove kettle from heat, and let cool with lid on for at least an hour
After an hour, you may remove lid to speed up cooling
If needed, you can remove hot jars from the kettle, protecting from drafts, which could cause jars to break, with a towel.
Place on a counter to pot table, covered with a towel, and let cool completely
After 24 hours, check for seals, wash jars if needed, and store in a cool place out of direct light

Where to buy canning supples for canning jam

I’m an equal opportunity jar buyer – any jar that is meant for canning works for me. As long as the jar is free of chips or cracks, it can be Golden Harvest, Kerr, or Ball. They all work equally well!

As for lids, I’m pretty partial to Denali canning lids. For the most part, I’m happy to use the lids that come with new jars, but I’ll be using those jars long after the lids are spent, so I bulk order Denali lids to use as replacements. They are a small company, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and never fail.

For the canning kettle, you really just need a large kettle with a lid that is deep enough for your jars, plus a couple extra inches. The only other requirement is that you can fit a rack in the bottom, so that your jars aren’t directly on the source of heat, which could result in breaking. I have an enamel kettle, which works just fine, and also a stainless steel kettle, which is my favorite, partly because it’s easy to clean, and also because it has a glass lid, so I can see what’s going on in there all the time.

As for other canning gear, a funnel is pretty necessary, and simple. Canning tongs are also nice if you’ll be lowering or lifting jars into and out of hot water. Other than that, I like to keep things simple.

How to use Strawberry Jalapeño Jam

Since strawberry jalapeno jam is a spicy jam, as well as sweet, it might not be your go-to for breakfast toast. So what do you use it on?

Similar to Jalapeño jam, This one is a great addition to a charcuterie board, or served on a block of cream cheese with crackers. You can also use this jam to make a quick version of strawberry jalapeño chicken.

Other canning recipes for you

Pin31