How To Make Jam Without Pectin (3 Flavors!) (2024)

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!

The Easiest Jam Ever

There is a lot you can do with berries, citrus, and sugar. You can go the fruit roll-up route, use frozen berries to make a berry cabbage smoothie, or make this easy-peasy jam without pectin!

We’ve made cherry berry chia jam using the magical thickening powers of chia seeds, but today we’re simplifying it even more. 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?).

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!

1. Cook the ingredients together in a saucepan, then mash them.
2. 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!

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.