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Looking for an easy sugar free strawberry jam recipe to meet your family’s needs? I’ve got you covered! Here you’ll find 3 sugar free strawberry jams using 3 different kinds of pectin: Ball Freezer Pectin, Certo Liquid Pectin, or Pomona’s Pectin. You’ll find options for canning or freezing.
Trim Healthy Mamas: please note that Ball Freezer Pectin is not THM friendly due to the fillers in the pectin. I’m including this recipe in this post because it’s so easy and it’s a good option for folks who aren’t following Trim Healthy Mama but still want an easy sugar free strawberry jam that is much healthier than normal.
Homemade strawberry jam was always a fixture in our house growing up. There was always a partially eaten container of it in the fridge for toast or PB&J. When company came Mom would make homemade bread, and we would always get a new container of jam out of the freezer and scoop it neatly into matching stemmed glass jam cups.
Grandma made jam too. Hers was a little runnier and a little sweeter, with chunks of strawberry in it. It paired beautifully with her favorite seedy whole grain toast and some butter.
It’s amazing how many memories can be contained in something as simple as strawberry jam. I knew I wanted my children to have strawberry jam memories too, but I wanted a sugar free option! Stipulation: it has to taste like Mom’s. And thus began some extensive strawberry jam testing….
Ball Freezer Pectin
- Readily available from Walmart
- Not THM friendly due to the fillers in the pectin
- 4 simple ingredients
- No cooking required – you’ll only need a whisk
- May not be entirely reliable since this type of pectin usually needs sugar to set (That being said, it’s always worked for me.)
- Really good flavor! Tastes like my mom’s jam. The set is on the softer side compared to the other recipes in this post.
- Meant for freezing, not canning
Is Ball Real Fruit Instant Pectin the same thing as Ball Freezer Pectin?
Answer: to my knowledge, yes. (Note that this is instant pectin, not classic pectin.)
“You’re correct- our RealFruit™ Instant Pectin is specifically intended for use in freezer or non-cook jams. BallⓇ Instant Pectin is formulated to be used for freezer jam only and should not be used for cooked jam recipes.”
Note: as I said above, this option may not be entirely reliable since this type of pectin usually needs sugar to set. You CAN find Sure Jell pectin at Walmart or a local grocery store that is made for use with little or no sugar. This isn’t on plan for THM either due to fillers, but it would probably be more reliable than the pectin that I used. (I just wanted to use what I had on hand.) I have not personally tried it and you may need to make adjustments to the amount/process if using a different type of pectin. Most pectins come with instructions and tables about how much pectin to use for how much fruit, so you should easily be able to make up your own recipe. You can use my recipe below as a guide for how much sweetener to use for how much fruit.
Certo Liquid Pectin
- Readily available from Walmart
- THM friendly
- Cooked
- Added beef gelatin for a firmer set
- Based off of some jam recipes in Trim Healthy Future but with my own tweaks
- Good flavor with a nice set
- Meant for freezing, not canning
Pomona’s Pectin
- Purchased online (a little goes a long way!)
- THM friendly
- Cooked
- The pectin is activated by calcium (which comes with the pectin) instead of sugar
- Good flavor with a nice set
- Meant for canning or freezing
I did experiment with an uncooked freezer jam recipe using Pomona’s Pectin, but to my surprise I ended up preferring the cooked version so I’m not including the uncooked recipe here. Things just didn’t dissolve as well in the uncooked jam recipe.
My favorite way to eat strawberry jam:
Toast! With butter or peanut butter.
Shown here on some of my toasted homemade sourdough experiments. The jam itself is a THM Fuel Pull so can go with any fuel type. Butter or natural peanut butter with sprouted or sourdough bread will give you a THM Crossover unless you stick with just 1 teaspoon of added fat. OR make your own peanut butter using defatted peanut flour for a THM Fuel Pull option that can be used generously with your THM E carb source without “crossing over.”
Other ways to use sugar free strawberry jam:
- On waffles
- On ice cream
- On baked oatmeal
- In yogurt
Tips for making sugar free strawberry jam
In general it’s not good to make large batches of jam. CLICK HERE to find out why. I’ve included instructions about this at the top of each recipe card below.
Don’t make substitutions unless you’re familiar with the products and know how they work – pectin is finicky.
Smooth vs chunky: I just pureed my strawberries for a very smooth jam since a) that’s what my mom does, and b) it’s easy, but feel free to use mashed strawberries instead if you prefer a chunkier jam. I imagine it will set the same way but haven’t tested it.
Shelf life: I’m no expert so I can only speak from personal experience, but frozen or canned jam should last for up to a year. Once opened and transferred to the fridge it’s best when used within a few weeks, but may be fine beyond that. As long as it smells fine and isn’t moldy I would personally probably use it, but use your own common sense on that.
Store all opened jams in the fridge.
What pan should I use? I like to use a wide shallow saucepan for making jam because it comes to a boil quickly, but you also have to watch that it doesn’t boil over because that happens FAST and makes a big mess. I keep the lid on most of the time because hot fruit purees really spatter.
Blending pectin: when blending pectin into fruit puree to dissolve it, do NOT add the pectin to the blender first. It will clump down around the blades and is very hard to clean out. Don’t ask me how I know. I like to drizzle the pectin in through the hole in the top of the blender while the blender is running at low speed to prevent clumps. Obviously be very careful when blending hot liquids! Keep the blender vented but cover the vent hole with a kitchen towel to prevent splattering.
What sweetener should I use to make sugar free jam?
Typically sugar is needed to activate pectin, but the recipes below are formulated to work without it. (With the exception of the Ball Freezer Pectin option, which is a bit more of a gamble, but it’s always worked for me.) With that in mind, you should be able to use your favorite granulated or powdered low glycemic sweetener to taste!
That being said, I’ve only tested these recipes with THM Super Sweet Blend, which is a combination of stevia + erythritol, so that’s all I can vouch for at present.
I like THM Super Sweet Blend because it is fairly concentrated (and therefore affordable) but has a more balanced sweetness than pure stevia. THM Gentle Sweet or monkfruit sweetener would probably work as well, but you’ll need more since they’re not as concentrated.
Always sweeten to taste to make sure you end up with a jam that you like!
I did not have trouble with the Sweet Blend crystallizing in the jam, but if you use another granulated sweetener you may want to make and freeze a small test batch to test for this. (Powdered sweeteners probably won’t have this issue.)
Also keep in mind that xylitol inhibits freezing (which is why I use it in my ice cream recipes), so it may not be the best choice for freezer jams. I’m not sure if that property would decrease the “freezer life” of the jam or not. If someone has thoughts on this, please comment below!
A pinch of salt serves to balance out the sweetness. I usually use salt to round out alternative sweeteners.
What’s the citric acid for?
Citric acid serves three purposes:
- Helps the jam set
- Creates an inhospitable environment for nasty organisms
- Boosts flavor!
You’re welcome to experiment with substituting lemon juice for the citric acid, but I can’t vouch for how that will affect the taste or consistency of the end result. You can easily find citric acid in the canning/preserving section of Walmart or your local grocery store, or purchase it online. A little goes a long way!
A little helpful math
- Fresh strawberries = a little over 2 cups of puree per pound of berries
- Frozen whole strawberries = a 24 ounce bag yields about 3 cups of puree
Puree made from fresh or frozen strawberries works fine in these jam recipes.
You can prep the strawberry puree ahead of time if you like. Wash and cap the strawberries, then blend until smooth. (I use a Vitamix blender.) Store the puree in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.
I do have another strawberry freezer jam recipe; it’s set with glucomannan + gelatin. I do prefer these recipes that use pectin instead of glucomannan as they give more of a true “jam” texture. Gluccie can get a bit slimy, although combining it with gelatin definitely helps minimize that.
Strawberry Freezer Jam
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Photo comparison:

Strawberry Jam – Ball Freezer Pectin
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
Description
This sugar free strawberry jam made with Ball Freezer Pectin only takes 4 simple ingredients! No cooking required – you’ll only need a whisk. The recipe is easy to multiply for larger quantities, but I don’t recommend making more than 3 batches (6 cups of puree) at a time.
Trim Healthy Mamas, Ball Freezer Pectin is not THM friendly due to the fillers in the pectin. I’m including this recipe in this post because it’s so easy and it’s a good option for folks who aren’t following Trim Healthy Mama but still want an easy sugar free strawberry jam that is much healthier than normal.
Please note: this jam recipe may not be entirely reliable since this type of pectin usually needs sugar to set. (That being said, it’s always worked for me.)
This jam has really good flavor! It tastes like what my mom always made when I was growing up. The set is on the softer side compared to the other recipes in this post.
This is a freezer jam.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) strawberry puree
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Ball Freezer Pectin
- 2 tablespoons THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Sweeten to taste. Whisk the ingredients together for 3 minutes. Pour into freezer containers. Let stand for 30 minutes before putting into the freezer.
Notes
You can find Ball Freezer Pectin at Walmart.
Check out the blog post above for answers to sugar free jam FAQs.
As I said above, this option may not be entirely reliable since this type of pectin usually needs sugar to set. You CAN find Sure Jell pectin at Walmart or a local grocery store that is made for use with little or no sugar. This isn’t on plan for THM either due to fillers, but it would probably be more reliable than the pectin that I used. (I just wanted to use what I had on hand.) I have not personally tried it and you may need to make adjustments to the amount/process if using a different type of pectin. Most pectins come with instructions and tables about how much pectin to use for how much fruit, so you should easily be able to make up your own recipe. You can use my recipe here as a guide for how much sweetener to use for how much fruit.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: Sugar Free
Keywords: sugar free strawberry jam, strawberry freezer jam, ball freezer pectin

Strawberry Jam – Certo Liquid Pectin
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Description
This delicious sugar free strawberry jam recipe is THM friendly and uses a combination of Certo Liquid Pectin and beef gelatin for a nice jammy consistency. THM Fuel Pull, low carb
I based this recipe off of some of Rashida’s recipes using liquid pectin in Trim Healthy Future but made my own tweaks to adjust it to my taste.
I don’t recommend making more than a double batch at a time.
This is a freezer jam.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (570g) strawberry puree
- 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 tablespoons Certo Liquid Pectin
- 1 tablespoon beef gelatin
- 1/4 cup THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
Instructions
Bring the strawberry puree, citric acid, and salt to a boil over medium high heat in a wide shallow saucepan. (I recommend covering with a lid to prevent splattering.)
Whisk in the liquid pectin and beef gelatin. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the sweetener. Taste and add more if desired.
Pour the jam into freezer containers and let cool on the counter before popping them into the freezer.
Notes
Knox gelatin vs beef gelatin: In my experience beef gelatin does not set quite as firm as Knox gelatin (available in most grocery stores), so if using Knox gelatin you may want to try more like 2 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin instead of a full tablespoon. I recommend making a small test batch of jam to check the consistency.
You can find Certo Liquid Pectin at Walmart.
Check out the blog post above for answers to sugar free jam FAQs.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: THM Fuel Pull, low carb, sugar free
Keywords: thm, trim healthy mama, thm strawberry jam, sugar free strawberry jam, freezer jam, Certo Liquid Pectin, low carb strawberry jam

Strawberry Jam – Pomona’s Pectin
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
Description
This sugar free strawberry jam recipe is great for canning or freezing! It uses Pomona’s Pectin, which I believe is THM friendly because the pectin does not have a lot of fillers with it. THM Fuel Pull, low carb
Pomona’s Pectin comes with a packet of pectin and a packet of calcium, which activates the pectin in the absence of sugar. It may seem expensive, but a little goes a long way!
I don’t recommend making more than one batch at a time.
Recipe based on the instructions that come with the Pomona’s Pectin, with my own tweaks.
This jam can be used for canning or freezing.
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1370g) strawberry puree
- 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon calcium powder (comes with Pomona’s Pectin)
- 1 tablespoon Pomona’s Pectin
- 3/4 cup THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
Instructions
Whisk the strawberry puree, citric acid, salt, and calcium powder together in a wide shallow saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. (I recommend covering the pan with a lid to prevent splattering.)
Turn off the heat. Blend 2 cups of the hot puree with the Pomona’s Pectin in a blender until the pectin is dissolved (1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula if necessary). Tip: drizzle the pectin in through the hole in the top of the blender while blending to avoid clumps – but be very careful when blending hot liquids! Vent the blender as needed to prevent pressure buildups and keep any vent holes covered with a towel to prevent splattering yourself and your kitchen with hot jam.
Whisk the pectin mixture back into the hot strawberry puree in the pan. Whisk in the THM Super Sweet Blend and bring back to a full boil, whisking occasionally. Taste and add more sweetener if desired. When the mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat.
FREEZER: Pour the jam into freezer containers and let cool on the counter before popping them into the freezer.
CANNING: Fill your desired size of sterilized canning jars with the hot jam. (Warm the jars up in hot water first so they don’t shatter when filling them with the hot jam.) Can in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Notes
I realize that the canning instructions are not very precise, but that’s about the extent of what was included with the Pomona’s Pectin instructions and I have not done very much canning so I just gave it my best shot. If you’re not familiar with hot water bath canning I recommend that you look up some video tutorials on the subject. I will probably not be able to help you with many canning questions at this point in my culinary journey.
I did experiment with an uncooked freezer jam recipe using Pomona’s Pectin, but to my surprise I ended up preferring the cooked version so I’m not including the uncooked recipe here. Things just didn’t dissolve as well in the uncooked jam recipe.
You can find Pomona’s Pectin online.
Check out the blog post above for answers to sugar free jam FAQs.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Canning, Freezing
- Cuisine: THM Fuel Pull, low carb, sugar free
Keywords: thm, trim healthy mama, thm strawberry jam, sugar free strawberry jam, freezer jam, Pomona’s Pectin, low carb strawberry jam, canning, water bath
I made the strawberry jam with the Certo liquid pectin. It yielded about 1 1/2 pints. We loved it! It’s not super thick but perfect for spreading on toast or a sandwich. I changed a couple things based on ingredients I had. I used lemon juice in place of the citric acid and also used great value gelatin in the amount recommended for Knox. I used swerve to sweeten and it definitely took more than 1/4 cup to get it sweet enough, but swerve doesn’t tend to be as sweet. I figured I’d leave a comment because there aren’t many on this post saying how it turned out and that’s always helpful to me when I’m trying to decide on making a recipe. 🙂 I will definitely be making this recipe again and I might try a variation with the wild blackberries we pick.
Thanks so much, Abigail! So helpful!
Do you think this would work with raspberries?
Very possibly, but different fruits contain different amounts of natural pectin and may need different sweetener amounts, so I’d do a small test batch first if making changes.
I just finished making the liquid pectin freezer jam. Do they firm up after they’ve been frozen? They are cooled on the counter right now and still very liquidy. Wanted to ask in case I need to reboil and add more THM gelatin before freezing?
Thank so much!
Since that one is partially set using gelatin it will only completely firm up when it’s cold.
Loved the pictorial comparisons of the different pectins. You must have made TONS of strawberry jam!