Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (2024)

Strawberry Champagne Jam is THE jam to make to celebrate, to give as a gift, and to savor the flavor of spring. This post will explain how to make the Strawberry Champagne Jam so you can eat it fresh, it will give clear, beginner friendly canning directions for how to preserve it in canning jars (even if you never have before!) so you can enjoy it later, and will link to the best jars for gifting this super special jam! Read on for the recipe- it is much easier than you think and there are a few simple pro tips for keeping that champagne flavor in the jar!

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (1)

I wrote a post about how to can for party favors where I shared making raspberry champagne jam for my dear friend’s bridal shower, and I got a lot of questions about how I made that jam.

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (2)

Including champagne is fun because it adds a layer of celebration and festivity to your preserve but it is a little tricky because the flavor cooks off really quickly so I had to make several batches to figure out the best, most reliable way of including the champagne at the last minute without making the jam too thin. The result is my family has tons of this jam on the shelf (yay us!) and the following recipe.

I use the extra big bottles of Cook’s champagne because it is frequently on sale for $10 at my local grocer and I usually am making many batches. YOU can use whatever champagne you’d like. You only need 1 cup, and it doesn’t have to be fizzy anymore so flat champagne or flat sparkling white wine or rose is fine. Leave red wine for a beef bourguignon recipe.

If you’ve clicked over to this recipe, but aren’t sure how to can, don’t worry! I have a completely free Canning Basics email course you can sign up for that will teach you exactly what to do!

Pro Tip: Be completely ready to put the preserve into the canning jars when you add the champagne + pectin mixture into the berries. You want to pour it in, give a quick stir, and start ladling it into jars. BEFORE you add it, the jars should be hot (or warm if you are using a steam canner), you should have your ladle, canning funnel, jar lifter, and jars already.

Which Canning Jars Should You Use?

This recipe, in particular, is very giftable, full of spring flavor, and is a pretty red-pink color. I would encourage you to can it in small half pints like these, which hold one measuring cup of a jam if you intend to keep it yourself.

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (4)

I find those to be infinitely useful in my kitchen, and very easy to clean. I also buy them very often from Amazon and

I’ve yet to have any arrive broken. Winning!

If you are giving these as shower favors, I would suggest these awesome options for jars.

These Elite Collection jars are different looking, still hold one measuring cup of jam, and aren’t as readily found in stores. I LOVE them and you will too.

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (5)

These are a more classic, quilted style jar, with a regular size lid, as opposed to the wide mouth of the above styles. They are also a half pint, holding 1 measuring cup of jam, and are easy to clean. My kids drink out of this daily, too 🙂

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (6)

These are a classic, rounded side, jam-style jar, that takes a regular mouth lid as well. They really say, “jam” and are beautiful of course. They hold 8 ounces, which is 1 measuring cup, which is 1 half pint. 🙂

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (7)

The BEST Jars:

Finally, the smallest jars of all. These 4-ounce canning jars are amazing because they take a regular size lid (so handy!) and are perfect for things like hot sauce, salsa, or other rich or spicy recipes. They make it practical to gift a home-canned item at a large gathering because it’s about 1-2 serving sizes (my husband and I use probably 3 of the four ounces of jam total on our French toast, for example).

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (8)

A Note About Liquid Pectin:

In most of my jam recipes, I use powdered pectin simply because it is inexpensive and I’ve never had any trouble using it or whisking it smoothly into my jam to thicken it. That said, I chose to use the slightly more expensive (hardly so– it’s just a few dollars a package) liquid pectinto thicken the champagne BEFORE incorporating into the berries. This technique works well and I think you’ll find it to be very easy indeed.

You will need
8 cups strawberries, washed and chopped
1 1/2 cups water
6 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, poured into 4 cup bowl, foam and fizz allowed to settle
1 3 oz pouch liquid pectin

1. Prepare your water bath canning pot or your steam canner. Fill the water bath canning pot with water, add 8 half pint jars, or 14 tiny 4-ounce jars and bring to a boil OR fill the steam canner to fill line and turn on low with the 8-pint jars nearby on a towel-covered countertop.

2. Combine strawberriesand water and simmer together in a preserving pan (a heavy-bottomed, wide pan) and stir occasionally for 15 minutes. Mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher when berries are soft.

3. Optional: Remove from heat and ladle into a food mill fitted with a medium plate. Process jam through for a super smooth jam.

4. Return strawberriesto a boil, add sugar and cook on low while you complete the next step.

5. Whisk pectin into champagne
, noticing as you whisk that the pectin will thicken the champagne to the consistency of thin pancake syrup. Add champagne mixture to strawberries, reduce heat to very low, and immediately proceed to the next step.

5. Ladle into jars one at a time, apply lids and rings, and either submerge into the boiling water of the boiling water bath with a jar lifter OR set gently on the rack of the steam canner.

6. Process for 10 minutes PLUS 5 minutes for every 1000 ft above sea level. Remove from heat, rest jars carefully on the towel-covered countertop. Label cooled jars and store for up to 1 year.

Yields 8 cups Strawberry Champagne Jam

Helpful Strawberry Champagne Jam Resources:

Print the free version of this Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe right here!

Need the No-Frills Canning Equipment List? Download it for free right here:

Canning Equipment List

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (9) Download the completely free Canning Equipment Checklist!

Have you put that handy dandy Canning Equipment Checklist to good use yet? Want to take your canning education to the next level? Head to www.startcanning.com and enroll in the E course for busy beginners!

Wondering about the steam canner I refer to? Read this post here to learn about the fastest way to can.

Want to know more about the food mill I reference above in the recipe? I have a post all about how they are one of my favorite tools for the smoothest jam around!

More Strawberry Recipes:

If you love strawberries, you’ll love my Canning Strawberries Recipe Book!

Check it out here!

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to test if jam is cooked enough? ›

You can also let the spoonful of jam sit on the cold plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your spoon or finger. If it wrinkles up, you've reached your setting point. TIP: Use a white plate so you can see the jam clearly. A darker plate or patterned plate may give you the impression your jam is set when it is not.

What is the secret to making jam? ›

The Magic of Macerating

One of my favorite tricks for jam-making is macerating the fruit first. Macerating is the process of coating the fruit in sugar and letting it rest for a few hours or overnight, which pulls some of the juice out of the fruit and creates a syrup with the sugar.

What thickens strawberry jam? ›

Jams and jellies don't have that "gel" consistency without it. Pectin is a starch that is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables. Combining it with sugar and acid gives it the thickening ability once cooled. There are different varieties and uses for pectin.

Why add lemon juice when making strawberry jam? ›

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

How long should jam boil for? ›

The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. Jam starts to get thick after 20 minutes of a steady boil. A jam is done if it makes a clear path in a frozen spoon when you run your finger through it.

Can you overcook homemade jam? ›

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

How to tell if homemade jam is bad? ›

Regardless of the type of jam or jelly you have on hand, it's important to know the signs of spoilage. According to Lee, this may include yeasty off-odors, fermented alcohol-like flavors, and mold growth, which may appear as white fuzzy patches inside the jar or on the product itself.

What is the best sugar for jam? ›

Coarse-grain white granulated sugar is best for jam-making as it ensures a good clear jam, but fine caster sugar can also be used. The coarse grains dissolve more slowly and evenly, giving a better result. Granulated sugar with added pectin is also available, but it shouldn't be necessary to use this.

Why do you put vinegar in jam? ›

Cider vinegar is a fairly mild vinegar and is used mainly to offset the sweetness of the sugar. The acid in the vinegar also helps the pectin in the jam sugar to set.

What thickens jam without pectin? ›

If you simply take fruit and cook it with some sugar to sweeten it a little, it will get thick enough to turn into jam by the naturally occurring pectin in the fruit and the process of reduction. Reduction occurs when we simmer the fruit, and the liquid turns to steam and evaporates, which thickens the jam.

Does lemon juice make jam thicker? ›

Lemon is crucial to balancing those sweet flavors, but it also helps the pectin to firm up the jam. It can be added at the start of the cooking process or towards the end, but what must be taken into account is that adding liquids to the jam mixture will inevitably require the jam to cook for longer.

Is strawberry jam better with or without pectin? ›

No extra pectin– You may wonder if strawberry jam is better with or without pectin. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so some people prefer to add additional pectin to jams and jellies. However, I actually prefer homemade jam without extra pectin. They are a bit softer in texture, making it more versatile.

How to fix strawberry jam that didn't set? ›

If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time. For every 4 cups of jam that needs to be remade, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon powdered pectin.

What does strawberry jam contain? ›

Strawberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid.

What are the raw materials of strawberry jam? ›

The main ingredients used for strawberry jam processing are frozen strawberry, water, sugar, fructose syrup, honey, acid, modified starch, strawberry flavor, color agent, and preservatives.

What ingredient makes jam set? ›

Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set. With low-pectin fruits like strawberries, help them along by either mixing with pectin-rich fruit like gooseberries or by using jam sugar (with added pectin and citric acid). Setting point is 104.5°C.

References

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