Learn How to Make Strawberry Sun Jam

I have made strawberry jam for quite a few years, but when I found this recipe for strawberry sun jam and a new method to try, I was intrigued. Lower sugar, no pectin, plus it doesn’t have to be canned. This recipe is what I have been looking for! Follow along and learn how to make strawberry sun jam.

Strawberry sun jam uses less sugar and no pectin.

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I am so glad I dove in and used my car windows to make the jam for me because this is the best jam I have ever made.

Truly. It really is the best strawberry jam I have ever made. And now that I have made it, I don’t want to make another strawberry jam at all. This is the only way I will make strawberry jam in the future.

Be warned – it is that good.

How Does it Compare to Other Freezer Jams?

When I started out making jam, I used to make a wonderful freezer jam that needed minimal cook time, but it took a ton of sugar. At that point I wasn’t so aware of things such as copious amounts of sugar.

But now I am trying to be a bit more careful to not add more sugar than the actual fruit to make jam.

However, I still want great jam. An now without sacrificing flavor, I’ve found this jam recipe to be a hit.

So if you are also looking to lessen the sugar and also not use pectin, this is the jam. Even if those were not the number one goals, this is the jam!!

Strawberry Sun Jam is Made in the Sun

Sun jam is made with the power of the warm sun on a sunny summer day.

You start out in the kitchen where you mash all the ingredients together and then cook very briefly.

Then you transfer the lovely jam to trays. Carefully carry the trays to your vehicle and let the sun do the rest of the cooking for you.

Sun jam is made and then dried out or cooked in the back window of a car, or in my case, the front window of my van.

Fresh picked strawberries make the best jam.

How to Make Strawberry Sun Jam

First of all, plan for strawberry sun jam making for a day that it is sunny.

If you have fresh strawberries needing to be processed, but no sun, you can do one of two things. You can still make this jam but it will take longer. As long as the day is warm and isn’t cold or stormy, it can work.

Or if the sun disappears on you and you can’t get your jam finished in time, you can use the oven to finish it. This is a last resource. But might be necessary. Like last year when I realized I had to run and pick up my kids. I had to return the jam to the house and run out with the van.

To finish the jam, I put it in the oven. More details on that later.

Second, make sure you start this jam early in the day.

It will take awhile for the sun to do its magic of cooking the jam.

Sun jam being made by the sun in my van.

A car window is a great place to make sun jam.

Ingredients for Strawberry Sun Jam

12 cups fresh picked strawberries, cleaned and topped
3 cups sugar (we like to use organic cane sugar)
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, combine all the ingredients. Stir over a low to medium heat.

Use a potato masher to smush down and break up the strawberries into the consistency you like for jam. Mine are mostly broken down with some chunks visible.

Heat up the strawberry mixture as you are mashing and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. No need for more.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully spoon the strawberry mixture onto the 2 half sheet pans.

Spread out the jam evenly in the pans. These are my favorite sheet pans to use for everything and they work well for this job.

Now is the tricky part of getting the pans into the car or van window.

By now I have already placed towels on the dash of my van and made sure it is clean in there.

It helps to have someone open the doors for you so you can take the hot jam out without sloshing it around.

Get your pans situated in the vehicle and let the sun get to work. Stir the jam every hour and a half. Some spots will thicken and cook faster than others. Giving it a stir will help get it done evenly.

Strawberry sun jam made with the power of the sun.

We live in Wisconsin where it isn’t extremely hot like when we lived in California and Arizona. I’m sure this jam would have been done much quicker in those places.

So for us here in Wisconsin on a sunny day, it takes maybe 5-6 hours to get the jam to a thickness that I am happy with.

Watch your jam to decide when it is thick enough for you. Then take it back to the house and jar it up. More details below.

When Is the Jam Done?

While the time may vary for the jam, you will know when it is done.

The beautiful color of strawberry sun jam

The jam will be thick and look like jam (not watery like when you started).
The jam will have a glassy appearance.
Know that the jam will thicken up a bit when it cools. So take it out of the vehicle when it is a little less thick than you would normally like your jam.
Back to the oven method that you want to avoid – when I had to take my van and leave the jam, I put it in the oven on the lowest setting possible and stirred it when I got back, just like I would have in the car. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long to finish. Try not to do this, but incase of a storm or needing your vehicle, it can be done. Check every 30 minutes or so and give a stir until thickened to your liking.
When the jam is done, you can get it ready for the freezer. I like to use glass jars to put it up, but make sure that they are straight sides for the freezer. Ones like this or this are great choices. You can also use plastic containers like this if you like.
Also, keep out a jar in the fridge. It will last a few weeks if your family doesn’t devour it right away.

The recipe originally came from Amy Thielen from Food Network’s Heartland Table. See it over here.

Can I Double This Recipe?

When I make this recipe for strawberry sun jam, it fits just perfectly into my two 1/2 sheet pans. It isn’t too deep in those pans and so it doesn’t take too long to cook or become the perfect thickness.

I wouldn’t double the recipe unless you have 2 full sized sheet pans or 4 half size sheet pans (and 2 vehicles that are staying home for the day).