Homemade jam recipes to make your morning toast better

There’s no denying it, we at Starts at 60 love jam on our toast. From time to time, we’ll even indulge in some jam and cream with a freshly baked scone! 

From golden peaches to purple berries, we know good jam can make any breakfast or baked good better than ever before. Unfortunately, store-bought jam is just oozing with preservatives and tonnes of sugar. Lucky for you, we’ve made a round of our best and easiest homemade jam recipes. These recipes are so simple and absolutely delightful, we promise you’ll never want to buy store-bought jam again. 

Strawberry jam

Your homemade biscuits deserve to be paired with homemade jam, and this is the perfect one! This recipe keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge and goes great in yoghurts and muffins too. 

Makes: 2 cups

Prep time: 10 mins

Ingredients 

• 2 lb. strawberries, halved
• 1 cup. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Pinch of kosher salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, smash strawberries with a potato masher until coarsely crushed. 
2. In a large pot over medium heat, add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened and bubbles completely cover the surface, 20 minutes.
3.  Let cool, then pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and let cool to room temperature. Place lid on and store in the refrigerator. 
4. The jam will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ginger peach jam

There’s no denying it, we absolutely go crazy for peaches! In order to extend the joy that is sweet, juicy, peaches, we recommend making this jam. Sealed and stored properly, it can last you for months! Perfect for those days when you need a spoon full of sunshine to brighten up your day. 

Though ginger is optional in this recipe, we suggest you give it a try. If you’ve got sweet peaches on hand, the ginger gives it that extra kick that really balances out the flavours. 

Makes: 1 cup

Prep time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lb. fresh peaches
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. lemon zest 
• 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (optional)

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and ice.
2. Make a shallow “x” onto the bottom of each peach. 
3. When water is boiling, add peaches and let poach for 45 seconds. Remove peaches and immediately shock them in an ice bath. 
4. When they are cool enough to handle (this should only take a minute) remove peaches from the ice bath and peel off the skin. Remove pits and roughly chop peaches.
5. Place peaches into a large heavy-bottomed pot and toss with lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and using your spoon to crush some of the fruit until peaches are soft and releasing juices, 13 to 15 minutes.
6.  Add sugar, lemon zest, and ginger if using, and stir to combine.
7. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until jam is thick, 30 minutes-1 hour depending on peaches.
9. Remove from heat, transfer to jars, and let cool completely before serving.

Vanilla lime and blueberry jam

We know what you’re thinking, but trust us on this one- lime and vanilla perfectly complement the sweetness of blueberries. Not a big fan of lime? Not a problem! Give oranges or even lemon a try. Blueberries and citrus fruits are flavour besties. And while this jam is amazing on toast, we do think you should try stirring it in with your oatmeal.

Makes: 2 cups

Prep time: 5mins

Ingredients 

• 3 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. lime zest
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine blueberries, sugar, and lime juice. Cook, stirring frequently until blueberries release their juice and mixture come up to a boil, about 8 minutes.
2. Continue cooking over medium heat until foam subsides and jam is thick, 12 to 15 minutes. 
3. Stir in lime zest and vanilla, transfer to clean glass jars, and let cool to room temperature. 
4. Transfer to refrigerator and cool completely.

Blackberry jam

Whether you’re smearing it on toast or mixing it in with your oatmeal, this homemade jam is a sure win to give your breakfast a major upgrade. This blackberry jam recipe is like having summer in a jar, and the best part? This super easy two-step recipe can also be frozen, so you can also freeze it and enjoy it all year long!

Makes: 2 cups

Prep time: 5mins

Ingredients 

4 cup blackberries

2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Method

1. Combine blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Use a large spoon or potato masher to crush the berries, then transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan.
2. Heat the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until jam is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Skim any foam that has risen to the surface and stir in lemon zest if using. 
4. Transfer to a clean glass jar and let cool completely. 
5. Tightly secure lid and refrigerate.

Bacon jam

Making jam doesn’t have to involve seasonal fruit, sometimes it involves caramelised onion, shallots, bacon, and maple syrup. This sweet and savoury spread is amazing on toast and even better with cheese! While you might be able to find jarred artisanal bacon jam in a specialty store, this jam is crazy easy to make at home. 

Makes: 1 cup

Prep time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. chilli powder

Method

1. 1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.
   2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and shallots to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes.
   3. Stir in garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, chilli powder and cooked bacon. Bring mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened and the onions are jammy, 7 to 10 minutes.
   4. Let cool before transferring to a jar.
   5. Serve with cheese and crackers, or even with a burger!