Jam is a simple product: it’s mostly fruit and sugar with added pectin and sometimes citric acid, and it needs little else, so I tend to avoid any with unnecessary additives. Legally, it has to contain a minimum level of sugar, so when manufacturers use fruit juice concentrate instead of sugar, they often fall below that threshold and have to call their product a fruit spread instead.
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I tasted 10 jams straight from the jar, much to my teeth’s dismay, and then again spread on warm buttered baguette. Every product was delicious in its own right, but some really stood out as exceptional, with serious complexity and depth, and not overpowered by the sugar.
Strawberries are among the most heavily sprayed crops in the UK, according to Pesticide Action Network’s “dirty dozen”, so I always look for organic strawberry products, especially in a concentrated one such as jam. Where the sugar content is notably high or low, I’ve also included the percentage of sugars. Sugar is integral to jam – it’s what preserves the fruit, after all – but in today’s health-conscious world, it’s worth knowing what you’re spreading. It’s also worth noting that there’s a trade-off for lower-sugar jams in that, once opened, they have a shorter shelf life.
It’s also remarkable how many of these brands are steeped in history: Wilkin & Sons started Tiptree jam back in 1885; Hartley’s was founded in Lancashire in 1871; St Dalfour was established in rural France at the turn of the 19th century; and Bonne Maman arrived in 1971. These are more than just spreads – they’re edible heritage.
The best supermarket strawberry jam
£2 for 340g at Waitrose (59p/100g)
★★★★★
Mahogany red with deep flavour and a pleasantly sour twang, making it my favourite for both flavour and texture. Has a high sugar content of 65%, though. It contains perfect whole candied strawberries alongside others that have broken down into a jammy jelly. Really good value and organic, too!
Best bargain:
Morrisons the Best strawberry conserve
£2.55 for 340g at Morrisons (75p/100g)
★★★★☆
A dark, vermilion hue with an archetypal strawberry flavour and good depth. Very sweet, with 59.3g carbohydrates per 100g, of which 57.5g are sugars. It has delicious bits and pieces of strawberries still half intact, giving a more textural finish. Overall, a great conserve for your money.
And the rest …
Fearne & Rosie strawberry preserve
£3.20 for 310g at Tesco (£1.03/100g)£3.20 for 310g at Ocado (£1.03/100g)
★★★★★
The colour of stewed forced rhubarb with a lovely clean berry flavour and balanced sourness. Much less sweet than most, it has an interesting, stewed fruit-like texture. Fearne & Rosie is B Corp certified, and its strawberry preserve is manufactured in Belgium from EU produce. It has a high (70%) fruit content and low sugar (35%). Good quality for a natural-tasting fruit spread.
St Dalfour strawberry spread
£3.25 for 284g at Sainsbury’s (£1.14/100g)£3.40 for 284g at Waitrose (£1.20/100g)
★★★★☆
Crimson red with a familiar, candied strawberry flavour and decent texture, featuring nice pieces of strawberry. Less sweet than some, while still retaining a traditional taste. Made in Marmande, France, it uses regional fruit and natural sweeteners such as grape must (a waste product from the wine industry). Notably, the brand shares its sustainability efforts online. With a simple formula and slightly lower sugar content (48%) than many, this is a great buy.
Clearspring organic strawberry fruit spread
£3.50 for 280g at Ocado (£1.25/100g)
★★★★☆
Garnet red with a delicious strawberry flavour and just a hint of apple butter. Much less sweet than most, making this a great choice for family use. Sweetened naturally with apple juice concentrate and puree, it has very low sugar (29%). Despite being the most expensive in the test group, it’s still pretty good value, especially as an organic product.
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Bonne Maman strawberry conserve
£3.30 for 370g at Morrisons (89p/100g)£3.30 for 370g at Tesco (89p/100g)
★★★☆☆
Apple-red colour with a quintessential strawberry flavour and a lovely varied texture. Recognisable by its handwritten font and gingham lid, Bonne Maman is sold globally in more than 100 countries. While provenance and sustainability details are scarce, this uses a simple, conventional recipe.
Tiptree strawberry conserve
£3.30 for 340g at Morrisons (97p/100g)£3.30 for 340g at Ocado (97p/100g)
★★★☆☆
Brick red with a traditional strawberry taste and a lovely texture featuring lots of seeds. This has a high sugar content of 66%, which is typical of more traditional recipes.
Hartley’s best strawberry jam
£1.70 for 340g at Morrisons (50p/100g)£1.70 for 340g at Iceland (50p/100g)
★★☆☆☆
A pinkish, burgundy red with a candied strawberry flavour and a sour punch, but rather lacking in nuance. Very sweet (59% sugar), too. A smooth, jelly-like texture dotted with seeds. That said, this has good heritage and is a fair price, too.
£2.65 for 430g at Sainsbury’s (62p/100g)£2.65 for 430g at Morrisons (62p/100g)
★★☆☆☆
Candy red, with a traditional, sweet strawberry taste that has some sourness to balance things out. This sorbitol-sweetened jam (meaning it’s suitable for people with diabetes) has a smooth, jelly texture with some lumps and seeds. Based in Bristol since 1969, the brand is actively reducing emissions and producing 18% of its own electricity. With almost no sugar content (2.4%), it’s definitely a healthier option, although some consumers may be concerned about the use of sweetener.
Mackays Scottish strawberry preserve
£2.30 for 340g at Ocado (68p/100g)£2.30 for 340g at Tesco (68p/100g)
★★☆☆☆
Ruby red with a familiar strawberry flavour that’s delicious, though not outstanding; very sweet, too, with a notably high sugar content of 66.9%. The texture is very sticky, though the inclusion of whole strawberries adds some interest. Founded in 1938, Mackays is one of the few products tested that states the fruit’s provenance, using Scottish-grown berries boiled in copper pans.