Taste Test: The Best Store-Bought Strawberry Jam

Strawberry jam is one of the ultimate culinary nectars, the result of boiling down fresh seasonal fruit into a bold, jewel-toned lava just bursting with concentrated berry flavor. Adults love it, kids eat it nearly every day for lunch, and babies always have it all over their faces. Slather it on bread and butter, sandwich it with peanut butter, spread it on a hot English muffin, or stir it into yogurt. However you apply it, it's one of those classic down-home comfort foods that can make just about anything taste better.

While homemade jams and preserves are always the best, we don't all have the time to make them. (Not to mention, it's expensive to buy loads of fresh strawberries -- and when those juicy red berries are sitting on your counter, who has the willpower not to gobble them up?) So to satisfy our instantaneous cravings for strawberry jam, Kitchen Daily's editors set up a taste test to see which store-bought brands are the best.

We blind-tasted 15 different brands of jams, preserves and fruit spreads (no jelly!), judging their flavor, texture and other factors such as color, stickiness and the jam's ability to pair with other ingredients (hello, peanut butter!). We tasted them with classic white sandwich bread to get a realistic feel for how they pair with a neutral base.

What we learned: Overall, we were disappointed to find that none of these jams made our hearts go pitter-patter. Though we hoped to find a brand so irresistible that we'd take a spoon to the jar with abandon, there wasn't a true star in sight -- most were overly saccharine and severely lacking in true berry flavor. None were strikingly offensive and most would be perfectly fine in a PB&J sandwich, but after tasting 15 successive jams we were down for the count.

So … which brand came out on top? Check out our slideshow below to find out, and leave a comment to let us know what you think.

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Comments

[Linus521]

05:40 PM on 02/26/2012

My fave is Crofter's apricot. Yummm, divine. Big, juicy chunks of apricots. I've made my own. One C fruit to 3/4 C sugar. Simmer just 20 minutes.

My grandmother made a pear preserves to do back flips for. Somehow, mine never tasted as good. But, I'll keep trying...

[janeinmia]

12:08 AM on 02/26/2012

Smuckers ahead of Bonne Maman? Really? After seeing that these ratings lose all credibility with me.

[onwisconsin]

09:59 PM on 02/24/2012

I wish we could start with the premise that GOOD means no corn syrup.

[janeinmia]

12:07 AM on 02/26/2012

Seriously! Start off by disqualifying all those with c**p ingredients.

[NAOMA]

04:34 PM on 02/24/2012

Why corn syrup?

[albijde]

03:28 PM on 02/24/2012

I'm sorry to you all but this ranking cannot be correct. It is missing the best in the market FIORDIFRUTTA Organic Fruit Spread. I suggest the author to check this product out and review the article. I'm pretty sure your heart will go pitter-patter.

[Daniela Vici]

03:44 PM on 02/24/2012

I was wondering why nobody yet, had mentioned Rigoni Fiordifrutta as the best Strawberry jam and I was very surprised that the author of the article did not include Fiordifrutta in his test: this jam is in every health organic store, like Whole Foods and it's absolutely the best: no sugar, only apple juice and 3 pounds of fresh fruit in every jar, never too sweet or too tart, just the perfect combination.
Look for this jam on www.rigonidiasiago.com

[Rikki Heinis]

11:36 AM on 02/24/2012

I like apple butter but strawberry jams and preserves are excellent too. I can't stand grape jams and jellies though. Bleh!

[smaugmik]

11:07 AM on 02/24/2012

Sorry, the best strawberry jam, (or any other jam, for that matter) is my own homemade jam, from farm fresh fruit, with NO chemicals or preservatives.

[NAOMA]

04:35 PM on 02/24/2012

smaugmik: Yes, NO chemicals or preservatives is the only food I eat. I read EVERY label.
Your jam sounds divine.

[smaugmik]

05:16 PM on 02/24/2012

It IS! It's like spreading summer sunshine on a piece of toast!

[tresbonbon]

10:17 AM on 02/24/2012

Strawberry has always been my favorite until I tried Smucker's blueberry. OMG, that's good. Unlike so many blueberry products, it actually DOES taste like fresh blueberries.

[gluefactory]

09:58 AM on 02/24/2012

I like crabapple jam

[joebikerchef]

08:48 AM on 02/24/2012

Grandma's strawberry-rhubarb, wish I had that recipe

[gluefactory]

09:57 AM on 02/24/2012

Wish I had all her recipies

[thetxsndn]

11:37 AM on 02/24/2012

I've used this one a few times & it works great. Also used philo pastry instead of the regular crust. WOW !!! That's even better. Just make sure to use real butter with it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/grandmas-strawberry-rhubarb-pie-recipe/index.html

[joebikerchef]

12:23 PM on 02/24/2012

I meant her Jam...but, that pie should do just fine, thank you

[dpedron]

02:04 PM on 02/23/2012

My homemade strawberry and strazzberry(strawberry/raspberry) jams are the best!
(along with my peach spice jam)

[sabelmouse]

01:39 PM on 02/23/2012

St. Dalfour, my favourite these day, though i'm not sure i've had their strawberry. but their mirabelle , blueberry, cherry, apricot, quince and bramble are delicious.

[dpkjj]

01:38 PM on 02/23/2012

I want to cast a vote for Sarabeth's. By far the best all-around spreads I have tasted. I also second, third and fourth the people who pointed out that the spreads rated are not all jams - they mixed up jams, preserves, fruit spreads, and etc.

[ympsk]

01:04 PM on 02/23/2012

the best not in stores is Hamilton House Jams, bought it online and it ia fantastic...

[doharra1]

12:59 PM on 02/23/2012

I've tired a few of these but one that I like and that isn't on here is Knotts Berry Farm.

[bjame12214]

01:22 PM on 02/23/2012

Amen, I noted that too

[speaksoftly]

02:15 PM on 02/23/2012

I've always loved Knotts products too.