I Tried 12 Strawberry Jams & This One Had the Best Fresh, Fruity Flavor

When we use jelly, jam, and fruit spreads in the kitchen, it's generally for simple dishes. Whether you're making something as quick as peanut butter and jelly, buttered toast with a little jam, or adding a dollop to some Greek yogurt, or something a little more complicated like thumbprint cookies, quality products are important.

There are so many options out there whether you're looking for spreads with low sugar, all natural options, or inexpensive choices, it can be difficult to know which one to pick. I tried 12 different strawberry jams and fruit spreads to find the best one, and there was a clear winner! Here they are, starting with my least favorite and ending in my favorite

Polaner Sugar Free with Fiber Strawberry Preserves

These jellies and jams can be loaded with sugar and sometimes I'm just not willing to waste the added calories and sugar on something like that. For a low calorie, sugar-free option with fiber, you can go with Polaner.

The Look:

It has a very sticky, sturdy, thick look to it. It smells very strong and sweet and has a gelatin texture. It kind of reminds me of the thickness of cranberry sauce out of a can.

The Taste:

For sugar-free, it's not bad. It's more like strawberry candy than a natural strawberry flavor. It's a solid option to have in the fridge that's lower calorie and lower sugar, but definitely not a top contender on this list, especially with that price point.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $12.97
• Cost per serving: About $0.56

Good Good Strawberry Jam

I'm excited to give this one a try. It says that it has 88% fewer calories than many of the jams on the market nowadays, in addition to no added sugar. It's low calorie, low glycemic, plant based, uses whole fruits, keto friendly, and gluten-free.

The Look:

It's quite thin, and has a little bit of a jiggle while staying in place. It has a deep color that kind of gives that dried berry look to it, giving me the impression that it's most likely going to be a really intense flavor.

The Taste:

I was quite excited about this one, but honestly, it doesn't have a great flavor. I guess for a very low calorie option it could be useful, but it's watery in both flavor and texture.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $5.59
• Cost per serving: About $0.33

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Welch's Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread

It comes in a plastic container and advertises that it is a natural option that uses no high fructose corn syrup. Welch's is a popular brand, and definitely more nostalgic. There aren't many bells and whistles, but that can be a good thing.

The Look:

When I cracked open the container, I noticed that it was very watery and thin. It smells more like the tartness of cranberry juice and has a really dark, almost reddish brownish color.

The Taste:

It has an unusual tartness to it that I feel like strawberry jam doesn't normally have. It's not bad per se, just not what I was expecting for strawberry jelly. I wouldn't go with this option if you're looking for traditional strawberry jam. If you generally prefer a little bit of tartness, it could be a good thing.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $3.98
• Cost per serving: About $0.10

Smucker's Seedless Strawberry Jam

I don't necessarily love that the Smucker's seedless strawberry jam uses high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup sugar. It has a little bit more sugar than some of the other options with 12 g in a serving, but let's see if it's worth it.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Look:

It doesn't have much texture to it. It almost looks like the texture of a firmer applesauce. It's very fine, no fruit throughout, and has a gelatin-like texture. There's really nothing very special about this one.

The Taste:

The texture is just ok. If you were spreading it on something it would go on nicely because it's so fine. It has a very strong flavor to it that tastes condensed. It's alright, but not my personal favorite.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $4.29
• Cost per serving: About $0.17

Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Strawberry Preserve

These strawberry preserves from Tiptree give the impression of a homemade option. They also keep the ingredients to a minimum which I like, using sugar, strawberries, citric, pectin, and citric acid.

The Look:

The strawberry preserves have a really strong strawberry smell to it. It's also thick in texture. If you turn it upside down, nothing leaks out, and the preserves seem very high-quality.

The Taste:

The preserves have a very strong, deep flavor to it. Almost that intensified flavor of dried fruit that's really concentrated. It's a good choice if you like that flavor, but I tend to like a much frothier, lighter, and sweeter option.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $9.23
• Cost per serving: About $0.58

Smucker's Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread

This natural version from a well-known brand like Smucker's is a good choice, made with ingredients from natural sources, using no high fructose corn syrup. It also says that there are no artificial flavors or colors, and it's made using just simple ingredients.

The Look:

It's a little softer and jelly-like, very smooth, but with little bits of fruit scattered throughout. The spread has a strong pleasant scent to it, as well. Now, let's give it a try!

The Taste:

The taste is really strong. It matches the strong scent for sure, leaving a very pungent flavor of condensed strawberries. A bit surprising because when you look at it, it really doesn't look like much, but it has a natural intense flavor.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $5.19
• Cost per serving: About $0.14

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Smucker's Preserves Low Sugar

With some of these jams and preserves harboring a lot of sugar, it's nice to have some low-calorie options with less sugar for people who are trying to watch their intake. There's also no artificial sweeteners or flavors, and there's no high fructose corn syrup.

The Look:

Instead of being smooth, it's more chunky and thick. The preserves have a lot of texture to it where some of the other options are quite smoother. It's not bad, just different.

The Taste:

For a lower sugar option, this has a great flavor. It tastes natural, you don't get any of that artificial aftertaste because they use real fruit and just a little less sugar. All-in-all, this is a great product and I would use this again. Is it the best out there? I'd say no, but if you're trying to cut back on the sugar, this is a great pick.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $6.99
• Cost per serving: About $0.27

Bonne Maman Strawberry Fruit Spread

The strawberry fruit spread from Bonne Maman advertises more fruit and less sugar, which is something I like to see! Not really important in the grand scheme of things, but I also think the jars are really cute. Aesthetics apparently matter to me and these would be cute on a charcuterie board!

The Look:

It's a little softer and more liquidy than some other options out there. The fruit spread has a good smell to it, like fresh strawberries, and not that dried fruit smell that reminds me of raisins.

The Taste:

It's soft and creamy, and has a satisfying strawberry flavor to it. It's also worth noting that it has only 8 g of sugar (when other options can have close to 13), while still having great flavor. I would definitely get this one again!

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $6.79
• Cost per serving: About $0.40

Crofters Organic Strawberry Premium Fruit Spread

This premium strawberry spread is organic, using organic strawberries and organic cane sugar in the recipe. Let's see how it holds up to some of the other options on the shelf.

The Look:

It's very soft, and has a little bit of a gelatin feel. It's gooey and sticky in texture, as well. When scooped out, I noticed that there's some substance to it and it feels like it's loaded with strawberries.

The Taste:

It has a much more subtle flavor. Some of the other brands are a little tart or very strong, almost giving that condensed fruit taste, but this is very nice, mild, and flavorful

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $4.96
• Cost per serving: About $0.19

Organic European Strawberry Fruit Spread

This organic European strawberry fruit spread is non-GMO and certified organic from the Full Circle Market. If you try to eat organic, this can be a reliable option, but let's see how it tastes.

The Look:

While still in the jar, it appears pretty thick. As I tilt the jar a bit, the jelly doesn't slide much. It has a subtle, sweet smell of fresh berries to it without having that super pungent scent.

The Taste:

This is quite pleasant! It has a really deep red color and fresh flavor from the organic strawberries and organic cane sugar. The texture is slightly stringy, but overall appealing and easily spreadable. I would definitely buy this one again.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $4.99
• Cost per serving: About $0.21

Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves

For strawberry preserves, Bonne Maman, a product of France, comes in a cute jar (clearly the most important thing) and looks like a quality product that would be cute to display when hosting a brunch or on a charcuterie board paired with a soft cheese. I've seen this brand on the shelves before, but haven't tried them yet myself until now.

The Look:

It's very deep red in color and has a strong smell to it. It didn't move easily when I tilted the jar, but it appears a little bit thinner, and has a bunch of seeds throughout. It looks and smells like it will have a strong flavor.

The Taste:

This one is great! It has a deep color like it was going to have that kind of dried fruit taste, but it doesn't. It's light and flavorful like fresh picked berries. It is on the sugary side, so you might want to go easy, but this is a delicious option to have on hand!

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $6.19
• Cost per serving: About $0.33

Stonewall Kitchen Strawberry Jam

Stonewall Kitchen has a good reputation. They are creators of specialty foods and their strawberry jam is gluten-free and non-GMO. Their products are made in Maine and fresh picked strawberries in Maine lead to a quality jam. The sugar is fairly low for a strawberry jam, so let's see how it holds up.

The Look:

This strawberry jam from Stonewall Kitchen is on the chunkier side when it comes to texture, and very sticky. The thick strawberry jam has a nice deep red color to it and a sweet, strawberry scent.

The Taste:

I really love this one! It's subtle, but fresh, and tastes authentically like strawberries. It has a nice texture to it and I can really taste that they prioritize quality ingredients in their products. It's also fairly low in sugar, only having 8 g of sugar and 35 cal.

Price Point:

• Cost per jar: $6.97
• Cost per serving: About $0.37

When it comes to strawberry spreads, a great option to keep on hand for your next PB & J or cheese pairing is the Stonewall Kitchen Strawberry Jam.