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Strawberry lemonade jelly tastes exactly like the name suggests: that perfect summer drink combination of sweet strawberries and tart lemon, transformed into a spreadable jelly. The lemon brightens the strawberry flavor and adds a citrus punch that makes this jelly feel more refreshing than a straight strawberry version.
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This recipe starts with the classic strawberry jelly method, but adds strips of lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to the strawberries during extraction. As the fruit cooks and steeps, the lemon infuses into the juice, creating that nostalgic lemonade flavor. Use one lemon for a subtle citrus note, or two for a more pronounced lemonade punch.
The addition of lemon actually helps this jelly set well. Lemon juice is high in acid and naturally contains pectin, both of which support a firm gel. If you’ve ever had trouble getting strawberry jelly to set (strawberries are relatively low in pectin), the lemon gives you a little insurance.
Fresh or frozen strawberries work equally well here. Since you’re straining out all the solids anyway, you can use berries that are slightly overripe or less than perfect. Frozen berries actually release their juice more easily since freezing breaks down the cell walls.
Notes from My Kitchen
I came up with this jelly after making a batch of strawberry lemonade concentrate and thinking how wonderful that flavor combination would be as a jelly. Turns out it’s even better than I imagined. The lemon transforms ordinary strawberry jelly into something that tastes like summer in a jar.
My kids ask for this one specifically, which tells you something. It’s wonderful for peanut butter sandwiches, and it makes a beautiful glaze for cheesecake or vanilla pound cake. One batch usually doesn’t last long around here.
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Strawberry Lemonade Jelly
- Recipe Type: Jelly
- Canning Method: Water Bath Canning
- Prep Time: About 20 minutes
- Cook Time: About 25 minutes (plus straining time)
- Canning Time: 10 minutes for half pints
- Yield: About 6 half pints
- Jar Sizes: Half pints or quarter pints
- Headspace: 1/4 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Strawberries, lemon zest and juice, water, pectin, and sugar
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: Adapted from Classic Strawberry Jelly
- Difficulty: Easy
- Similar Recipes: This recipe is similar to other simple homemade jellies with pectin, like cherry jelly, lemon jelly, peach jelly and rhubarb jelly. Flavor wise, it’s similar to strawberry lemon marmalade and strawberry lemonade concentrate.
Ingredients
This recipe uses powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic) and a full amount of sugar for reliable gelling. The lemon is added during juice extraction, infusing the strawberry juice with citrus flavor.
- Strawberries: 8 cups hulled and halved (about 2½ pounds). Fresh or frozen work equally well.
- Lemons: 1 to 2 large lemons. Use 1 lemon for subtle citrus flavor, 2 for a more pronounced lemonade taste. You’ll need both the zest (in strips) and the juice.
- Water: ½ cup for juice extraction.
- Powdered Pectin: 1 box (1.75 oz), like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic. If using bulk or flex-batch pectin, use 6 tablespoons.
- Granulated Sugar: 4 cups. Do not reduce unless using low-sugar pectin.
For the lemon zest, use a vegetable peeler to remove the yellow part in wide strips, avoiding the white pith which is bitter. The strips are easier to remove after cooking than finely grated zest, and they infuse plenty of flavor during the extraction process.
Step by Step Instructions
This recipe is simple, and starts with cooking the ingredients together before straining, adding pectin and finishing the jelly.
Prepare the Lemons
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 1 to 2 lemons in wide strips, avoiding the white pith. Juice the lemons and set the juice aside. You should have about 3 tablespoons of juice from one lemon, or 5 to 6 tablespoons from two.
Extract the Juice
Place the hulled and halved strawberries in a large saucepan with the water, lemon zest strips, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing gently with a potato masher as the berries soften. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has completely broken down.
Strain the Juice
Transfer the mixture to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not squeeze the bag if you want clear jelly. The lemon zest strips will be caught by the strainer. Measure 4 cups of juice.
Make the Jelly
Pour the strained juice into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in the powdered pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Fill Jars
Remove from heat and quickly skim off any foam. Ladle the hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, center lids on jars, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
Setting Notes
This jelly uses powdered pectin with a full sugar ratio, so it should set reliably. The added lemon juice actually helps with setting since it adds acidity. The gel point is 220°F at sea level, dropping about 1°F for every 500 feet of elevation.
The jelly will continue to set as it cools in the jars. If it seems soft after canning, give it 24 to 48 hours before deciding it hasn’t set. For more information on getting jelly to set properly, see my post on troubleshooting jelly set.
Canning Strawberry Lemonade Jelly
Without canning, strawberry lemonade jelly will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to a year. For shelf-stable storage, process the filled jars in a boiling water bath.
Prepare your water bath canner while the jelly is cooking. Lower the filled jars into the canner, making sure they’re covered by at least 1 inch of water. Process for 10 minutes for half pints, adjusting for altitude as noted below.
After processing, turn off the heat and let the jars stand in the canner for 5 minutes before removing. Let jars cool undisturbed on a towel-lined counter for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals before storing.
Altitude Adjustments
For water bath canning, processing times increase at higher elevations:
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Yield Notes
This recipe yields about 6 half pints. You’ll need approximately 8 cups of hulled strawberries (about 2½ pounds) plus 1 to 2 lemons to produce the 4 cups of flavored juice needed.
The lemon juice adds slightly to the total liquid, so you may get a little extra juice. If you have more than 4 cups, you can use it all, though the jelly may be slightly softer, or you can reserve the extra for another use.
Serving Ideas
Strawberry lemonade jelly is wonderful on toast, biscuits, and English muffins. The bright, citrusy flavor makes it especially good at breakfast. It’s also a natural pairing for peanut butter sandwiches, where the lemon note cuts through the richness of the peanut butter.
Use it as a glaze for cheesecake, vanilla cake, or pound cake. Simply warm the jelly slightly until it’s pourable and spoon it over the top. The color is beautiful and the flavor is perfect with creamy desserts.
For a quick appetizer, spread cream cheese on crackers and top with a small spoonful of this jelly. The sweet-tart flavor pairs wonderfully with the tangy cream cheese. It’s also delicious stirred into plain yogurt or spooned over vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry Lemonade Jelly FAQs
Yes, you can substitute bottled lemon juice for the fresh juice portion. Use the same amount. However, you’ll miss out on the fresh zest, which provides most of the lemon aroma. If using bottled juice only, consider adding a drop or two of pure lemon extract to boost the flavor.
No, the lemon zest strips are strained out along with the strawberry pulp. As long as you don’t squeeze the jelly bag, your jelly should be clear with a beautiful pink-red color.
Yes, frozen strawberries work just as well as fresh. They actually release juice more easily since freezing breaks down the cell walls. There’s no need to thaw them first; just add them to the pot frozen.
Not with standard powdered pectin. You need at least a 1:1 ratio of juice to sugar for regular pectin to set properly. If you want less sugar, use a low-sugar pectin like Sure-Jell Low Sugar, Ball Low Sugar, or Pomona’s Universal Pectin and follow the instructions for that pectin.
Strawberry Canning Recipes
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Strawberry Lemonade Jelly
Equipment
- Half Pint Mason Jars
- Canning lids and bands
- Large Deep Stainless Steel Saucepan
- Jelly bag or cheesecloth
- Vegetable Peeler
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 8 cups strawberries, hulled and halved (about 2½ lbs)
- 1-2 large lemons, zest in strips plus juice
- ½ cup water
- 1 box powdered pectin, 1.75 oz, like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic (or 6 Tbsp bulk)
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from 1-2 lemons in wide strips, avoiding white pith. Juice the lemons (about 3 Tbsp from one lemon, 5-6 Tbsp from two).
- Place strawberries, water, lemon zest strips, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing gently. Cook 10-15 minutes until fruit has broken down.
- Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined strainer. Let drip undisturbed for at least 2 hours. Do not squeeze. Measure 4 cups juice.
- Pour juice into a large, deep saucepan. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add sugar all at once, return to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and skim foam. Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes for half pints, adjusting for altitude. Let stand in canner 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
Lemon Preparation
Strip the zest with a vegetable peeler in wide pieces rather than grating. The strips infuse flavor during cooking and are easily strained out with the pulp.Setting Notes
The added lemon juice helps this jelly set well since it adds acidity. If the jelly seems soft after canning, give it 24-48 hours to fully set.Fresh or Frozen
Frozen strawberries work just as well as fresh. They release juice more easily since freezing breaks down the cell walls.Altitude Adjustments
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lemon Canning Recipes
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