Ranking of 8 Strawberry Jam Brands from Worst to Best

There’s nothing like spreading some strawberry jam onto a piece of just-toasted bread, already slicked with a pat of salted butter. It offers your toast (or whatever else you’re serving it with) a lovely sweetness and fruitiness, of course, as well as a nice pop of acidity — if you’re working with a good strawberry jam, that is. I personally prefer making my own jam. Even though it takes some time and effort, it reaps a delicious reward. But let’s face it: Not everyone has the time or the skills to make their own strawberry jam from scratch on a regular basis.

That’s why store-bought strawberry jam can be a good option when you want to get your jam fix quickly. But with so many different options from which to choose, how do you know which brands are worth your hard-earned cash and which aren’t? I tasted my way through several different strawberry jam brands to see which ones taste the best and which ones fall flat in terms of both flavor and texture. Spoiler alert: A lot of these jams taste pretty similar, so you probably won’t be sorely disappointed by any of the ones on this list. However, by reading all the way to the end, you’ll know which brand to seek out for a particularly delicious strawberry jam experience. 

Perhaps one of the easiest strawberry jam products to get your hands on is Smucker’s seedless strawberry jam. This iconic and easily recognizable brand can be found in stores around the country, which means it’s an accessible option for all kinds of shoppers. However, just because it’s everywhere doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s worth your time. That’s because, out of all the strawberry jams I tried for this ranking, this was my least favorite of the bunch.

The main reason this jam comes in the very last place is because it barely has any texture. Sure, you get that jiggly, jelly-like consistency, but you won’t find any seeds or actual fruit fibers in this product. That may not be a bad thing if you’re trying to feed a particularly picky kid, but if you actually like strawberries in their whole form, you may too find this jam a bit boring. And considering that it contains high-fructose corn syrup in place of plain old sugar, it’s definitely not the best choice of jam listed here.

Signature Select’s strawberry preserves is another spread that doesn’t exactly boast the best of ingredients. While it’s a great choice if you’re trying to pinch pennies at the grocery store, if you’re looking for the most delicious strawberry jam on store shelves, you might find it falls flat. It’s a step up from Smucker’s,  largely because it actually contains seeds, which offer that subtle crunch you’d get from actually eating the fruit.

But beyond those seeds, there’s not much this jam has to offer on the texture front. Additionally, it’s a bit sweeter than some of the other varieties on this list, and it lacks some acidity. Add in the fact that it contains high-fructose corn syrup instead of regular sugar, and it’s clear that this is one of the lower-quality strawberry syrups on this list. This stuff doesn’t really taste bad — it’s just that other brands out there taste way better.

You’ll see a decent step up in quality when it comes to Trader Joe’s strawberry preserves. These preserves, which are made with real strawberries, actually taste like the fruit, albeit with a super-sugary edge. Even with that sweetness, you’ll still notice an edge of acidity that keeps things tasting fresh. However, take a look at the ingredients list and you’ll notice that this product contains lemon juice concentrate. I couldn’t tell whether that acidity comes from the strawberries or the concentrate, but it definitely seems like it’s more processed than other brands on this list — even if it still contains real fruit.

Although, yes, there are probably better strawberry jams available at grocery stores in your area, if you’re already at Trader Joe’s and need to pick up some strawberry jam, this stuff isn’t likely to disappoint. It’s a solid option for a tasty, sweet fruit spread to smear on toast or add to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a pop of acidity.

You may not be able to find Favorit strawberry premium Swiss preserves everywhere, but if you can get your hands on this product, it might be worth a try. As the name suggests, this product hails from Switzerland, and according to the packaging, it’s made with 52% fruit. Now, would it be better if this number was higher, meaning that there were less sugar and fewer additives in the recipe? Sure. But still, this product is made with mostly real fruit, and its flavor certainly makes that clear.

There’s a really nice flavor balance in these preserves, with a sweetness that’s somewhat less pronounced than it is in other strawberry jam brands. Although there are less-sweet varieties on this list, this is a great option if you’re looking for a halfway point between super-sweet and something more tame. There’s also a hefty dose of acidity here, too, which gives the spread a lovely brightness. This stuff just tastes like straight summer, so it’s a product I would keep in my fridge on the regular. Although it doesn’t break into the top half of this ranking, it’s still a solid jam that should be on any strawberry lover’s radar.

Just because you’re eating less sugar or fewer calories doesn’t mean you have to cut out strawberry jam completely. If you’re looking for a slightly less indulgent — but still totally delicious — strawberry jam, look no further than My Normal strawberry jam. It contains just a fraction of the calories of other jam brands and no added sugar, but it doesn’t taste noticeably different than many of the other brands covered on this list. If anything, its slightly more acidic flavor profile makes it taste fresher and more appealing to those who like to keep the sweetness to a minimum.

This jam also contains seeds, which adds some much-needed texture to the mix, but it’s otherwise not very texturally complex. Although I tasted better strawberry jams for this ranking, I do think that this is a great option for those who want to be a little more health-conscious with their morning toast.

If you’re looking for a strawberry jam that’s a step up in quality from most of the other brands you’ll find on store shelves, look no further than O Organics strawberry fruit spread. This jam contains organic strawberries as well as organic cane sugar, which is largely where its mild sweetness comes from. That lack of high-fructose corn syrup is a plus, and if you care about shopping organic, you should be pleased with the ingredients list here. Although this fruit spread is sweeter than My Normal’s jam, it still has a lovely touch of acidity to it, which keeps things tasting fresh.

Compared to some of the other strawberry jams on this list, this one contains way more strawberry seeds. That may not be ideal for everyone, but I think the added texture and crunchiness from those seeds make for a much more delicious bite. Plus, there’s some texture there from the fruit as well, making this one of the more complex, dynamic strawberry jams on this list.

There is perhaps no jam brand that gets quite the same hype as Bonne Maman. The brand is known for its iconic advent calendar that features a range of different flavored tiny jams. You can also reuse its trendy jars for your morning coffee. (Plus, the lid is undeniably cute.) But this brand isn’t beloved just for its jars — the product is actually very good quality, which is why Bonne Maman’s strawberry fruit spread ranks number two on this list. Compared to the brand’s preserves, this strawberry jam contains more fruit and less sugar, which means you’re going to get a tarter, more fruit-forward flavor. That really works with strawberry specifically because it creates a lighter, more summery flavor profile.

There’s also quite a bit of texture in this fruit spread, with little chunks of actual fruit, which can instantly elevate your piece of toast or whatever else you’re spreading it on. Yes, this brand may be slightly pricier than many of the other options on this list, but I think that price is justified for the kind of flavor and quality you’re getting here.

When you want to feel like you’re eating the freshest possible strawberry jam, turn to Crofter’s organic strawberry fruit spread. If you’re used to eating more sugar-forward jams (as opposed to fruit-forward ones), you might be slightly turned off by its color. It has a brownish tinge to it that doesn’t look as bright as many of the other jams listed here. However, that just means you’re getting more fruit in the jar. Once you spoon some jam out of said jar, you might notice its fibrous texture — you can tell that there is plenty of actual fruit here.

And that’s not just obvious in the jam’s appearance — you can taste it too. Out of all the strawberry jams I’ve covered here, this is the one that tastes the most like actual strawberries. Yes, there is some additional sweetness, but it’s not overpowering, and the natural sweetness of the berries is what really appears to shine through. Whether you specifically want to choose an organic product or you’re just looking for an especially delicious strawberry jam, Crofter’s has you covered.

These strawberry jam brands were chosen based on their availability at local grocery stores and online. I tried all of the strawberry jams first on their own, then with plain, untoasted pieces of baguette to get a better sense of how they tasted solo and with other foods. 

Once I had sampled each jam, I ranked them based on their flavor and texture. I placed the more well-balanced and generally less-sweet jams higher on the list and prioritized jams that had a more interesting and less uniform texture.