This mock strawberry zucchini jam is such a fabulous way to turn your summer squash harvest into something unexpected and delicious. It is quick to put together and fabulous spread over toast or swirled into yogurt.

Close triangles of toast with strawberry zucchini preserves spread over them.

It’s zucchini season again! You know what that means. Pretty soon, there will be more green squash laying around than you know what to do with.

Neighbors will be leaving it on your porch, and vendors at the farmers market will practically be paying you to take it away. It goes from good to overwhelming for folks quickly.

jar of strawberry zucchini jam in front of slice of toast.

zucchini jam ingredients with sugar, a can of pineapple, lemon juice and jello.

Uses for Zucchini

I actually really love zucchini in all of its forms. We sautee it a lot or toss it on the grill.

It is delicious in things like Parmesan roasted zucchini and tomatoes, but zucchini isn’t limited to savory side dishes. It is fabulous in sweet recipes as well.

Of course, we know that because zucchini bread is always popular. Mini loaves of zucchini bread are also a great option.

shredded zucchini, pineapple, sugar and lemon juice cooking in saucepan.

Saucepan filled with reddish peach colored jam inside and ladle ready to scoop it into jars.

A few years ago, I stumbled onto making a mock apple pie with zucchini. It is surprisingly delicious!

I used that same basic principle to make a brown sugar zucchini crisp that also tastes just like apple. It is fun to make something so different from a familiar vegetable.

So, this recipe is a natural extension of that idea. It takes shredded zucchini and turns it into tasty preserves.

Where This Recipe Came From

I had never heard about making jam out of zucchini until a Facebook friend clued me in. We were talking about our favorite ways to use zucchini on the Cooking With Carlee Facebook page.

Someone mentioned making peach jelly out of zucchini, and of course, I was intrigued. She shared the recipe, and I just knew I had to make it for you.

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The recipe itself only takes a few ingredients to make. Mostly, it is peeled and shredded zucchini, sugar, pineapple, lemon juice, and the key surprise ingredient.

It’s jello! That is where the strawberry flavor comes from in this version.

But it also makes it super simple to change up the flavor. Make peach like the original recipe or do an orange marmalade version.

It would be great with raspberry jello or even a bright lemon flavor. Picking a flavor is a big part of the fun.

Adaptations

In addition to changing the flavor of jello, I also reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe. Obviously, sugar is an integral part of most preserves, but this still works well with the reduced amount.

I also increased the amount of crushed pineapple. I love pineapple, so a large can seemed more appropriate than a small one.

I increased the cook time a bit to make up for the added liquid and decreased sugar content. Then I hit the softened zucchini with an immersion blender for a bit to smooth out the finished product, just a smidge.

Hot zucchini jam spooned into small jars.

strawberry zucchini jam spread over slice of toast.

Your jam will likely be a brighter red color. We used a naturally colored jello, so it’s not as bright as most.

The finished product was a nice spread that was perfect for toast. It has just enough texture to be interesting with no big chunks.

The flavor is bright and fun. It is strawberry forward but is mostly just sweet and fruity.

Little Dude thought it tasted a bit like mango, and my husband was surprised how much he liked it. The jars were fun to pass out among family members.

It is fun to surprise people with fun treats like this. It would make a perfect host gift with a fresh loaf of bread as well!

Storage

Put the extra zucchini jam in airtight containers and freeze them. They will stay good in the freezer for several months.

Just defrost the jam in the refrigerator overnight and it will be ready to spread on toast the next day.

4.87 from 22 ratings

Strawberry Zucchini Jam

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings (9 cups)

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 6 cups peeled and finely shredded zucchini*
▢ 4 cup granulated sugar
▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
▢ 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
▢ 1 6 oz box strawberry Jello

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring 6 cups peeled and finely shredded zucchini*, 4 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
Boil for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For a smoother jam, use an immersion blender until you get your desired consistency. Though this step is unnecessary if you like a bit of texture in your preserves.
Remove from heat and stir in the 1 6 oz box strawberry Jello. Spoon into clean jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

If using larger zucchini, remove the seeds. Small zucchini with tender seeds won’t need them removed.

Feel free to experiment with different flavors of Jello, peach and/or raspberry would be delicious.