Trendy social media mavens dubbed last year “Tomato Girl Summer,” but it’s 2025 and there’s a new microtrend that’s making the rounds online. “Jam Girl Summer” is the sweet, slow-paced aesthetic that everyone wants to live out this year—and gardeners are the perfect people to try on this trend.
Gardeners are the original jam girls. We’ve been growing jam and jelly gardens to make our own homegrown preserves since long before the internet even existed. So it’s only right that we take ownership over this fun, garden-inspired fad.
When it comes to jam girl summer, being a girl isn’t required. Anyone can try this trend. It’s all about slowing down and preserving the best moments of summer, like a sweet and fruity jam made from produce you grew in your garden. Here’s how to try it out this summer.
What Is Jam Girl Summer?
Jam girl summer is a nostalgia-filled gardening, home, and lifestyle trend that embraces all those warm and fuzzy feelings you get from making and eating homemade jam. It’s about preserving the goodness you feel when you’re outside in your garden picking fresh fruits and turning them into delicious jams, jellies, and preserves in your cozy, cottage kitchen.
I have to admit, I love this trend! There’s nothing better than a piece of toast or croissant slathered with homemade jam. And if you already grow fruit at home, this is the perfect garden to table trend to try this summer. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can get fresh fruit from your local farmer’s market and get the same delicious results.
How to Try the Jam Girl Summer Trend
The obvious way to try out this trend is to make a batch of jam from the fruit you grow in your garden or that you bought at the farmer’s market. Don’t worry, making jam is so much easier than you think. If you can boil an egg, you can make jam.
I’m not only a lazy gardener, but a lazy cook as well. So the thought of making jam always scared me. I didn’t want to deal with the fuss of preserving produce from the garden and the threat of botulism from a bad batch. I learned this summer, though, that you don’t need to can your jam as long as you eat it within a week or so of making it.
To make jam from your fruit harvest, all you have to do is combine your fruit of choice with a little sugar, a splash of lemon juice, and cook it on the stove for about 20 minutes, stirring often. I made the most delicious batch of strawberry rhubarb jam with the leftover rhubarb from my garden.
The best time to harvest rhubarb is in late spring, which I did, but then forgot about it in the fridge. Even though it wasn’t quite at its freshest, it was still perfectly fine to use for jam. The strawberries I used were also past their peak freshness, but that’s the beauty of jam. It doesn't matter if your fruit isn’t perfectly fresh. It will still turn out better than anything you can buy in stores.
If you’re new to making jam like me, it’s best to use a fruit that’s high in pectin. That’s the thickening agent that turns fruit into jam rather than soup. Rhubarb and blueberries are both high in pectin, so give those a try if this is your first time making fruit preserves. You can buy pectin from Amazon to add to any fruit jam you want.
My Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe
- 1 cup (237 mL) strawberries, quartered
- 1 cup (237 mL) rhubarb, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- ¼ cup (59 mL) sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
Combine all the ingredients in a cold saucepan, then cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.
The fruit mixture will bubble and reduce as it cooks. Stir often to keep it from sticking or burning. Taste and add a little more sugar, if needed.
Cook until the jam is thick enough that it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan when you stir.
Carefully pour jam into a clean glass jar. Let the jam cool, then put on the lid and refrigerate for up to a week. Makes 1 cup (237 mL) of jam.
Jam Girl Summer Starter Kit
Take inspiration from this nostalgic garden trend by planting old-fashioned flowers alongside your fruit plants. Mixing ornamentals and edibles is part of the classic cottage garden style that goes so well with the jam girl summer trend.
This twee trend goes beyond the garden, though. Here are some more fun ideas to help you get into this sweet summer aesthetic. Plus, they're all on sale now for Amazon Prime Day.
Tie on a red gingham apron that’s reminiscent of a jam jar lid, like this one from Amazon, when you’re working in the kitchen or garden.
Make your homemade jam even more special by storing it in these beautiful, vintage style glass jars from Amazon. They come with a funnel to make canning mess-free.
Live your best jam girl life by infusing your home with whimsical fruit-inspired decor, like this adorable strawberry flower vase from Amazon.
