Share-Based Payments (Details 3) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2017	Apr. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2015
Restricted Shares And Deferred Stock Units [Member]
Weighted-average grant date fair values of the equity awards
Granted Restricted Shares and Deferred Stock Units and Performance Units	180,997	97,922	109,091
Granted Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share)	$ 133.92	$ 113.57	$ 104.82
Performance Units [Member]
Weighted-average grant date fair values of the equity awards
Granted Restricted Shares and Deferred Stock Units and Performance Units	73,701	121,936	75,848
Granted Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share)	$ 126.80
Granted Weighted Average Conversion Date Fair Value (in dollars per share)	$ 126.80	$ 132.46	$ 111.41

The weighted average fair value for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) options plans.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sjm_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsinPeriodWeightedAverageFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	sjm_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average grant date fair values of equity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sjm_WeightedAverageGrantDateFairValuesOfEquityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	sjm_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The weighted average fair value at grant date for nonvested equity-based awards issued during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=sjm_RestrictedSharesAndDeferredStockUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: