Strawberry Freezer Jam
Summer is almost here!
What could be better than sitting down with a buttery English mufffin (or ahem, a hot krispy kreme, as picture) and some fresh strawberry jam? Not much, I tell you!
Strawberry Freezer Jam is one of my favorite treats ever. So simple but the flavor is amazing. You won’t buy store bought strawberry jam ever again.
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Makes Five - 8 oz. Jars
4 cups mashed strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 packet freezer jam pectin
1. In a large bowl, crush st until only small pieces remain and mixture is quite liquid. This may take a few minutes.
2. In a small bowl, mix Pectin and sugar together until incorporated. Add to mashed strawberries. Stir for 3 minutes.
3. Ladle into clean jam jars, leaving 1/2″ space at the top. Cap and let sit for 30 minutes. Store in your freezer until ready to use, or transfer to fridge and eat!
Jam keeps several weeks in the fridge or up to one year in the freezer.
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18 Apronistas:
This is by far one of the easier recipes I have found, thank you for sharing! I can't wait to do this one!! YEAH!
I canned HM strawberry jam 2 years ago. You are so right- NOTHING beats the taste!
Ali,
This recipe looks great! Can you also use other berries? I'd love to make raspberry or boysenberry jam with an easy recipe like this one!
Carina,
I imagine so, you may want to strain the seeds though. :)
Freezer jam is the best!! Freezing it gives it a fresher flavor than other jam's that require more cook time.
Thank you for posting this easy as pie recipe! I found your blog googling for strawberry freezer jam!
Hi,
I just made some freezer jam with part of a 6 1/2 pound strawberry "pick your own" haul. (The rest went into "Strawnana Bread" and just plain munching.) We went strawberry picking again and were probably going to make more freezer jam. Your recipe looks easier (and has less sugar) than what I did.
My pectin box recommended mixing 2 cups mashed strawberries and 4 cups sugar and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Then I boiled 3/4 water and the pectin for 1 minute, added it to the strawberry/sugar mixture, and put the result into jars.
I noticed that your recipe called for "freezer pectin." Is there a difference between regular pectin (I used SureJell) and "freezer pectin"?
Nice way to preserve strawberries for the winter!
JasonL: Yes, freezer jam pectin is different than "regular" pectin. Uses less sugar, and no boiling required. The box should be clearly marked as freezer jam pectin. One brand name is Ball Fruit Jell.
This looks great -- I am going to try this today!
I'm going to look for that pectin. I was leery about the 4 cups of sugar I had to use with the regular pectin!
I just "canned" 12 pints of strawberry freezer jam. I used the "Ball No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin". Their receipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of either sugar or SPLENDA.
Being diabetic (plus just not liking super sweet jams), I modified it by using 1 1/4 cup of SPLENDA, and 1/4 cup of "fructose". You can get this in bulk at most nature or organic stores. I've found that by mixing this with SPLENDA it reduces the sometimes after taste. I also DOUBLED the amount of fruit. I only stemmed the strawberries and cut in half. Mixing with the SPLENDA/fructose/pectin mix for 3-4 minutes made just enough juice to setup nice for freezer jam. Plenty of sweetness if you start with good fresh strawberries (which are in season now here in Oregon).
Another hint if you get a good deal on fresh stawberries. Take whole cleaned berries and put on a cookie sheet. Pat dry with a paper towel, then place in freezer for 1 hour. Take out and put in a 1 quart "zip lock" freezer bag until about 1/2 full. Put about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of SPLENDA/fructose mixture (NO PECTIN) in the bag and shake gently to cover the berries. Lay the bag on it's side and spread berries in the bag so they don't bunch up. Then put back in the freezer keeping them flat until frozen. You'll have "fresh strawberries" all year long for shortcake, smoothies, etc.
Hi. I saw your comment at Crunchy Domestic Goddess. I made peach and apricot freezer jam using Ball's freezer jam packets and it didn't set up well at all. It's runny, more like a sauce than a jam. I followed the instructions, even reducing the amount of fruit in a second batch to see if that would help. Any suggestions?
I had the same problem with the peach jam using the Ball's freezer jam packets. Also put in less fruit and a little less sugar second time. By the way, has anyone ever used a food processor to mash fruit instead hand masher? Everything is in season so I hope someone has these answers. Thanks.
I also used Ball's freezer jam packet and a food processer to mash the fruit. I followed the recipe carefully, but the jam is syrupy and the fruit has begun to float on the jar that I did not freeze, but refrigerated for use. I called Ball's help line several times. The line has been busy for a long time and after a few minutes, a computerized voice tells me "Good Bye." Any ideas? I don't want to make another batch only to have that fail.
Unfortunately freezer jam can have a mind of it's own. You can try cooking it for an extra minute to help it thicken up. I usually mash my fruit by hand, but I don't think that makes a difference in how it turns out. On the rare occassion that we have a batch that doesn't set up we use it as syrup. We will heat it up and put it on pancakes, ice cream, use it in milkshakes and have even used it to make an intersting mixed drink (think syrup and vodka over ice!) So there really isn't a ruined batch--you just made a different treat.
To JB: I use the SUREJELL brand of freezer jam pectin and follow the directions that come with the box and i get FABULOUS jam (strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry are among the ones i make regularly) EVERY TIME! The directions specifically say NOT to use a food processor . . . perhaps that diminishes the fruit's ability to set properly. It's worth trying again! Freezer jam is the BEST!
I usually use Sure Jell for my freezer jams and this year made Strawberry Banana Freezer Jam. I would be inclined to believe using a food processor would add more liquid to the jam and that my interfere with it setting up properly!
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