How long it takes: 25 minutes to prep; 8 hours for the jam to set Equipment you’ll need: saucepan, large bowl, measuring cup, jars or small containers Servings: makes 5 cups
Fresh Strawberry Freezer Jam
Easy to make. You won’t believe just how easy it is to make freezer jam! There are only four ingredients (and one of them is water). If you can stir, you can make this jam! So much fresh strawberry flavor. Freezer jam really showcases fresh strawberries because it’s not cooked at all. It tastes like sweet, freshly picked strawberries. Quite honestly, even people who don’t like strawberries love this jam. Keeps for up to a year. The jam can be frozen for at least a year. You can freeze it in small freezer containers or jars with a tight lid. It thaws very quickly. Great way to use extra berries. If you find yourself in a situation where you have more berries than you can use before they spoil, make jam! It’s a perfect solution and everyone will be thanking you all winter long when they spread this jam on their toast.
Canned Jam vs. Freezer Jam
What’s the difference between regular jam and freezer jam? You’ll notice a huge difference in color and taste. Regular jam is cooked so it turns a darker dull red. The strawberries are simmered on the stove with sugar, pectin, and other ingredients. The hot jam is poured into sterilized jars and processed in a canner. Canned jam is shelf-stable and can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Freezer jam is made with fresh fruit and is not cooked. It’s the same brilliant red as the fresh strawberries you use. The pectin may be heated but the berries are fresh. The jars should be very clean but there’s no need to sterilize them with boiling water. Freezer jam has a softer consistency and needs to be refrigerated or frozen.
Ingredient Notes
Strawberries: Obviously the star of the show, look for the freshest, best berries you can find. Seasonal local berries are always the best tasting. You’ll need one pound of berries, or two cups mashed strawberries. Use ripe, but not overripe, strawberries. Sugar: Since this is jam, you’ll need lots of sugar. Measure out four cups of granulated white sugar, no substitutions. Fruit Pectin: I use a box of Sure-Jell. It’s dry powdered pectin. There are other brands available. If you want to make jam with less sugar, buy pectin that is specifically labeled for that purpose. Optional Fresh Herbs: If you want to give your strawberry jam a little extra flavor boost, try stirring in fresh minced basil, rosemary, or mint. Fresh herbs are essential, don’t be tempted to substitute dried.
How to Make Freezer Strawberry Jam
Prep the berries. Hull the strawberries using a huller or a paring knife. Simply cut off the green leaves that cap the berry. Rinse the berries lightly to remove dirt. Don’t soak strawberries in water; they tend to absorb water and become mushy and watery. Drain and dry off the excess water as much as possible. Mash the berries. After hulling the berries, the next step in making strawberry freezer jam is mashing the berries. I use a potato masher. A pastry cutter works well, too. Don’t get too carried away. You want lots of good chunks in there for a nice jammy texture. A food processor makes quick work of this step but be careful not to get carried away and accidentally purée the strawberries. Measure the mashed berries. It’s important to use exactly 2 cups of mashed berries. If you throw in extra berries, your jam may not set up, that is, it will be thin and runny. If you happened to mash a little more than 2 cups, put the extra berries in a dish and eat them on ice cream or yogurt, or just slurp them up plain. Add sugar. Next, stir in 4 cups of sugar. That may sound like a lot of sugar but don’t be tempted to use less. It’s important that you use the exact amount of sugar. This is jam, not a fruit purée or spread. If you skimp on the sugar, your jam probably won’t turn out. Let the berries commune with the sugar for 10 minutes. Cook pectin. After the sugar/berry mixture has set for 10 minutes, start cooking the pectin. In a small saucepan, mix the powdered fruit pectin with water. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for one minute. Remove it from heat. Thoroughly combine the pectin with the fruit. Stir the pectin into the berry/sugar mixture. I don’t mean a quick little swirl here but a thorough stir, like for three or four minutes, to make sure the pectin and strawberries are really mixed well. You can’t stir it too much. You shouldn’t see any graininess; the jam should be clear and smooth. If you’re adding fresh herbs, stir them in, too. Store. Pour the jam into jars or small containers and cover. Let the jam sit on the counter for 8 hours. It will continue to thicken and gel as it cools. Refrigerate the jam or freeze it after 8 hours. Easy peasy!
Serving Suggestions
Don’t you just want to eat that slice of toast or toasted bagel right now? If you’re really feeling crazy, add a layer of cream cheese or goat cheese first. And don’t forget almond butter or peanut butter, maybe even a decadent layer of Nutella. Yum! The best breakfast ever! Everyone loves strawberry jam spread on toast, bagels, and corn bread but it is also amazing stirred into plain Greek yogurt, spooned over vanilla ice cream, or even stirred into hot oatmeal. My family loves to top their pancakes and waffles with strawberry jam. Clearly, you’ll want to find every possible opportunity to use this delicious jam.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Refrigerate: Refrigerated jam will keep up to four weeks. Discard the jam if it’s moldy, or smells yeasty or like vinegar, or if you notice anything else unusual. Freeze: The jam should be stored in freeze-safe containers or small jars. If you use glass jars, be sure they are in a secure place in your freezer. Strawberry freezer jam will keep up to a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.
