Strawberry Freezer Jam

If you've never made jam, and are feeling hesitant about going through the whole cooking and canning process, and you just want to maybe dip your toe into the jam-making pool and see what temperature the water is, then this is the way to do that.

Freezer jam is simpler than simple to make.  All you need is fruit, sugar, and the special Freezer Jam Pectin put out by Ball. 

You also need containers.  Ball makes these specifically for their freezer jam recipes - 5 eight-ounce freezer jars.  I'm sure you could use whatever freezer container you want, but these are nice because they're thicker than most freezer containers and they come in this handy-dandy jam jar size.

 

And no, they're not paying me to talk up their jam-making stuff - but I think they're almost the only game in town.  And they have some basic recipes on the back of the package, too, which is helpful.

I love the enthusiasm.  All those exclamation points!!! 

Last summer I made blueberry freezer jams and mixed berry freezer jams, and they were great to have on hand.  The other nice thing was that they took no time at all to throw together.  The only downside is that if you want to make a LOT of freezer jam, you need to have a LOT of freezer space.  I don't have as much freezer space as I'd like (which just doesn't seem right, if you ask me), so that's why I'm doing the hot water bath canning thing this year.  But I wanted to make at least one batch of freezer jam JUST so I could take pictures and show how simple it truly is.

So first, you need some fruit.  I had strawberries, of course, which I'd bought in quantity at the farmers' market on Friday.  I used some for cooked jam, and some for just feeding the little mouths around here, and finally some for this freezer jam. 

As you can see on the package, you need 4 one-pound containers of fresh strawberries; enough so that once you've hulled and crushed them, you have 4 cups of fruit.

You also need a cup and a half of sugar.

Put the sugar and the pectin in a bowl

and whisk them together well. 

Then stir in the crushed fruit,

 and

YOU'VE GOT JAM!

Ladle the jam into your washed and rinsed freezer containers,

let them sit out for half an hour to get the pectin activated,

and then label them

and pop them in the freezer.  I had some leftover jam as well, which fit in a little ramekin and went into the fridge to use now.

See?  Wasn't that easy?   Now you try it!

Comments

[ralph]

okay, i will!

[jomamma]

That is easy! But I'm also at a loss for freezer space.

[Carolyn Jung]

I'm a can-o-phobe, I admit it. But refrigerator or freezer jam is just my style. Can you use any type of plastic container to freeze the jam in? Or do they have to be special ones of some sort?

[Jayne]

I would imagine you can use any type of plastic container. I'm a sucker for marketing, so I bought them.

[Jackie]

I went and bought the 5 x 8 oz freezer containers, and a pack of Ball pectin this weekend! (Weird though, they only had the original pectin and not the type specifically for freezer jam.) Now I just have to get my hands on some berries. Thanks for the inspiration :)

[Ashley]

I've never made anything in my life that didn't go bad in 2 weeks (maybe the kids?), so this jam thing was very new to me. I had the strawberries washed and cut into smaller pieces, but was unsure how to best "crush" them. The blender seemed cruel and I wasn't sure I had it in me to do the hand masher. Your excellent step-by-step on this topic helped tremendously. My jam is in the "setting" period right now, and I feel pretty good about it. Thanks so much!

[Pam]

I made some and it turned out ok, only problem is when I took it out of the freezer to use, it was real runny, how do I get it thick?

[Jayne]

Im not sure, honestly. If it was a cooked jam, Id say cook it longer next time to get rid of some more liquid, but since its not the case, Im thinking maybe drain some of the liquid off the berries, or use less sugar, as sugar draws out the water in the berries. I think, because its a very simply made jam, freezer jam will tend to be runnier than cooked jams anyway. Good luck!

[Chelsea]

I am planning to make this type of jam as favors for my wedding next month. Your directions are to stick the labels on BEFORE you put the jam in the freezer. My question is: When the jam thaws out, does the label get ruined (wet and ripple-y) by condensation? If so, maybe it would be best to attach the labels the day of the wedding so that they will look nice. Any thoughts? (I am planning to stick a round label on the metal lid) Thanks!

[Jayne]

To be safe, youre probably better off sticking the labels on the day of the wedding. My only concern would be that your guests have some way of keeping the jamcold until they get home, as it wont keep at room temperature. Im sure youve already figured that out - its thehere, wear a sweater because Im coldmother type in me who cant help but ask anyway. :)