Description
This easy and delicious Strawberry Freezer Jam captures the fresh flavor of ripe strawberries with minimal cooking. Using fruit pectin for quick setting, this no-cook jam is perfect for spreading on toast or adding to desserts. With just a few simple ingredients and a short preparation time, you can enjoy homemade jam that’s freezer-stable for up to a year.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit
- 2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (about 1½ pounds whole)
Sugar
- 4 cups granulated sugar
Liquids & Add-ins
- ¾ cup water
- 1 (1.75 oz) package fruit pectin (such as Sure-Jell)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries: Wash and hull the fresh strawberries, then crush them using a potato masher or pulse gently in a food processor, leaving some small chunks for texture. Measure exactly 2 cups of crushed fruit into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix with sugar: Add 4 cups of granulated sugar to the crushed strawberries and stir thoroughly. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve into the fruit.
- Cook the pectin: In a small saucepan, combine ¾ cup water with the fruit pectin. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Let it boil for exactly 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Combine pectin and fruit mixture: Pour the hot pectin mixture into the strawberry and sugar mixture, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is well combined.
- Add lemon juice: If using, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice now to brighten the flavor of the jam.
- Jar the jam: Pour the jam into clean, dry containers (such as jars or plastic containers), leaving approximately ½ inch of headspace at the top to allow for expansion.
- Set and store: Cover the containers with lids and let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours to allow it to set properly. After setting, store the jam in the freezer for up to 1 year or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- You can use low-sugar fruit pectin and reduce the sugar accordingly, but do not reduce the sugar unless using pectin designed for low-sugar recipes, as the sugar content affects the jam’s ability to set.
- Keeping some small chunks in the crushed strawberries adds nice texture to the jam.
- Make sure containers are clean and dry to prevent spoilage.
- If you want a slightly tangier jam, adding the optional lemon juice enhances brightness and helps preservation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
