Best Easy Freezer Jam Recipe
How to Make the Best Freezer Jam – Our easy no-cook freezer jam recipe is perfect for making the best strawberry jam, or nearly any flavor of sweet spread with your favorite summer berry or stonefruit. No canning required!
Why We Love This Easy Freezer Jam Recipe
I’ll be honest… I’m no canner. The process of pressurized canning, using a hot water bath, is a classic method that is time-consuming and laborious. I’ve always been in awe of those who are able to patiently and skillfully fill jar after jar with homemade preserves and pickled vegetables. Materials must be meticulously prepared, and there are typically many delicate and time-sensitive steps to follow to ensure not just yummy, but safe, batches are made every time.
Hot water bath canning is a precise science with a big payoff, but, thankfully, it’s not the only way to make delicious jarred goods from scratch. Today we are going to share with you an incredibly simple recipe for making the Best Easy Freezer Jam, a quicker no-cook alternative to traditional canning of regular jam.
Most jam recipes involve a process that includes first cooking the fruit, canning and sealing in a hot water bath, then cooling for up to a day before storing. Freezer jam, on the contrary, only requires pureeing fruit in a blender, and then briefly cooking a simple pectin syrup before dividing into jars, cooling to room temperature, and freezing.
While both methods are not necessarily quick to make, freezer jam is certainly much easier, super convenient, and overall faster.
Ingredients You Need
- Fresh fruit – strawberries or peaches are our favorite, but you can use any berry or stone fruit
- Granulated sugar – a must-have for getting just the right level of sweetness
- Lemon juice and zest – including the zest will add great freshness to the jam
- Salt – a pinch is necessary to keep the jam from freezing solid
- Powdered fruit pectin – the magic ingredient for making any fruit jam
- Water
Pro Tip: Using super-ripe fruit creates the best flavor. Berries and stone fruits like peaches and apricots tend to be sweetest when they are right on the edge of being overly ripe.
How to Make Easy Freezer Homemade Jam
- First, place cleaned and prepped fruit in a food processor or blender, and blend to a fine mash with small chunks still present.
- Set out a large bowl and measure exactly 2 cups of crushed strawberries into the bowl. (3 cups for peaches) Then pour in the sugar, lemon juice and zest, and salt. Stir well to get the sugar dissolving process going. Allow the strawberry mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
- Meanwhile, set a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add water and the powdered pectin, and whisk well to dissolve. Once the mixture reaches the boiling point, continue whisking and boil for 3 minutes to thicken the pectin syrup. This pectin mixture should look like thick clear glue when ready.
- Slowly pour the hot liquid pectin syrup into the mashed strawberries, and whisk continuously to incorporate.
- Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, pour into canning jars and leave about a half-inch gap at the top for expansion.
Note: This recipe makes three 16-ounce jars, six 8-ounce jars, or twelve 4-ounce jars.
6. Lastly, screw the lids on the jars and leave them out at room temperature for 24 hours to set and cool. Then move the jars to the freezer until ready to use.
Although you can enjoy the loose jam immediately once cooled, don’t skip the 24-hour rest time before placing the jam in the freezer. This is what creates the right consistency!
Get the Complete (Printable) Best Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Freezer Jam
- Use ripe fruit – Choose fully ripe, flavorful fruit for the best taste. Underripe or overripe fruit can affect the jam’s flavor and texture.
- Mash the fruit – Use a food processor blender to mash the fruit, but leave some small chunks for texture. Avoid over-pureeing, as small chunks of the fruit will give it a better texture.
- Use the right pectin – Use freezer jam-specific pectin, as it’s formulated to set without cooking. Follow the package directions carefully.
- Use the correct amount of sugar – Freezer jam usually requires sugar to help it set and preserve the fruit’s natural color. Use the recommended amount; reducing sugar too much can prevent the jam from setting. If you prefer less sugar, use a low sugar pectin.
- Prepare clean containers – Use clean, food-safe containers or jars with tight-fitting lids. Make sure they’re freezer-safe to prevent cracking.
- Mix pectin and sugar thoroughly – Dissolve the pectin and sugar completely to avoid clumps and ensure the jam sets evenly.
- Let the jam rest – Allow the jam to sit at room temperature for the recommended time (often 24 hours) before freezing. This helps it set properly.
- Leave space in containers – When filling containers, leave about ½ inch of space at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer.
- Label and date your jars – Clearly label jars with the type of jam and the date you made the jam. Freezer jam is best used within a year for optimal flavor.
- Thaw properly – Thaw in the refrigerator before use and consume within 3-4 weeks after opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just as with any other jam, this tastes delicious on toast. You can also use it as a topping for pancakes or waffles, ice cream, or yogurt.
The jam will keep well in the freezer for up to one year in a freezer-safe container. Once you are ready to enjoy, move the jam to the fridge and keep stored there for up to 3-4 weeks once opened.
As long as you use slightly more strawberries than peaches you should be fine to follow the recipe as-is, with 2 cups of pureed fruit.
If you leave a 1/2 inch of space at the top of each jar, for expansion, the jars will be just fine. They will only crack if you fill them to the brim. Also, be sure to stack them evenly on a flat shelf, so they don’t topple out of the freezer when you open the door.
The key to making this recipe sugar-free is to use a 1-to-1 ratio sugar substitute, to create the same volume and consistency. I believe Swerve and Truvia both have 1:1 options.
Looking for More Deliciously Sweet Spreads and Sauces? Be Sure to Try:
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Easy Orange Curd
- Raspberry Cranberry Sauce
- Warm Blueberry Sauce
- Raspberry Maple Syrup
Get the Complete (Printable) Best Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Best Easy Freezer Jam (Strawberry and Peach!)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh pureed strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries (about 1 heaping quart berries)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice add zest for extra lemon flavor
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1.75 ounce box powdered fruit pectin
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- If using strawberries, hull the berries removing all stems and leaves. If using peaches, peel off the skin and remove the pits. (Peach skin easily peel right off super ripe peaches.) *See stonefruit proportions below.
- Place the fruit in a food processor or blender and to a fine mash with small small chunks present.
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Measure exactly 2 cups of berry puree into the bowl. (Measure 3 cups for stonefruit.) Then pour in the sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Stir well to start dissolving the sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the water the powdered pectin. Whisk well to dissolve. Once the mixture reaches the boiling point, whisk and boil for 3 minutes to thicken the pectin syrup. It should look like thick clear glue when ready.
- Slowly pour the hot pectin syrup into the fruit, whisk continuously to incorporate.
- Once the mixture is smooth, pour into canning jars (or containers with lids) leaving about a half-inch gap at the top for expansion. This recipe makes three 16-ounce jars, six 8-ounce jars, or twelve 4-ounce jars.
- Screw the lids on the jars and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours to set. Then move the jars to the freezer until ready to use.
Notes
- 3 cups fresh pureed peaches or other stonefruit
- 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 box powdered fruit pectin
Could I add habanero or jalapeño chilies to this recipe? Thank you.
Yes, absolutely! If you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out. :)
The most delicious homemade jam ever! We never run out because we always keep a supply in the freezer.
The best homemade jam! We always have a batch in our freezer!