advertisement
Last week, I found strawberries for $3.88 for a 2 lb clam shell. So, I picked up two packages and planned on making strawberry freezer jam. My Mom made some from strawberries from our garden this summer, but my family had used up all we had, and I missed the sweet and fresh jam.
advertisement
As it ended up, my Mom and I worked together to make several batches with the 4 lbs of strawberries. (I think it was just about three batches.) She worked on one batch and I worked on the second batch.
It was super easy to make, and you don’t even have to learn how to can to make this jam! You just pop it into many small containers that can be frozen, and throw them in the freezer! (Of course, you’ll need to leave one in the refrigerator instead, so you can enjoy it right away!)
You can also use this recipe to make wonderful homemade jam to give as Christmas gifts!
(I have some important notes below this recipe for some alternate options for preparing.)
Related Reading: Fresh and Easy Homemade Whipped Strawberry Butter Recipe
Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed strawberries about 1 quart of whole strawberries
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 box powdered fruit pectin
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Stir strawberries (already mashed) and sugar together, mixing thoroughly. Set aside.
- Stir powdered fruit pectin with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
- Stir mixtures together until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. Pour into clean dry containers, filling to within 1/2 inch of tops.
- Cover at once with tight lids. Let stand at room temperature overnight. (We did it for about 12 hours.) Store in freezer until opened; then store in refrigerator.
Notes
While my original recipe above calls for powdered fruit pectin, in recent years, I have been using Sure-Jell Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin. You will need lemon juice, but it comes together faster and doesn’t require boiling.
If the amount of sugar in this recipe leaves you a little freaked out, there is also a no or less sugar recipe included with a No Sugar Fruit Pectin package.
Other Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links. Using them doesn’t change the price you pay, but we may receive a small compensation for you purchasing through them. Thanks!
Join 40,000+ Other Awesome People
Subscribe to the Real Life at Home weekly newsletter to get our latest content, exclusive free printables, learning activities, and ideas for celebrating with your kids all year
I’m sooo going to try this!! Perfect b/c strawberries are coming back in season again!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Maybe not just for today =-.
I think I can do this! Yaa!
I just took some out of freezer to try. Do you recommend thaw in fridge or on counter. Also, I think mine would have worked better if the strawberries would have been rrom temp. I had mine in fridge. The sugar probably would have dissolved faster. Can’t wait to try it though
When we run out in the refrigerator, I just grab one out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. While I suppose that you could leave it sitting out for a little while, I wouldn’t take the time to thaw it like that unless you needed to use it sooner. Otherwise, just leaving it in the refrigerator until you need it next should be sufficient.
I usually use my strawberries from the refrigerator before I make it. The sugar does take some work to get dissolved. I usually make my family help with stirring so that I don’t have to stir forever, since I usually make multiple batches at once. It’s definitely an arm work out!
Mine turned out alittle to runny to put on toast. any suggestions for next time. I cooked the pectin long enough. Maybe I should have drained the strawberries after they were mashed, just to runny, very good, but turrned more into a ice cream topping
Without having been there when you made it, it’s hard for me to guess exactly what might have happened. I definitely have some times when it sets better than others, and I have yet to figure out exactly why that is. I have always been able to spread it with a knife onto toast though.
However, if you were looking for something thick and more like a jelly, then even when this sets very well, it still isn’t like that.
Did you dry off your strawberries well after washing them before starting? Maybe you had extra water in it?
I would also recommend next time maybe trying the Certo Liquid Fruit Pectin, as I have been doing that the last few times I’ve made jam, and I find that easier to work with.
When using the Liquid Pectin, how does one go about it? I have some and would love to know..I saw you said to use Lemon Juice and one would not have to boil it but how much lemon juice to use? To a whole packet of the liquid pectin? Are the measurements the same for the berries and sugar?
Hi Ricky –
I don’t know the directions off the top of my head, but the Liquid Pectin (I’ve always used Certo) comes with directions and ratios inside the box. 🙂
Thanks Angie..I bought some more and saw the instructions on the pamphlet inside…
If you do the liquid pectin and lemon juice. Do u still use water?
I don’t remember off the top of my head, but I think the liquid pectin still has water in it. You’ll want to use the recipe in the liquid pectin box. (That’s what I used when I started using liquid pectin.)
Hello, i have a question. You say 2 cups of mashed strawberries (about one quart) I doesn’t understand this. There are 4 cups in a quart. Could you please tell me if you use 1 quart of mashed or only 2 cups mashed. Thank you! 🙂
Nevermind I figured it out. I was just confused for a min. Lol!!
The recipe says 2 cups strawberries then in parentheses, about 1 quart. Well, 1 quart is 4 cups, not 2. So I am confused.
1 quart of purchased whole strawberries will get you close to two cups of mashed strawberries.
Can you substitute any berry for the strawberries without damaging the results of the recipe?
I would recommend buying a package of Pectin or Certo. Inside the box, they have different ratios of fruit to sugar to water, etc. It varies by the fruit.
This was the easiest and best freezer jam I have ever made!!! I will use this recipe from now on. Two flats made 20 pints with some left over for strawberry/spinach salad and strawberry shortcake!!
Can you use monk fruit instead of sugar for this recipe?
Hi Linda –
I would recommend looking for a strawberry jam recipe that calls for monk fruit specifically. I’m not sure if this recipe would be successful when replacing the sugar. It’s possible, but I don’t personally know if that would work. If you wanted to try it, I would try making a very small test batch.
Good luck!
Angie
I tried this recipe exactly as instructed and it was runny. Luckily I had made it to put on ice cream so it worked out but I was disappointed. I tried again using the sure jell instructions and it turned out perfect. The ingredients are the same but cooking instructions were different. Their recipe said to let the strawberries & sugar mixture sit for 10 minutes. It also has you put the strawberry mixture in the pan with the Pectin and cook for 3 additional minutes. Your directons didn’t have this step which i feel was needed. It made a big difference in the texture and set up. Obviously it tastes the same but I was disappointed in the missing steps.