Description
This easy strawberry freezer jam recipe captures vibrant, sun-kissed strawberry flavor without complicated canning, perfect for quick, homemade goodness. It’s a family-friendly treat with a sweet, chunky texture.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs strawberries, hulled and rinsed
- 3.5 lbs granulated sugar
- 1.75 oz powdered fruit pectin for freezer jam
- 1 cup filtered water, divided
Instructions
- Prep Your Berries: Gently wash and hull 2 lbs of fresh strawberries, ensuring they are clean and dry, visibly free of debris.
- Mash Berries: Place berries in a large, non-reactive bowl. Using a potato masher, crush them to your desired consistency, leaving some small chunks for texture (aim for about 4 cups of crushed berries).
- Sweeten and Stir: Add 3.5 lbs granulated sugar to the mashed strawberries. Stir well to combine, ensuring all sugar is moistened. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to dissolve and the strawberries release more juice.
- Prepare Pectin: In a separate small saucepan, whisk 0.5 cup filtered water with 1.75 oz powdered pectin until smooth. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil vigorously for 1 minute; then remove immediately from heat.
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the hot pectin mixture into the strawberry and sugar mixture. Stir vigorously for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Fill Jars and Chill: Ladle the strawberry freezer jam base into clean, sterilized 1-cup freezer-safe jars, leaving 0.5 inch headspace. Secure lids tightly. Let jam stand at room temperature for 24 hours to set.
Notes
For best results, use ripe, in-season strawberries. Keep berries unwashed in the refrigerator until ready to use. Ensure all sugar is completely dissolved to avoid grainy jam, and boil pectin vigorously for a full minute to activate it correctly. Avoid over-mashing if you prefer a chunky texture. If jam seems too thin after setting, check that pectin boiled for the full minute and all sugar was dissolved. The jam needs to stand at room temperature for 24 hours to set before freezing for up to 1 year.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp (20 g)
- Calories: 55 calories
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: strawberry, freezer jam, easy, homemade, no-cook, fruit, breakfast, quick, family-friendly, pectin