Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe – An Easy Freezer Jam Recipe

If you love the taste of strawberries, you will love this Homemade Strawberry Jam recipe. However, what you are going to love most about this recipe is that it is super easy to prepare, there is no cooking of the berries required, and it is a freezer jam recipe.

In fact, this recipe is so easy that even the novice cook can make it without any difficulty. With just 3 ingredients, you will be able to enjoy fresh, homemade jam for an entire year!

However, before we get to the actual recipe, I must explain the difference between jam and jelly. In very general terms, jam is made with fresh fruit and jelly is made from the juice of the fruit.

Although they both have the same fruit flavor, the texture is quite different. Jam is traditionally thicker and it has small bits of the fruit scattered throughout the gel mixture.

On the contrary, jelly is smooth and contains no actual pieces of fruit. It spreads easily and is often used to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

However, this time of the year, with the fresh strawberry season in full swing, strawberry jam is the preferred choice of many. In fact, it is the most popular method of preserving strawberries.

Although, the traditional way to make jam is to actually boil the fruit with pectin. Then the jam is put into jars and boiled so that it can have a shelf stable life for up to a year.

However, that takes a lot of effort, time and equipment. So instead, this recipe focuses on an easy way to make jam that requires no cooking of the strawberries, and no special canning equipment!

Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. crushed strawberries, approximately 1 quart of strawberries
• 4 c. sugar
• 1 box (1 3/4-ounce) SURE-JELL Premium Fruit Pectin
• 3/4 c. water

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making homemade strawberry jam is the prepare the strawberries. This recipe calls for 2 cups of crushed berries.

Depending on the size of the berries, 1 quart of whole berries will equal approximately 2 cups of crushed berries. However, I would suggest having a few extra strawberries on hand just in case you have to remove any bad spots or large stems.

Start by hulling the strawberries. It is best to use an actual strawberry huller rather than a knife so that you don’t waste the top section around the core.

Then use a knife to cut each strawberry into 6-8 sections. Place the cut berries into a wide bowl so that it will be easier to crush them.

Crush The Strawberries

Use a potato masher or rigid pastry blender and begin crushing the berries into small pieces. You can also use a food processor, however, you need to be careful if you are using this method.

If you prefer to use a food processor, be sure to pulse lightly and not puree the strawberries. You want the homemade strawberry jam texture to still have a nice amount of chunkiness, with small bits of fruit visible.

Therefore, push pulse a few times until the berries are cut into small chunks. Whatever method you use to crush the berries, be sure to measure the exact amount needed and place them into a medium size bowl.

Then add the exact amount of sugar to the crushed berries and stir to combine. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This idle time will allow the sugar to penetrate the strawberries and release more juice. When the 10 minutes are about up, prepare the pectin mixture.

Do this by adding the pectin and water to a small saucepan. Stir and place the burner on high heat.

Boil The Pectin For Exactly 1 Minute

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. When a rapid boil is formed, allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Then pour the pectin mixture over the strawberries and sugar mixture. Stir for 3 minutes, or until sugar has completely dissolved.

It is okay if a few sugar crystals are visible. You just want the majority of them to be dissolved.

Now it is time to fill your containers with the homemade strawberry jam. If you are going to store the jam in the freezer, be sure to use freezer safe containers.

Although some people steer away from using glass mason jars in fear that they will crack, I have never had an issue with that. However, if you prefer, you can use plastic freezer safe containers instead.

No matter what container that you use, ladle the jam leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Then clean any jam that may have spilled onto the rims with a damp washcloth or paper towel.

Next, cover the containers with air tight lids. Leave the jam sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

Now it is time to decide how to store the homemade strawberry jam. If you are going to use it right away, store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Otherwise store the jam in the freezer for up to one year. Then when you are ready to use it, place it in the refrigerator and allow it to thaw before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I lower the amount of sugar in this recipe?

Unfortunately, in order for this freezer jam to set properly, you must use the exact amount of sugar listed. However, if you are looking for a Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam recipe, be sure to check out this recipe: Sugar Free Strawberry Jam.

2. What size freezer containers should I use?

Depending on the amount of jam that you use plan your freezer containers accordingly. Because the jam will remain good in the refrigerator for no more than 3 weeks, you will want to be sure that you can use that amount within that time frame.

I prefer to store my homemade strawberry jam in half-pint containers. That way I know that I will use it before he expiration date. However, if you eat a lot of jam, you might want to consider pint containers instead.

3. Can I use frozen strawberries?

A quick shortcut to making this freezer jam recipe is to use frozen berries instead of fresh strawberries. The consistency may be a little thinner, but the jam will still be delicious.

4. What are some different ways to serve the jam?

Although you may think of only using the jam to spread on bread or toast, there are several other ways to utilize the homemade jam.

Add it to yogurt, top your bowl of ice cream with it, or add it on top of these Easy Homemade Danishes. You can also add it on top of pancakes, stuff it inside French toast or place it on top of Baked Brie for an appetizer.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to using Strawberry Jam!

Enjoy! Mary

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