Top all your favorite biscuits and treats with sweet, bright summer strawberries all year long with easy-to-make Strawberry Freezer Jam!
Enjoying fresh summer flavors even during the winter months is a cinch with this simple and wildly delicious Strawberry Freezer Jam! Strawberries, lime, sugar, pectin, and water are the only ingredients to make this tasty jam perfect on toast, sandwiches, ice cream, and more!
That’s My Jam!
When summer strawberries are fresh and plentiful, I grab as many as I can carry and then make the kids go back for more! There are too many delicious treats to make with strawberries, and as one of our favorite fruits, everyone knows we make every strawberry dish we can think of, especially jam. Strawberry Freezer Jam is one of my favorite things to make- it’s so easy and enjoying this sweet, amazing jam even in the winter is, well, totally my jam!
Dive into more fresh freezer jams like Peach Pineapple Freezer Jam, but don’t forget about mouth-watering savory jams like Crock Pot Bacon Jam, which is great for burgers and more!
Other Recipes to Serve with Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Warm, freshly baked Drop Biscuits are bites of heaven with homemade strawberry jam!
- Save a few beautiful strawberries to make a refreshing pitcher of Strawberry Sweet Tea to cool everyone down.
Ingredients
Fruit: To make this freezer jam, you will need strawberries and lime. Fresh strawberries are the best option but you can also use frozen berries if necessary.
Fruit Pectin: Pectin helps the jam gel and stick together, it is typically found in the baking aisle or can be located online.
Sugar: You will need granulated sugar to sweeten the jam.
How to Make Strawberry Freezer Jam
STEP ONE: Smash the strawberries in a large bowl and then mix in the lime zest and sugar. Allow the fruit to macerate for 10 minutes.
STEP TWO: Combine the water and pectin in a saucepan and boil, whisking constantly. Simmer the pectin mixture for 2-3 minutes and then pour it over the mashed strawberries.
STEP THREE: Stir the pectin and strawberries together and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
STEP FOUR: Carefully pour the strawberry jam into clean mason jars or other freezer-safe jars, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top.
STEP FIVE: Let the jars sit on the counter for 24 hours. After 24 hours, store the jam in the freezer.
Tips for Success
- When ready to enjoy your strawberry freezer jam, pop the jar into the fridge to thaw overnight.
- Once frozen, the jam will last for a year. After thawing and enjoying the jam, finish it within two to four weeks.
- If you don’t have fresh strawberries, you can make this jam with frozen ones. Thaw the frozen berries before using them and hang on to the juice. You’ll use the same amount of frozen berries as you would fresh.
What’s the difference between freezer jam and regular jam?
The difference between freezer jam and regular jam is how each is made. Making freezer jam is a much simpler process: macerating berries, boiling pectin, mixing them, and freezing the final product in jars. Regular jam, purchased at the store or even canned homemade jam, is a little more technical. The jars used for canning must be sterilized, and then the fruit must be boiled. This hot fruit mixture is then poured into the hot jars and sealed in a water bath or other canning method. Canned jam lasts for much longer than freezer jam, but if you go through jam quickly, then freezer jam is a great, quick alternative!
Do you need special jars for freezer jam?
Thankfully, storing freezer jam in containers is just as easy as making the jam! Any freezer-safe container will work for freezer jam, and Mason jars are especially perfect. You can choose between plastic or glass and what size of container to store your jam in. If you and your family can typically finish an 8-ounce jar of store-bought jam in a week or two, then you can purchase that size of container as well for your homemade jam.
More Delicious Ways to Enjoy Strawberry Season!
- Strawberry Sorbet
- Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing
- Strawberry Salsa
- Strawberry and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
*This post originally posted on 06/22/2014.
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and smashed
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (optional)
- 1.75 ounces fruit pectin
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and smashed strawberries (see note) in a large bowl and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the water and pectin to the pan and whisk together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow the pectin mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the pectin over the strawberry mixture. Stir and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Pour the jam mixture into six 8-ounce freezer-safe mason jars. Be sure to leave about 1/2-inch of space at the top.
- Let the jars rest on the counter for 24 hours. Then, store them in the freezer.
- Allow the jam to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
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