Strawberry Freezer Jam
The no-canner classic — crushed ripe strawberries set with pectin and stashed in the freezer, with a fresher, brighter berry flavor than any cooked jam.
Ingredients
one batchFrom the garden
- 1½ lb ripe strawberries, hulled — about 1 quart, to yield 2 cups crushed
From the pantry
- 4 cups granulated sugar — the full amount is required for the set — don't reduce it
- 1¾ oz powdered fruit pectin — one standard box
Steps
tap a step to dim it as you go- Crush the hulled berries one layer at a time with a potato masher — you want a chunky pulp, not a purée. Measure exactly 2 cups of crushed fruit into a large bowl; exact measures are what make pectin jam set.
- Stir the sugar into the fruit and let it stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mostly dissolved and glossy.
- In a small saucepan, whisk the pectin into 3/4 cup water. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and boil hard exactly 1 minute.
- Immediately pour the hot pectin into the fruit and stir a full 3 minutes. A few stray sugar grains are fine — stop before your arm gives out, not before the 3 minutes.
- Ladle into clean freezer-safe jars or containers, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace for expansion. Lid them and let stand at room temperature up to 24 hours until set, then move to the freezer.