Strawberry Freezer Jam

Looking for a way to use up those sweet strawberries, but afraid of canning? Try making this homemade strawberry freezer jam and we’re betting you never buy storebought again! Recipe adapted from SURE-JELL.

Ingredients

2 cups crushed strawberries

4 cups Sugar

1 (1.75 oz.) box SURE-JELL Pectin

3/4 cups Water

Chia Seed Strawberry Jam (low/no-sugar added)

Looking for a low /no-sugar added recipe? Try this easy 10-minute chia seed jam instead! Recipe adapted from Ali at Gimme some Oven.

Ingredients

2 cups crushed strawberries

2 tablespoons whole chia seeds

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 or 2 tablespoons agave, honey, or maple syrup (optional)

Method

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook strawberries, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is heated through and begins to break down and bubble.

Stir in the chia seeds and lemon juice until combined. Then taste. Stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons sweetener if desired.

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. (It will thicken as it cools.)

Give the jam one final good stir. Then serve immediately, or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months

Method

Measure exact amount of crushed strawberries into a large bowl. To crush the berries, you can use a potato masher or rigid pastry blender. If using a food processor, pulse lightly to still have a nice amount of chunkiness, with small bits of fruit. Do not puree.

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

Stir pectin and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat.

Pour pectin mixture over berry/sugar mixture and stir for 3 minutes, or until sugar has completely dissolved. If a few sugar crystals remain, that's alright.

Using a ladle, immediately fill containers, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Clean any jam from jar rims with a wet paper towel. Cover jars with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

To use immediately, store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Otherwise store in the freezer for up to one year. Then simply thaw in refrigerator before using.

Enjoy!