Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe – Rachel Cooks®

Strawberry freezer jam is without doubt one of the greatest elements about visiting my mother and father. My mother all the time has strawberry jam stocked within the freezer for us to get pleasure from whereas we’re there. I typically even handle to return house with a jar. Actually, I might eat it by the spoonful. Isn’t it lovely? It tastes even higher than it seems!

Recent Strawberry Freezer Jam

Simple to make. You received’t imagine simply how simple it’s to make freezer jam! There are solely 4 elements (and one among them is water). In case you can stir, you may make this jam!

A lot recent strawberry taste. Freezer jam actually showcases recent strawberries as a result of it’s not cooked in any respect. It tastes like candy, freshly picked strawberries. Fairly truthfully, even individuals who don’t like strawberries love this jam.

Retains for as much as a yr. The jam could be frozen for at the least a yr. You possibly can freeze it in small freezer containers or jars with a decent lid. It thaws in a short time.

Wonderful means to make use of additional berries. If you end up in a state of affairs the place you could have extra berries than you should use earlier than they spoil, make jam! It’s an ideal resolution and everybody will likely be thanking you all winter lengthy after they unfold this jam on their toast.

Canned Jam vs. Freezer Jam

What’s the distinction between common jam and freezer jam? You’ll discover an enormous distinction in colour and style.

Common jam is cooked so it turns a darker uninteresting crimson. The strawberries are simmered on the range with sugar, pectin, and different elements. The recent jam is poured into sterilized jars and processed in a canner. Canned jam is shelf-stable and could be saved at room temperature for as much as a yr.
Freezer jam is made with recent fruit and isn’t cooked. It’s the identical good crimson because the recent strawberries you employ. The pectin could also be heated however the berries are recent. The jars needs to be very clear however there’s no must sterilize them with boiling water. Freezer jam has a softer consistency and must be refrigerated or frozen.

Ingredient Notes

• Strawberries: Clearly the star of the present, search for the freshest, greatest berries you could find. Seasonal native berries are all the time the very best tasting. You’ll want one pound of berries, or two cups mashed strawberries. Use ripe, however not overripe, strawberries.
• Sugar: Since that is jam, you’ll want plenty of sugar. Measure out 4 cups of granulated white sugar, no substitutions.
• Fruit Pectin: I exploit a field of Positive-Jell. It’s dry powdered pectin. There are different manufacturers out there. If you wish to make jam with much less sugar, purchase pectin that’s particularly labeled for that function.
• Elective Recent Herbs: If you wish to give your strawberry jam just a little additional taste increase, attempt stirring in recent minced basil, rosemary, or mint. Recent herbs are important, don’t be tempted to substitute dried.

The way to Make Freezer Strawberry Jam

Prep the berries. Hull the strawberries utilizing a huller or a paring knife. Merely reduce off the inexperienced leaves that cap the berry. Rinse the berries frivolously to take away dust. Don’t soak strawberries in water; they have an inclination to soak up water and turn out to be mushy and watery. Drain and dry off the surplus water as a lot as attainable.

Mash the berries. After hulling the berries, the following step in making strawberry freezer jam is mashing the berries. I exploit a potato masher. A pastry cutter works nicely, too. Don’t get too carried away. You need plenty of good chunks in there for a pleasant jammy texture. A meals processor makes fast work of this step however watch out to not get carried away and by accident purée the strawberries.

Measure the mashed berries. It’s essential to make use of precisely 2 cups of mashed berries. In case you throw in additional berries, your jam could not arrange, that’s, will probably be skinny and runny. In case you occurred to mash just a little greater than 2 cups, put the additional berries in a dish and eat them on ice cream or yogurt, or simply slurp them up plain.

Add sugar. Subsequent, stir in 4 cups of sugar. That will sound like a number of sugar however don’t be tempted to make use of much less. It’s essential that you just use the precise quantity of sugar. That is jam, not a fruit purée or unfold. In case you skimp on the sugar, your jam most likely received’t end up. Let the berries commune with the sugar for 10 minutes.

Prepare dinner pectin. After the sugar/berry combination has set for 10 minutes, begin cooking the pectin. In a small saucepan, combine the powdered fruit pectin with water. Carry it to a boil, stirring continually, and boil for one minute. Take away it from warmth.

Totally mix the pectin with the fruit. Stir the pectin into the berry/sugar combination. I don’t imply a fast little swirl right here however an intensive stir, like for 3 or 4 minutes, to ensure the pectin and strawberries are actually blended nicely. You possibly can’t stir it an excessive amount of. You shouldn’t see any graininess; the jam needs to be clear and clean. In case you’re including recent herbs, stir them in, too.

Retailer. Pour the jam into jars or small containers and canopy. Let the jam sit on the counter for 8 hours. It can proceed to thicken and gel because it cools. Refrigerate the jam or freeze it after 8 hours.

Simple peasy!

Serving Ideas

Don’t you simply need to eat that slice of toast or toasted bagel proper now? In case you’re actually feeling loopy, add a layer of cream cheese or goat cheese first. And don’t overlook almond butter or peanut butter, perhaps even a decadent layer of Nutella. Yum! The very best breakfast ever!

Everybody loves strawberry jam unfold on toast, bagels, and corn bread however it’s also wonderful stirred into plain Greek yogurt, spooned over vanilla ice cream, and even stirred into scorching oatmeal. My household likes to high their pancakes and waffles with strawberry jam. Clearly, you’ll need to discover each attainable alternative to make use of this scrumptious jam.

Refrigerate: Refrigerated jam will preserve as much as 4 weeks. Discard the jam if it’s moldy, or smells yeasty or like vinegar, or in case you discover the rest uncommon.

Freeze: The jam needs to be saved in freeze-safe containers or small jars. In case you use glass jars, be certain they’re in a safe place in your freezer. Strawberry freezer jam will preserve as much as a yr within the freezer. Thaw it in a single day within the fridge earlier than utilizing.

Prepare dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• In a big bowl, mash strawberries utilizing a potato masher. Measure out precisely two cups, setting apart any additional mashed berries, and add the two cups again to bowl. Save the additional mashed berries for one more use. You need to be as precise with the recipe measurements as attainable.

  2 cups crushed recent strawberries, about 16 oz.

• Stir 4 cups of granulated sugar into the two cups of mashed strawberries. Combine nicely to mix, ensuring the sugar is totally integrated, after which let the berry combination stand for 10 minutes, stirring often.

  4 cups granulated sugar

• After 10 minutes, in a small saucepan, mix fruit pectin and ¾ cup water. Carry to a full boil on excessive warmth, stirring continually. When it boils, set a timer for 1 minute. Proceed to stir continually after which take away from warmth when it has boiled for one minute.

  1 package deal (1.75 oz.) fruit pectin, equivalent to Positive-Jell, ¾ cup water

• Stir pectin and water combination into the fruit and sugar combination. Stir continually for about 3 to 4 minutes or till sugar is totally dissolved and combination is not grainy.

• Pour combination into freezer containers with tight becoming lids (jars work nice). You will want 5 8 oz. containers or one thing comparable. Complete yield is 5 cups.

• Let jam stand at room temperature for 8 hours earlier than shifting to the fridge or freezer. In case you freeze the jam, thaw it within the fridge in a single day earlier than utilizing.

• Strawberries: Usually strawberries are bought in quart containers, particularly in case you purchase them from a farm stand. Typically, a quart will maintain about 1 ½ kilos so that you received’t want your entire quart to to make this jam. 
• Natural twist: Basil and strawberry pair so nicely collectively. After sugar is dissolved, attempt stirring in ¼ cup finely chopped recent basil leaves. Mint can also be an amazing alternative.
• Storage: Freezer jam will preserve within the freezer for as much as a yr. As soon as it’s thawed, it may be refrigerated for as much as a month

Serving: 2tablespoon, Energy: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 0.1g, Fats: 0.1g, Saturated Fats: 0.002g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fats: 0.01g, Sodium: 3mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Vitamin info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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