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Are you looking for an extra-easy Jam Recipe? Well, I’ve got just the thing!
I found strawberries on a great sale today, and made another batch of my all-time favorite jam!! Enjoy it for yourself, or give some as a thrifty gift!
What You’ll Need:
- Four 1-lb. containers of Fresh Strawberries or Six 6-oz. containers of Fresh Raspberries {you can even use berries grown in your yard to save $$!}
- 1.5 cups of Sugar
- 1 Pkg. Ball Freezer Jam Pectin {can be found at most grocery stores or Wal-Mart}
- Freezer-safe canning jars or small tupperware containers.
What You’ll Do:
- Wash, stem & slice berries {I chose strawberries}, then place in a shallow pan.
- Use masher to crush berries {consistency will depend on how chunky you like your jam}.
- The berries will look something like this, after they’ve been mashed…
- In separate bowl, mix together Pectin and Sugar.
- Add mashed berries into mixture, and stir for 3 minutes.
- Scoop jam into small freezer-safe jars or tupperware containers. {I use the 4oz. – 8oz. size.}
- Let jam set for 30 minutes, then store in your freezer until you’re ready to use your tasty jam. Enjoy!
- I make 12 little jars at a time {as pictured}, and I take out one at a time to keep in the fridge.
- Store in freezer for up to 1 year, or in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Recipe makes approximately six 8 oz. jars or twelve 4 oz. jars.
The Yummy Finished Product:
This jam is 110% delish!! Give it a try, and see what you think!
This also makes a great gift in a jar! 
See Also:
Easy Homemade Maple Syrup Recipe
How to Keep Strawberries Fresh!
Where did you find those jars?
Hi Angela!
I found the jars and lids at Wal-Mart.
They were in the section by the dishes, with all of the other canning supplies.
~ Heidi
Hi! Are the jars glass or plastic?
Hi Sue ~ the jars are the Ball Quilted Jelly Canning Glass Jars.
~ Heidi
Hey – Need a printable version of this! Just in time too..Looked at my plants yesterday and have LOADS or berrries just waiting to ripen!!
I didn’t realize it could be so easy!! TFS!
Hi Shannon ~
For a printable version, at the bottom of the post {just beneath ‘Like it? Share it!’} click on the small printer icon at the left. That will give you a printer-friendly version. Or, you could also just copy and paste this into a word document, and print from there.
Hope that helps!
~ Heidi
Do you think you can use blueberries?
Yep! I use blueberries ALL the time. Check out this post. Scroll down to the middle for a blueberry freezer jam recipe.
http://thecrunchysoup.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/261/
Good luck!
Kristina
Wonder if this works with blackberries? We have a lot of them. Love your website by the way! Very pretty and awesome stuff on here!
I have made the jam with black berries. It was good
If you like smooth jam, can you puree the strawberries instead of mashing them?
That is awesome! How do you steam the strawberries? I have heard of making the jam on the stove but not like this. Thanks!
Hi Heather ~ no steaming is required for this easy recipe! Just use fresh strawberries from the garden… or grocery store!
~ Heidi
and Raspberries!
@Heather: she said “stem” as in take the stems off, not steam.
It’s ok, I think you just read it wrong…..
Would love to try this soon…
Those jars are adorable! Great gift!
Could you use a food processor instead of hand mashing to save time? I think I may try that
Thanks for the great recipe…we go through tons of jam and it is so pricey in the stores for the good stuff!
Michelle, if you use a regular blade in a food processor it chops them all up, or purees them, depending on how long you process them, and the texture’s just not as nice as the mashed berries.
But my food processor came with a blunt (not sharp), short blade — mine’s called a “dough blade” — and I discovered a few years ago that it’s great for mashing strawberries for jam! It has saved me lots of time.
Perfect timing! I bought jelly at the store yesterday and I thought – next time I need to figure this out.
Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been looking for a good one-can’t wait to try it!
Is it 1 1/2 cups total of sugar or 1 1/2 cups per pound of strawberries. I was telling my MIL about this and she said it doesn’t seem like enough sugar.
Play with it. I usually use 2 cups of sugar but you can use less. It might not set up right. try it out and see!
Hi Jessica ~ it’s 1 1/2 cups sugar total.
I’ve made it for years this way, and it’s soooo yummy! Give it a try, and see what you think!
~ Heidi
I love it! How easy! I’ve always made it with my SIL, and now I can do it myself.
Thanks for sharing!
I am so excited to see this! I am going to give it a whirl! Thanks for posting! Stopping by from Tasty Tuesday!
This looks absolutely delicious. I am definitely going to have to make this with my boys this summer.
Take care,
Shynea
Mine came out kinda runny. Not sure what I did wrong.
Wow – so glad you shared this info – this is SO much easier than anything my mother did! And I LOVE the cute little jars – so thanks for telling where to find those too!
I love making freezer jam! I make it every year.
My mom is a diabetic so I make freezer jam for her with a lil variation…enjoy
Clean and slice 4 cups of fruit, such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches and plums. Put the fruit in your blender and blend until it is a crushed consistency or use potato masher for hand version. Add 1 1/2 cups of Splenda and 1/4 oz. of non-sugar freezer pectin (found at the grocery store). There is no need to add this sugar substitute in the same amounts as you would sugar in a regular jam recipe, as it will make the jam taste bitter. Stir the fruit and Splenda mixture for three minutes, until the Splenda and pectin are dissolved. Pour the jam into containers and freeze or refrigerate.
Thank You this was my question how to make it with out the sugar! Thanks Again
Thank you! I was wondering the same thing!!!!!
I grew up eating this (40 years ago). It is delicious and my mom used to put it in plastic quart containers.
can this be canned? I don’t have a very big freezer and wouldn’t have the room to store this in it.
YOu can also use SPLENDA for a low calorie one.. I made strawberry/blueberry jam a few weeks ago, and my kids loved it!
Could you use frozen fruits if you dont have fresh fruit?
@Grace–I would be cautious of using frozen fruit because of the water content. If you notice when say a frozen blueberry defrosts it is guishy and wet, unlike its fresh counterpart. I would be concerned that the added liquid would leave you with a runny jelly since no additional liquid is needed in the recipe. You could perhaps counter that with more Sure-jell but I’m not a canner.
@Glenda et al re Frozen Fruit. I would defrost over a sieve to allow the excess moisture to separate, then use the fruit pulp for the jam. The juice can be used to flavor water, tea, other fruit juices, etc. Just remember, store-bought frozen fruits aren’t as ripe & full of flavor. I’ve never been happy: no matter how much sweetener I add, the product looks nice but it’s tart & without the true fruit flavor.
Once out of the freezer are they shelf safe? I’d be afraid to give them as gifts if they couldn’t be out of the fridge for a bit. Anyone know?
I too am wondering if you have to freeze it? I would love to give it as gifts at work, but they wouldn’t be able to freeze it right away.
Once it is out of the freezer, it lasts for quite awhile in the refrigerator.
If you were giving it as a gift, and had a small refrigerator at work, you could store it in there. Or even in a cooler with blue ice?? Hope that helps!
~ Heidi
I love freezer jam. It’s so versatile and inexpensive. My favorites are Pineapple Upside-down Cake freezer jam, Strawberry-Banana freezer jam, Blueberry-Peach freezer jam, Peach Freezer Jam, Blueberry freezer jam. Interested in recipes, head on over to The Crunchy Soup for a tutorial. http://thecrunchysoup.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/pineapple-upside-down-cake-freezer-jam/
yea mine came out really runny too. its not setting… any advice on what i did wrong or what i can do to fix it?? thanks!
Did you use frozen fruit? Frozen fruit might have a little more water than fresh which may lend to a more runny consistency. If you used fresh try using less fruit or more pectin. Are you using freezer jam pectin? There is a difference. Head on over to my blog for more freezer jam recipes. WE LOVE IT! (I gotta whip up more we just used our LAST jar up!)
I am excited to try this no cook freezer jam recipe. Thanks for sharing. My Grandmother says that if you make jam or jelly on a cloudy day it won’t set up right. My sister and I made grape jelly last fall (before we knew this “rule”) and it was a cloudy day and it didn’t set right. Just a thought to the runny jelly/jam.
~Anna
Heidi,Heidi;
luv this easy jam.I work in healthcare and have made for all my clients.I use different fruits.they love love it.I’m thinkin about branchin out to different organizations in my field.I’LL SHARE the profits Heidi..going global…lol…
Can you leave these out to give as gifts or do they have to go in the freezer right away?
Hi Sara ~ once the jam is out of the freezer, it lasts for quite awhile in the refrigerator.
If you were giving it as a gift, and had a small refrigerator at work, you could store it in there. Or even in a cooler with blue ice?? Hope that helps!
~ Heidi
I make this every year, my husband loves to use as a topping for cheesecake and ice cream!
what would be the exchange if i used truvia or splenda? i would like to try this but with less sugar and calories.
thanks!
Can you use the classic glass canning jars? I make jam every year, but the old fashion way….and having the kitchen 200 degree’s in the middle of summer isn’t fun. This seems much easier, but I’m not sure the glass will freeze correctly. If anyone knows or has advice, please let me know.
Also, to reply to the post above. If you use the “less sugar” pectin, you won’t have to use as much sugar. Personally, I think it tastes much better with less sugar. It really brings out the flavor’s in whatever fruit you use (my preference is peaches)
Glass freezes just fine!
I’ve made freezer jam using plastic and glass containers. They both freeze well. After it comes out of the freezer it has to go in the fridge. There is no shelf life it will mold. There is no cooking involved which is the difference from canning vs. freezer. If it comes out to running you probably used more fruit then what the recipe calls for or not enough pectin. In those cases save it as syrup for those pancakes/french toast and cheese cakes! :O))
Wondering if the recipe can be doubled?
Thank you for taking your time to post this. The jars are cute!
I am going to be making some for my PB&J eating, bachelor boyfriend today. 
)))
Just finished my batch. It didn’t make quite the amount that the recipe said it would make….but it’s set up well and tastes wonderful!
Thank you again for posting!
My store didn’t have a package of the Pectin, so I had to buy a small container. Any idea how much I should measure out to use for this?
Yes I too had to buy the container… Not sure how much to use.
I also had to buy the small container. I can’t figure out how much to use for this recipe. I’m makingit with raspberries.
The answer to this question is 5 TABLESPOONS Pectin.
4 cups crushed berries
1 1/2 cups sugar or splenda
5 T instant pectin
awesome, I made freezer jam for the 1st time last year but there was boiling involved so this looks WAY easier and I LOVE those little jars, perfect for gift giving @ the end of school!
Can anyone tell me what would make Strawberry Freezer Jam turn cloudy?