Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe (No-Cook, No Canning Required)
Strawberry freezer jam is the easiest way to preserve peak-season strawberries — no cooking the fruit, no canning, no water bath required. Just fresh strawberries, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice, stirred together and poured into jars. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, and because the berries are never cooked, the jam tastes bright and fresh, not like the cooked-down stuff from the store. It keeps up to a year in the freezer and several weeks in the fridge.
It is no secret that we love strawberries. Whether it is strawberry rhubarb pie, strawberry and cream angel food cake, strawberry cheesecake dip, or even strawberry Asian chopped salad, we eat strawberries all spring and summer long. So when I made a gin and jam cocktail, I knew I had to make another batch of freezer jam.
Ingredients for Strawberry Jam
With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of time, you can create a jar of homemade freezer strawberry jam that’s bursting with flavor and free from any artificial additives. Here are the ingredients you need for this simple strawberry jam.
- fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
- granulated sugar
- fresh lemon juice
- powdered fruit pectin
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make strawberry freezer jam
Start by washing your strawberries thoroughly under cold water. Remove the stems and hulls, then chop the berries into small pieces.
Dump the strawberries in a large bowl. You can mash the strawberries with a potato masher for a smoother jam or leave them chunkier for more texture. If you want even smaller strawberry pieces, you can also run the strawberries through a food processor. Mix the sugar with the strawberries and let stand for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine water with the pectin and bring the pectin mixture to a boil.
Pour the boiling water and pectin over the crushed strawberries. Next, pour the lemon juice over the strawberries. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and pectin.
Once the jam has reached the desired consistency, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, ladle the jam into clean, sterilized mason jars, leaving a 1/2-inch space at the top to expand during freezing. You can use pint or half pint jars. Seal the jars tightly with lids.
Let the strawberry freezer jam cool completely at room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator or freezer. If you plan to freeze the jam, it will keep for up to 1 year. If refrigerated, it will last for several weeks. This jam is perfect on toast or even on top of strawberry cheesecake overnight oats.
Hint: To check if the jam has reached the desired consistency, perform a gel test. Simply place a small spoonful of the hot jam onto a chilled plate and let it cool for a minute. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s ready.
Substitutions
Here are some substitutions you can make for the ingredients in the freezer strawberry jam recipe:
- Strawberries: While strawberries are the star of this jam, you can substitute them with other fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a combination of these berries. Keep in mind that different fruits may require adjustments to the sugar and acid content for proper gel formation.
- Granulated Sugar: If you prefer to use alternative sweeteners, you can substitute granulated sugar with honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or even coconut sugar. Remember that the sweetness level and flavor profile may vary with different sweeteners, so adjust to taste.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds acidity to the jam, which is essential for proper gel formation and flavor balance. You can substitute it with other citrus juices such as lime or orange juice. Alternatively, you can use bottled lemon juice if fresh lemons are not available.
- Powdered Fruit Pectin: Pectin is a natural thickening agent derived from fruits and is essential for achieving the desired gel texture in jam. If powdered fruit pectin is not available, you can use liquid pectin instead. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for substitution ratios, as they may vary.
These substitutions offer flexibility based on dietary preferences, ingredient availability, or flavor preferences, allowing you to customize the recipe to suit your needs and tastes.
Variations
While the basic recipe for freezer strawberry jam is delicious on its own, there are plenty of variations you can try to customize the flavor and texture to your liking. Here are a few ideas:
- Mixed Berry Jam: Instead of using only strawberries, mix in other berries such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries to create a mixed berry jam. You can adjust the ratio of berries to suit your taste preferences.
- Peach Jam: Use peaches that have been peeled and pureed or smashed. Then make in the same proportions for the strawberry jam.
- Reduced Sugar: If you prefer a less sweet jam, you can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Experiment with using less sugar, or try using a low-sugar pectin specifically designed for reduced-sugar jam recipes.
- Honey or Maple Syrup: You can substitute part or all of the granulated sugar with honey or maple syrup for a natural sweetener alternative. Remember that these sweeteners may alter the flavor slightly, so adjust to taste.
- Flavor Enhancements: To enhance the flavor of the jam, add a splash of vanilla extract or a pinch of ground cinnamon. You can also experiment with adding citrus zest, such as orange or lime, for a citrusy twist.
- Spicy Strawberry Jam: Add a kick of heat by incorporating finely chopped jalapeños or red pepper flakes into the jam mixture. This sweet and spicy combination pairs well with savory dishes like grilled meats and cheeses.
- Herbal Infusions: To infuse the jam with additional flavor, experiment with adding fresh herbs such as basil, mint, or thyme. Steep the herbs in the strawberry mixture during cooking and strain them out before transferring the jam to jars.
- Liqueur Infusion: For a boozy twist, add a splash of your favorite liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Chambord, to the jam mixture. This adds a subtle, boozy flavor that pairs well with the sweetness of the strawberries.
These are just a few ideas to get you started, but feel free to get creative and experiment with different ingredients and flavor combinations to create your own unique freezer strawberry jam recipe!
Jelly and Jam Making Equipment
Get all the essentials you need to make the best jelly and jams with my favorite things to use in my Amazon Storefront.
Storing Freezer Jam
Let the jam cool completely at room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator or freezer. If you plan to freeze the jam, it will keep for up to 1 year. If refrigerated, it will last for several weeks.
Top Tips for Making Freezer Jam
Want to get the perfect jam every time, follow these great jam making tips:
- Mash or Puree Strawberries: If you want even smaller strawberry pieces, you can also run the strawberries through a food processor.
- Perform a Gel Test: To determine if the jam has reached the desired gel consistency, perform a gel test by placing a small spoonful of the hot jam on a chilled plate and letting it cool for a minute. If it wrinkles and holds its shape when touched, it’s ready. If not, put it back on the stove for cooking and retest until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Skim off Foam: Skim off any foam or scum that forms on the surface of the jam during cooking using a spoon or ladle. This helps improve the clarity and appearance of the jam.
- Allow Proper Cooling Time: Let the jam cool for a few minutes before transferring it to jars to prevent hot jam from cracking the jars or causing injuries. Leave some headspace in the jars to allow for expansion during freezing.
FAQ
Freezer jam is made without cooking the fruit, which gives it a brighter color and fresher flavor than traditional cooked jam. Regular jam is made by cooking the fruit and processing sealed jars in a boiling water bath, making it shelf-stable at room temperature. Freezer jam skips all of that — it goes straight into jars and into the freezer. The tradeoff is that freezer jam needs to stay cold; it isn’t shelf-stable like canned jam.
Strawberry freezer jam keeps for up to 1 year in the freezer and 3–4 weeks in the refrigerator once thawed. Keep it in the fridge once you open a jar.
No — that’s the whole point of freezer jam. The strawberries are mashed raw and combined with a cooked pectin-water mixture, but the fruit itself is never heated. This preserves the bright, just-picked flavor that makes freezer jam so much better than store-bought.
Yes, pectin is essential for freezer jam. Since the fruit isn’t cooked (cooking naturally activates the pectin in fruit), you need to add it. This recipe uses powdered fruit pectin (like Sure-Jell) dissolved in boiling water before being mixed into the strawberries.
Runny freezer jam is usually caused by not letting the pectin fully dissolve before adding it, not using enough pectin, or not letting the jam set long enough. After filling jars, let the jam sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before refrigerating or freezing — it continues to thicken as it cools.
Yes! Thaw the frozen strawberries completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing. The flavor will be slightly less bright than fresh, but it still makes excellent jam — especially helpful when you want to make jam outside of strawberry season.
Use freezer-safe mason jars — either pint or half-pint size. Leave at least ½ inch of headspace at the top of each jar to allow the jam to expand as it freezes. Avoid glass jars with straight sides that can crack in the freezer; wide-mouth jars work best.
You can, but proceed carefully; sugar isn’t just for sweetness in jam, it’s also part of what helps it gel and preserves it. If you want less sugar, use a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin specifically designed for reduced-sugar recipes (like Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar). Don’t simply cut the sugar from a regular pectin recipe, or the jam won’t set properly.
It’s better to make multiple separate batches rather than doubling. Doubling can throw off the pectin-to-fruit ratio and result in jam that doesn’t set correctly.
Food Preservation Recipes
Looking for other food preservation recipes from your garden bounty? Try these:
Breakfast recipes
These are my favorite breakfast dishes to serve with toast and strawberry jam:
Strawberry Recipes
Get more strawberry recipes on Beyer Eats and Drinks:
Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 3 cups sugar
- 1.75 ounces pectin
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Start by washing your strawberries thoroughly under cold water. Remove the stems and hulls, then chop the berries into small pieces.
- You can mash them with a potato masher for a smoother jam or leave them chunkier for more texture. Add sugar to strawberries. Stir and let set for 10 minutes.
- Boil the water and pectin together, stirring to combine.
- Pour the pectin mixture over the strawberries and sugar. Add the lemon juice. Stir to combine and let stand for a couple of minutes.
- Transfer to clean pint mason jars. Seal the jars with lids and let cool before putting in the freezer or fridge.
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