No Sugar Added Strawberry Freezer Jam

We love homemade preserves at our house.  It's even better if you can put it on the shelf in the pantry for a few months or a year, but there's also the appeal of quick-and-easy-but-still-homemade.  I don't really have to explain that, do I?

I made strawberry, but you can really do it with just about any fruit.  Just read the instructions on the handy paper tucked inside your fruit pectin!  

One last word--I am demonstrating the "no sugar" version of freezer jam, and if you choose to try it, make sure you get the "no sugar needed fruit pectin."  Okay?  good.

Obviously, start by thoroughly washing your fruit.

Cut off the stems, leaves and bad spots.  Then you'll place it in a large bowl or food processor.  The recipe on the cool little insert will tell you not to process the berries like this, but rather to mash it with a potato masher.  Do what you want; I've done both, and I like the uniform sizes of chunks I get this way.

If you're doing the food processor method, just pulse it a few times until your fruit is chunky, like a chunky salsa.  Jam has fruit chunks.  If you want jelly, make jelly--it only uses the juice.

When using no-sugar-needed pectin, you typically prepare the jam with fruit juice to help offset the sourness of the berries.  I'm using apple, but you can also use white grape, which would be sweeter.  Either way, combine the juice and the pectin in a large pot.

Bring it to a full, rolling boil.  Boil one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in crushed berries.  At this point, you can also add in a little sugar if you feel like it.  Finally, a little (1 T or so) butter will cut down on the frothiness, but I don't mind it, so I don't add it.

Divide it into freezer-safe containers and refrigerate for the first 24 hours, then freeze for up to 1 year.


No Sugar Added Strawberry Freezer Jam


1 box no-sugar pectin
1 3/4 cups unsweetened juice
3 cups crushed strawberries (about 3 lbs)


Wash, stem and crush strawberries.  Combine pectin and juice in large pot.  Bring to rolling boil; boil one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in strawberries.  Divide into freezer safe containers.  Refrigerate 24 hours, then freeze up to 1 year.