Strawberry Freezer Jam

I've made this once before and it turned out on the runny side. This time I drained my crushed strawberries slightly and cut back on the water by a few tablespoons. While filling the jars it was already beginning to "set up". This recipe filled 11 four ounces jars. Nice way to have strawberries the entire year!

I used the low-sugar Sure Jell (changes: 4 c. fruit, 3 c. sugar), and the recipe is AWESOME. It makes me wish I had vanilla ice cream in the freezer!

RE-measure the strawberries after you smash them. I didn't realize that I was supposed to do this the first time, and I ended up with too many smashed strawberries.

The PERFECT jam recipe. Yes, it is the same recipe you see on the Sure-Jell package, but who cares! Make sure to use the exact amount of sugar or it won't set. And believe me, it will be perfectly sweet and still less sugar than the store bought brands. This recipe yields exactly four 12oz. jars. Take advantage of the summer fruits available and can them now so you can have fresh, healthy jam all winter! So easy and super fun to make with kids.

Okay, so I didn't make this recipe with strawberries, I used blackberries!! My husband raves about the jam every time he eats it! Tonight we are going to try it with plums!! Next week it will be pears!! I will let you know how it works with the plums and pears, if any adjusments should be made.

This a very faithful and time tested basic Freezer Jam recipe! A perfect example of the beauty of "less is more" cookery. I would like to clarify some statements that were made in previous reviews about the terms "jam" and "jelly" and how they were improperly interchangable. It is important to know the differences of the two in that jam is a product that has physical pieces of fruit in the finished product, Jelly is merely a product which is "jelled" using strained fruit juice...NOT an actual fruit puree which yeilds a distinctly different "smoothie" kind of end product; Also the Juice, Fruit, Sugar, Pectin ratios are also different so be careful about interchanging these terms or you could quite possibly have a less than desired non-congealed end product. Incredibly simple preperation with a very extravagent outcome! What more could you ask!

I'm sorry, but this had WAY too much sugar for me. Next time, should I try this again, I'll add a cup of strawberries and lose a cup of sugar.

one of my faviorts.easy to make, and a success each time. I have used both fresh and frozen stawberrys.

After reading tons of reviews on this jam, I have this to add: 1 - If you use RIPE strawberries (no white or green on the berries), then your jam will naturally be extra sweet. If you don't like the extra sweetness, use the pink pectin box and follow the directions for low sugar (4 c. crushed berries with 3 c. sugar). When I used berries that had a little white and green on them, 4 c. sugar was needed. The lady at the strawberry farm told me berries with a little green/white on them actually help jam set up (and I believe her). 2 - I like crushing the berries with a potato masher best. I think the chunkiness adds to making it a jam! (And you can use it for other things like smoothies and over ice cream.) 3 - If your berries seem too runny after crushing, drain off most of the extra liquid before adding the pectin to the berries. This really makes the jam set up and seems to evenly distribute the berries throughout the jam. I like it thicker! 4 - Boiling the pectin/water mixture for 1 minute and then adding to the berries and stirring again for 3 minutes also seems to aid in the jam setting up with no sugary crystals. My jam seems to set up in less than 30 minutes. 5 - Since this is not the cooked method, I recommend letting the jam cool and then immediately refrigerating/freezing. I left a jar out once and forgot to give it to a friend. Two days later, I opened it and it didn't smell bad but had a metallic taste, so taste can be affected. I HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE!

My family is in love with freezer jam but or us this is way too sweet and less flavorful than my usual recipe!!! I prefer the recipe on Ball pectin which calls for 1 - 1 1/2 cup sugar to 4 cups crushed fruit - and NO water.

I agree with others when they say way too much sugar! I use 4 cups of strawberries, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 package of Certo Pectin. No added water. It sets perfectly and has a nice fruity taste especially if you're using fresh picked berries!

Make this often when berries are inexpensive. A touch of lemon juice brings out the flavor. I also recommend letting the sugar & crushed berries sit for much longer than 10 minutes-helps dissolve the sugar and eliminate grainy jam. In addition, sometimes I add a touch of powdered strawberry jello b/c it sparks the flavor and makes the jam a beautiful deep red.

I have been following this recipe for Freezer Jam for the past 30 years and it needs no alterations. It is awesome the way it is. Just to clarify -- you CAN puree your berries -- I have done this for 30 years -- in the blender. Just make sure you measure out 2 cups of berries once it's pureed. And secondly, don't modify the amount of sugar. If you want a lower sugar version, buy the Low-Sugar Sure-Jell and follow their recipe. Enjoy. You'll never buy Strawberry Jam again!

I made this yesterday with strawberries we picked fresh at a local farm. There seems to be a step missing from this recipe, though. After you stir the boiling water into the strawberries, you're supposed to keep stirring constantly for three minutes, not just let it sit there. Otherwise I made this recipe as is, using the 4 cups of sugar. Yes, it makes a sweet jam, so if you don't like sweetened jams, don't try this. If you are into more of a pure fruit spread, this is not for you. However if you have a big sweet tooth such as myself, then this is for you! And it's an easy way to introduce yourself to making jam. You can also use blackberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, cherries.

We eliminated the jam becoming "runny" by using the strained "juice" from mashed berries as part of the water. We make more every year, since fr+fam love the "gift of berries" all yr. round!

This is a standard no-fail freezer jam. Be sure to re-measure your crushed berries and only use 2 cups. It's true, you cannot reduce the sugar, just like you can't change the amount of flour or baking soda in a bread recipe. But you can add 1 tsp of fresh finely grated lemon peel (or 1/2 tsp dried peel) to get the tang you're looking for.

i have made this recipe many times! it is exactly what is on the box of pectin i use. for those who think it has too much sugar and is too sweet, that is the nature of freezer jam, some just preffer cooked and bottled jam. but PLEASE don't try reducing the amount of sugar...as stated in the pectin box directions: "reducing sugar or using sugar substitutes will result in set failures". there are low-sugar or no sugar needed pectins. try for one of those instead...

WAY too sweet! I did about 1 c. of sugar per 2 c. crushed strawberries and that was PLENTY sweet.

This recipe is JUST right! Lots of the reviews say that there is too much sugar, but it is PERFECT! Do not change a thing or the jam won't be as good. This is the best freezer jam that I have ever had and my family LOVES it!

I've been making it for years and years. it turns out wonderfully, just make sure to measure the berries AFTER crushing, and keep the measurements the same. also, make sure to boil the powder in the 3/4c water for 1 full minute and add to the jam while still hot! it helps dissolve any leftover crystals of sugar. a change to the recipe as stated here...STIR the jam with the added pectin for a full 3 minutes as well to dissolve even more sugar. don't just let it sit! it is a good recipe...makes killer strawberry milkshakes, and a great addition to smoothies too!!

I attempted this recipe twice. The first time I used 3 cups of fruit and because it seemed like way to much sugar I cut back. I guess this was a mistake because it didn't set. So, back to the pot where I added the missing sugar and sure enough it set nicely. I also made another batch with splenda and the special pectin for low cal. recipes. It also set properly. However, I think it's way too much sugar. I don't remember the ratio's but, this freezer jam was so fresh tasting and because I used fructose it didn't require as much sweetner plus it has the added benefit of being hypoglycemic friendly as it doesn't put as much stress on the pancreas to produce insulin. (or so I read)

since I tried this recipe last year and it wasn't what I liked and hoped for ( end result was super sweet and gritty from sugar) I tried the "freezer jam pectine" this year and it's amazing in taste and texture. 1 1/2C. sugar for 4 Cups of CRUSHED berries! I got twelve 250ml jam jars from the recipe. THX

Yup great recipe. I used this too and noticed it is also the recipe from the box. For my second batch I used the pectin that calls for less sugar. It is 3 C of sugar to 4 cups of crushed strawberries. I like that one better because it is a little less sweet. If you try that, you have to have the pectin that is designed to use less sugar though.

TOO SWEET! The sugar doesn't let the strawberry flavor speak. I just followed the directions on the bag of pectin instead. Sorry

A no fail recipe for freezer jam. don't worry if it doesn't set up right away. It can take up to 2 weeks for the pectin (Surejel) to set up. Jar and keep at room temp. then place in your freezer. Great for Christmas gift baskets!

I changed it up and used splenda blend sugar instead of regular and added a little lemon juice for kick

This is SO good--just as the recipe is written. I doubled the recipe too.

Very easy to make, everyone loves it! My friends always snag a jar everytime they come over!

Five stars for flavor - phenomenal! and ease of preparation. But I'm giving it four stars because the recipe is wrong. You need 4 cups of crushed strawberries. By the way, two pounds of strawberries after they're crushed yields exactly 4 cups. I too make it with the less sugar Sure Jell (in the pink box) and 3 cups of sugar. Comes out perfectly and I get 7 cups. Yes it is a soft-set jam. The only problem is I keep having to make it because we eat it up and friends keep asking for it LOL.

I would give this 5 stars. I have tried all the cooked methods and never got it to gel right. This is perfect every time.

Turned out a little runny but I am sure that is my fault since this is the first time I have canned jam. I actually processed this in a hot water bath to make it shelf stable since my freezer gets really full this time of year. I also substituted lime juice for the lemon, only because I ran out of lemon and let me tell you, that was an amazing substituition. I will from now on use lime juice in my strawberry jam.

Turned out a little runny but I am sure that is my fault since this is the first time I have canned jam. I actually processed this in a hot water bath to make it shelf stable since my freezer gets really full this time of year. I also substituted lime juice for the lemon, only because I ran out of lemon and let me tell you, that was an amazing substituition. I will from now on use lime juice in my strawberry jam.

I made this weeks ago and forgot to take the picture. As you see I almost missed the opportuity to take one, most of the Jam is gone. Several jars disappeared after a visit from my children. I did cut back on the sugar.

I did the recipe on the back of a "Sure Jell" box of Pectin and their recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar. By the rave reviews I've gotten from my family, that seems like the right amount of sugar. Without trying it, 4 cups just seems too much.

I made this and the taste is awesome. The only problem I had was that after the 24 hours was up and they were ready to freeze it seems that all the strawberries had risen to the top and the bottom looks like jelly instead of jam. I stuck on jar in the fridge and a couple days later just stirred the top and bottom together, seems fine and tastes great.

I have always loved strawberry jam, but we always used store bought jam. Not anymore! This was so easy and it tastes so fresh (even after it's been in the freezer) and it's so easy to make that I will never again buy jam from the store. Next time, I want to try to make strawberry-jalapeno jam by adding finely diced jalapenos to the water and boiling them just to make them soft before adding to the strawberries. I can't wait! Yum!

I dont necessarily think this recipe calls for too much sugar, I think it depends on the sweetness of the berries you are using. I used very deep ripe fresh picked strawberries and my jam came out pretty sweet, however; I think if I had used berries from the grocery store that are large and never red through or not ripened fully the jam would have been much less sweet. It set wonderfully and was super easy. Thank you!

I am not a big jam/jelly fan, I made this mostly for my kids, but I had some on toast and it was soooo good!!! I followed the directions except I did put the berries in a food processor before I read the reviews, and was worried, but it came out great. I do wish it had less sugar though!

I made this recipe for Christmas gifts. I felt the recipe called for a lot more sugar than I thought necessary, but I knew I could not cut it to much or it would not set up as jam should. I had 8 cups of crushed berries and I added 12 cups of sugar instead of the called for 16 cups. I followed the recipe thereafter and it turned out perfect. It made 18 1/2 pints and looked so pretty to give a gifts. This was just the easiest recipe I have ever made.Everyone said it was delicious. Even my husband and he is my critic. Thank you, Kathy Mashburn

very delicious, but a TON of sugar

I reduced the sugar to 1C and it still jelled. With this smaller amount of sugar the taste of the berries came through much more strongly.

This is very good and easy, however, I cut the sugar down to 2 cups and it is still way too sweet. I will try one cup of sugar next time and maybe cutting the sweetness with rhubarb.

I'm giving this 5 stars even though it is the same recipe that comes with the pectin. I've made two batches of the jam now and it turns out great. If you stray from the recipe as written, you risk the jam not setting up properly. It does seem like a lot of sugar, but I'm sure the store bought jam is even worse. Thanks for posting!

the jam was a bit runny when it thawed. I made several batches, and they all turned out that way. Taste fantastic though!

So easy to make - even for a first time canner. Made no adjustments, just be sure to measure after crushing strawberries and to following the proper canning instructions before canning.

Got my berries ready (you can use whole berries that have been previously frozen...just thaw and crush). Then read the recipe...FOUR cups of sugar, OMG, that's enough sugar for 10x the amount of berries being used LOL. I used one cup of sugar and could have used about 1/2 cup. Wow is it sweet. But, the kicker is this...I had no idea what 1.75 oz was and used far too little pectin. My guess was 1 1/2 tsp, well I now know I should have been about 3+ tbsp. So, my preserves did jell but surely not enough. They taste wonderful though and I'll try it again after all this is gone. I loved trying it out, it was fun.

I used four cups of fresh raspberries and two cups of sugar. The result was very runny but tasted more like naturally sweet fruit than overly sweetened fruit.

Super easy..Next year make twice as much at least..

I knew that it wouldn't be as thick as cooked jam. The trade off is yummy fresh tasting berries! Totally worth it, especially since it is so easy! Super on pancakes!

Easy peasy and oh so good!

I wish this could be made with less sugar, but it needs the sugar to set up properly. It is crucial that you measure your strawberries after they are crushed to get the right amount. Too many will not allow the jam to set up well. Tastes delicious.

Easy!

Amazing. Easy and tasty as well. Thanks for sharing!

Same recipe as the back of the SureJell box.

CORRECTION: This recipe is correct! The amount of berries (2 c.) is correct for the regular Sure-Jell. If you buy the Reduced Sugar Sure-Jell, the amount of berries changes (4 c.). This recipe is identical to the one in the leaflet that comes inside the Sure-Jell Regular box. The only change is that when you pout the boiled water/pectin mixture into the berries, you are supposed to stir the mixture for 3 minutes, not just let it sit like this recipe says.

Yes, it's a lot of sugar, but certain things in life just simply are delicious with it! This jam will not last a month in your fridge, because it will be gone by then. Very good way to get started making jam.

This was easy and turned out great. I would have chopped up the strawberries up a little more next time so they aren't as big. Nice way to enjoy summer berries this winter!

It is sugary but that is what freezer jam it. I love it, it was exactly what i was looking for. It was good to read that you have to put all the sugar in it to help it set up....crucial bit of infomation for those who think that they can alter recipes without consequence...like me.

Turned out wonderful!

I started with 4 cups of mashed berries, cut the sugar in half for my Type-2 diabetic family member. Also used 3/4 cup orange juice in place of half the water. End product tastes great and is plenty sweet enough.

I've been using this recipe since 2007 and finally thought it time that I say how wonderful it is. Anyone who has tried this has loved it. Great recipe as is!

I followed another reviewers suggestion that it was too sweet and only used 3 cups of sugar. It was still so sweet you could only taste the sweetness not the strawberries. The fruit separated from the jelly and floated to the top of the jar. I won't waste it, it may do well in a crumble with apples and need less sugar.

I did 2 Cups of Sugar instead of 4. Still plenty sweet. Easy freezer jam!

I found this much too sweet for my liking (and I like sweet things). My husband thought it was ok. Sorry, not a hit for us - will not make again.

AWESOME !! Used a little Almond Extract... Doubled Recipe.

WHOA. Wish I had read the critical reviews on the overload of sugar. WAY too much. Ruined a big batch and had to add crushed strawberries and pectin/water to try to fix it. 1/2 of the amount of sugar would be sufficient!

We also made this with blackberries and it came out GREAT!!! Loved it.

Very sweet but very good. I was afraid not skimp on sugar because I wanted to make sure it set, and it's sweeter than I normally would make things but still very good serviceable jam:)

I just made this yesterday, and it is awesome...just like my grandmother used to make! I accidentally bought the liquid pectin because it was cheaper, and I found that there is a different method when using that, so look at the box. However, I am sure that mine turned out just as it would have with the dry pectin. I open a jar this morning to feed my teenage boys and husband, and it was gone in minutes! I will never by store-bought jam again!

I'm afraid this had too much sugar for my tastes. I'm a sugar girl, so I can't believe I'm saying that. I really did like the consistency though. For my second attempt, I went with 2 cups mashed strawberries, 2/3 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp Ball brand Realfruit Instant Pectin for each 2 pints (2 - 8oz containers) of freezer jam. I will say that the consistency was more like apple butter, but I'm thinking this will be wonderful in the middle of a Minnesota winter. No cooking or boiling needed. I added 1/3 cup more berries.

I used half the amount of sugar this recipe called for and it made the most delicious strawberry syrup for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and strawberry shortcakes!! (The jam does not set if you do not use the exact amount of strawberries and sugar) Next time I will follow the recipe exactly and have strawberry jam :)

I made strawberry freezer jam years ago and forgot the ingredients. I found it here and made it. Brings back alot of memories and just as good!

This was very easy the only reason it is a 4 star is it is a tad too sweet. I wonder if you could use a different natural sweetener? Or just a cup less sugar and it would still thicken up.

Very delicious, though admittedly on the sweet side. Much better than your typical store bought in my opinion and super easy make! A 2lb container of strawberries comes out to about 2 cups mashed for anyone's who's curious. I also bought some low sugar pectin to make blueberry freezer jam, using the instructions inside, and it's worth noting that most of the low sugar pectin jams use more the fruit than regulars (in the case of strawberry jam, 4 cups instead of two). It may vary from brand to brand- I was using Certo, but save yourself an extra trip to the store by making sure you have enough!

Way too much sugar! I use 4C mashed berries, 4C sugar, 2T Lemon Juice, 1T Pectin, and 1T butter. The butter helps avoid the film you get on the top as you simmer the berries.

Fantastic! This was my very first time ever attempting to do a canning project. I decided to start small and easy. This recipe was so easy to do and I now have 16 jars of perfection!

This recipe is the same as the box of Sure Jell, except it tells you the quantity of CRUSHED strawberries to use, not whole berries. Handy, since I buy a ton of strawberries of all different shapes and sizes. This jam turns out yummy almost always. A previous review was incorrect about saying the recipe calls for twice as much sugar as the boxed directions. It is the same proportion sice crushing strawberries cuts their measured volume in half.

I think this might be the recipe on the Sure Jell box. Either way, it's delicious!! I make it every year. We like it on toast and ice cream.

I have only made this once before and it was very good. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. She calls it refrigerator jam and says it can be refrigerated for 3 weeks.

I made 2 batches- one with raspberries and the other with strawberries. Both were great. Some will say that it's too sweet, but it's just the way I like it.

Too sweet for preserves, but great to use as an ice cream topping.

This was my first time making jam and I couldn't believe how easy it was! I will certainly make this again and try it with other fruits!

This recipe is certainly quick and easy but I must agree with some other reviewers who say it's just too sweet. It's gritty it has so much sugar in it. It reminds me of a strawberry glaze rather than a jam. It tastes good but it's more of a sugar focus and the strawberries are secondary. If you have a super duper sweet tooth, you'll love it.

I made 2 batches of this last night. I ended up with 5 pint sized jars. 2 of the jars were perfect and began to set right away. The other 3 are still a bit runny. I am not sure if I just didn't stir some of it good enough or what. I'm hoping maybe it will set some more during the day today. That's the reason I only gave it 4 stars. Very simple recipe though! Gotta love that!

Came out a little runnier than I had hoped but the flavor was excellent. I used frozen strawberries that we had picked last summer. Very happy with it.

This couldn't be any better! It is very sweet, but that makes it very good! I went through a whole jar in a week! I have been going through a jar a week! I will be making this again as soon as I use up my stash!

WAY too sweet. Will never make this recipe again.

I've made this recipe two years in a row with great results. My family prefers freezer jam over the cooked version, just a personal preference. Thx to Carla and Maureen for their tips. I strained the crushed berries and used the juice instead of water when boiling the pectin, that solves the 'runny' problem and intensifies the flavor since not diluting the mixture with water. I also used a pastry blender to crush the berries - easy to use and leaves larger bits of fruit, makes for a nice presentation. Maybe peaches next...

I love this recipe. The only thing different was to boil the water & pectin for 1 min. The sure jell recipe says 2 min. I agree about the sugar. Next time I will use the sugar free sure jell & put less sugar.

I just made this today and it is so easy to make and so delicious! It did seem like a lot of sugar but the recipe said to follow exactly and I did.....this is my new go to strawberry jelly recipe....by the way, I did double it and it came out perfect....

This recipe has been in my family since the 1960's. My kids and grand kids love it and look forward to me making it every year. It has a lot of sugar, but you just enjoy it in moderation.

Too sweet for my taste, but easy to make. I love freezer jam way more than jar jam, so I'm willing to give this another try with less sugar.

So easy and delicious! Like other reviewers stated, it's important to drain some of the excess juice from the mashed strawberries, remeasure the strawberries after mashing, and stir the water/pectin into the strawberry/sugar mixture for 3 minutes.

Absolutely excellent! My first time making jam -- so quick and easy and it tastes great. I only used 1/2 cup water and 3 1/2 cups sugar, and was a little generous measuring out the strawberries. They're thickening up wonderfully and it tastes amazing! Can't wait to have it on toast in the morning :)

This recipe is so E-Z and makes up quite a bit for a minimal amount of strawberries. The jam set up fine for me...followed the recipe as written.

First time ever making jam and it turned out great! Very easy, failproof. Everybody loves it. Will definatly use this recipe again.

easy, great flavor, very runny. Try sure gel next time. Rose Shenk has done this with success.

It's wintertime and I have a craving for strawberries. Bought whole frozen berries and decided that instead of cooked, canned jam I wanted to try freezer jam instead - the flavor is SO much fresher tasting!! I'm so glad I went this route. I smooshed and measured my berries while still partially frozen then proceeded to follow the recipe. Dollar Store containers were perfect. I ended up with about 5 1/4 cups per batch. So easy, tastes amazing and I will never go back to my old canned jam methods!! YUM!!

This is a wonderful recipe I was a little worried about the sugar content but it turned out perfectly !