A simple freezer jam recipe that tastes like fresh strawberries because it's a no-cook strawberry freezer jam! If we run out of this Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam with Sure-Jell, I hear about it loud and clear from my family because a plain biscuit is a sad sight at breakfast.
This 3 ingredient strawberry freezer jam recipe (if you don't count water) starts with fresh strawberries and is made in minutes with no candy thermometer or boiling water bath needed.
While growing up in Evening Shade, Arkansas, my family used to pick wild strawberries down by the stream near our house to make strawberry freezer jam. When my children were small, we would visit the U-Pick farms and pick our own strawberries to make the jam.
Now, I often just buy the freshest strawberries at the market so I can continue to make the jam every year to take us through the Winter months.
What's the shortcut?
Freezer jams take less time to make primarily because you are not cooking it down on the stovetop and sealing the jars in a water bath.
When I was the test kitchen director for Oxmoor House cookbooks, we also produced Weight Watcher's magazine. On behalf of the magazine, I was able to travel to Santa Maria, CA to visit their Driscoll brand strawberry fields and processing plant.
Even the humongous berries were juicy and full of flavor. I especially liked eating the creative recipes the chosen chefs prepared using these strawberries.
I was four months pregnant with my first child on that junket so I may or may not have eaten my weight in strawberries!
My favorite way to eat Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam is on my 2 Ingredient Biscuits fresh from the oven with butter, of course! These are my go-to biscuits not just because they are fail proof, flaky, and tender but because they are only 2 ingredients.
I always have those ingredients on hand. And no, it's not the biscuit mix in a box!
Do glass jars break in the freezer?
It is possible but if you follow these tips to avoid glass breaking in the freezer you won't have any problems.
- Be sure the Mason jars are tempered and say on the box ok to use in freezer. Non-tempered glass has air bubbles in it and tends to cause the glass to break when frozen.
- Choose wide mouth jars or at least jars that are NOT narrow at the top. The "shoulders" of a jar tend to cause them to crack if they are filled all the way to the top.
- Screw on lids loosely until the jam is frozen. You can always go back later and tighten them gently.
- Leave a full 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the jar to allow for expansion when frozen. Foods can expand up to 9% after freezing. (Disclaimer: In my photos of Easy Freezer Strawberry Jam, I filled them up to the top for food styling purposes.)
- Avoid letting the glass jars touch in the freezer. I saw a tip once to put jars of jam or broth in a sock so they don't touch other jars. Another idea was to put jars right back in the box the jars come in to ensure they do not touch each other.
- Lastly, I often freeze jam in freezer-safe plastic containers.
More Shortcut Jams and Jellies Recipes
- Slow Cooker Fig Jam
- Red and Green Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
- Small Batch Scuppernong Grape Jelly
- Peach Freezer Marmalade
If you make 2 Ingredient Biscuits or Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam, let me know how you liked them by leaving a comment below.
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Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed or pulsed in food processor strawberries
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 1.59-ounce pouch Sure-Jell powdered fruit pectin
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- I like to pulse the hulled strawberries in the food processer rather than mash them. It saves so much time and I’m assured a piece of strawberry in every bite of jam. Just remember, pulse to look coarsely chopped-not pureed.Combine strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combine pectin and water in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Gradually add pectin mixture to strawberries, stirring well. Stir 3 minutes or until sugar is almost dissolved.
- Spoon strawberry mixture into plastic or glass 1-cup freezer jars. Wipe rims and cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Freeze until firm. Store in freezer.Thaw in refrigerator before serving.
Carolyn Brown
Great blog! Loving your recipes! Thanks, Carolyn
MOM
We had your biscuits and our strawberry freezer jam for breakfast. They were perfect on this rainy morning! MOM
gritsandgouda
I can't think of anything better to go with a rainy day than biscuits and jam!
Angela
Made your 2-ingredient biscuits this week. They were great, will definitely be making them again! I love your blog and enjoy your posts on Facebook and Instagram.
gritsandgouda
Yay! So glad you tried them.
Brittany
After freezing, how long can the jam stay in the fridge?
gritsandgouda
Technically, I think a county extension agent would tell you a few weeks. I love to make my freezer jams in small jars and containers so they are used up quickly. They also make perfect gifts this way! Let me know if you make the jam!
Deborah walsh
I made freezer jam once in proper jars and they broke in the freezer why ?
Deborah walsh
Looks delishious ! Why do my preseve bottles break in my freezer ?
gritsandgouda
That is a great question and I'm so glad you asked! I may add these tips to my blog post to help others. Tips to avoid glass breaking in the freezer. Be sure the Mason jars are tempered and say on the box ok to use in freezer. Screw on lids loosely until the jam is frozen. You can always go back later and tighten them gently. Leave a full 1/2 inch headspace at the top of the jar to allow for expansion when frozen. Avoid letting the glass jars touch in the freezer. I saw a tip once to put jars of jam or broth in a sock so they don't touch other jars. Another idea was to put jars right back in the box the jars come in to ensure they do not touch each other. Lastly, I often freeze jam in freezer-safe plastic containers.
I hope this helps!
Mary Jo Bartlett
I just wanted to share with you that I have had your strawberry freezer jam recipe saved for about 2 years, but I finally made it this weekend and I have to say it was a HUGE hit! Such an easy recipe but everyone raved over it!
I wrote the date I made it on the top of the jars and everyone laughed because they knew it would never make it long enough for the date to matter! 😉
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
gritsandgouda
Kudos to you for making your own homemade jam! I love that your family plans to help you eat it right away. We go through it pretty fast over here at the Phillips house, too!
Regan Jones, RDN
Can't wait to make this. I have SO many strawberries right now from people who've given them to me!
gritsandgouda
My adult kids insist they leave with a jar of this strawberry jam every time they come to visit! I keep it stocked through the winter. How nice is that to have gifted strawberries! Hope you love it as much as we do!