The Best Strawberry Freezer Jam
User Reviews
4.5
The Best Strawberry Freezer Jam
Description
The Best Strawberry Freezer Jam uses Pomona's Pectin along with fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a calcium water solution to create a jam that sets without boiling. The method involves mixing crushed or pureed strawberries with sugar and lemon juice, then blending a warm pectin and water mixture into the fruit, followed by adding calcium water to trigger the gel setting. It results in a soft, spreadable jam with a fresh strawberry flavor and moderate sweetness adjustable by sugar or honey amounts.
The jam does not require cooking, preserving the bright fruit character, and it can be portioned into containers for freezing or refrigerated use. Pomona's Pectin is essential to this recipe as it reacts with calcium to set the jam properly without heat.
This freezer jam is suited for spreading on toast or as a topping for desserts, providing a homemade option with a smooth or slightly textured consistency depending on how the strawberries are prepared.
The recipe allows for flexibility in sweetener types and quantities, and leftover pectin and calcium powder can be stored for future batches. Using a food processor simplifies pureeing the fruit and integrating the pectin mixture.
Ingredients
- 1 Pomona's Pectin box
- 4-5 cups strawberries about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of strawberries (crush or puree to desired consistency, I like the mixture fairly smooth, pureed or crushed
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar or honey (see note)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- ¾ cups water boiling
Instructions
- Take out the small white packet of calcium powder and measure 1/4 teaspoon into a jar or container with a lid. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Shake well; set aside. The rest of the dry calcium powder can be stored indefinitely for later use.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice to the strawberries and stir well.
- In a blender, combine the boiling water and 1 tablespoon of pectin (in the large white packet). Process until smooth.
- Add the warm pectin mixture to the strawberries and mix to combine. The mixture will start to jell and thicken.
- Shake the calcium water to recombine and measure out 4 teaspoons; add to the jam. Stir well. (Extra calcium water can be discarded or stored in the refrigerator for months.)
- Portion the jam into containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with a lid. Store in the freezer (for up to a year) or in the refrigerator (for several weeks).
Notes
- Use only Pomona's Pectin as other pectin brands may not work the same for freezer jam.
- You can substitute some or all sugar with honey; the minimum sweetener amount is 3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey.
- Leftover pectin and calcium powder can be stored at room temperature for months for later use.
- This recipe can be doubled to make larger batches without affecting the setting process.
- A food processor can be helpful to puree strawberries and evenly mix the pectin and calcium water.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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