Strawberry Freezer Jam: Less Work, Better Taste
June is right around the corner, so I thought it would be good to do an article on making strawberry freezer jam, with lots of tips for success.
When was the last time you saw an add on television (or YouTube, etc.), for a product that makes to easier to make jam? For me, it was an ad in 1983 with Canadian icon Bruno Gerussi, expounding the wondrous convenience of using Certo pectin to make freezer jam. I still remember the hook:
I don’t know when fruit pectin first hit the market, but I remember that my Grandmother used Certo pectin to make freezer jam back in the 80s. She’s gone now, but she made a lot of jam, and grew up making it the old way. I never had the opportunity to ask her why she switched to making freezer jam - but I’d have to guess that it was some combination of the convenience mentioned by the late great Bruno Gerussi (AKA Nick Adonidas for all you “Beach Combers” fans) and the superior freshness it offers - both in terms of taste and texture. Personally, even if it freezer jam was harder to make than cooked jam (which is certainly is not) I’d still make it anyway because it tastes so much better.
Ingredients (makes 6 cups of jam) :
For the purpose of this article I will use the Certo Light ingredients and directions, but suffice it to say, whatever type of pectin you use - stick to the directions on the package, and follow them precisely!
4 cups crushed strawberries 3 1/4 cups sugar 1 box Certo light
Directions (be sure to read the footnotes):
Check the expiry date on the pectin. If it is past the date, it will still work, but not as well, so get a pack that is not expired if you want good results1.
Crush fresh2 strawberries until you have exactly 4 cups. To do this, I measure off 4 cups of whole strawberries, crush them with a potato-masher3 - then put them in a big, 4-cup measuring cup - which will not be filled. After that, in a bowl, using a fork, I mash a couple strawberries at a time, and keep adding them to the big measuring cup until it is exactly 4 cups. Now dump in a mixing bowl.
Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar and the pack of pectin crystals together, then mix them into the crushed strawberries, then let them stand for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally (like every 5 minutes or so).
After 30 minutes, the stuff in the bowl should be somewhat thickened. Now add the remaining 3 cups of sugar, and stir continuously for 3 more minutes (I usually do this in front of the television).
Pour into freshly cleaned containers, to within about 1/2 inches (13mm) of the top, secure the lids, then let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours. After that, put them in the freezer for storage. I like to use the 16oz jars, and the rule is that only one can come out of the freezer each month… and they never last the month!
What if it doesn’t set?
If the pectin is not expired, and the directions are followed meticulously (I can’t stress this enough), it should work - but sometimes things can go wrong. Maybe the strawberries had a low natural amount of pectin; or a high natural amount of water; or, maybe you think you did everything right… but didn’t (hey, it happens to the best of us). Anyway if it doesn’t, and you have “runny jam”, there is two ways to fix it:
Dump out one jar into a bowl. Mix 1/2 a pack of pectin with 1/4 cup sugar, mix it in with the jam, then empty all the other bottles into the bowl, then stir occasionally for 30 minutes. If that doesn’t work, then repeat with the rest of the pack of pectin.
If you plan to make more strawberry jam, place all the “runny jam” jars in the fridge. Make the next batch being sure to carefully follow the directions (and read my footnotes). If it works out and makes properly thickened “good jam” - dump a jar of the runny jam into the new good jam and mix. The result should be good jam. If you are feeling lucky, dump in another jar of runny jam. Keep adding jars of runny jam until you get worried that the good jam is getting too runny and then stop and jar it all up! This might fix all of the runny jam. If it doesn’t - get more strawberries and make another batch of good jam and repeat. I usually use this technique because I make a many batches of strawberry jam each year.
I don’t want to buy all those jars
Canning jars are not technically needed for freezer jam - but what is needed is containers that will not crack when they are filled with jar and then placed in a freezer. Most canning jars have this quality, so long as they are not overfilled - but an alternative is to use good quality plastic containers, or to simply use ziplock bags. I know lots of people that use both of these approaches. With the bags - you just thaw them and then transfer into a solid container to keep in the fridge. It’s all a question of preference I suppose. For me, canning jars can last a lifetime - or even multiple lifetimes - so I think they are worth buying as a long-term investment.
But I like my jam super sweet!
If you like it super sweet - no problem - just use regular Certo Crystals (not the Certo Light recommended above) or some other brand analogous to that. For regular Certo, the ratio of sugar to fruit is about 7:4 (as opposed to 3:4 for Certo Light), so it is crazy sweet! I loved it as a kid - but now I prefer the lighter version, and since it’s all my kids have ever had - they don’t know there’s a sweeter alternative - so they are fine with the lower sugar version!
Final Thoughts
One of my favourite things to do in the dead of winter, is to dig a jar of my strawberry freezer jam out of the freezer, thaw it out, and have the taste of spring on my Saturday morning toast. So for those that have never experienced the freshness and simplicity of strawberry freezer jam - I say give it a try this year and see what you think.
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Here’s a video on how to make strawberry freezer jam:
A number of years ago I bought a box with 36 packs of Certo Light in it. For the 1st two years it worked perfectly. In year 3 I found that I needed to add a quarter pack extra to each batch to make it work. In year 4, I added an extra half a pack to each batch to make it work. That was the year I finally used them all up! Maybe I should have stored them in the freezer to get them to last longer? Maybe I shouldn’t have bought 36 packs of Certo!!!
It will not work as well if the strawberries are getting soft and mushy. Also - if you are picking your own - always put a few in that are still partially pink/white - because they have more natural pectin in them.
I find that a masher gives the best texture. A food processor can be used - but the resulting jam has more of uniform, “store bought” texture. If you like that, go for it, but I think the hand masher is better for that random, home-style feel. It only takes seconds to mash them, and the masher is easier to clean up than a food processor. That said, if you like it the other way - or if arthritis or some other ailment is making things difficult, use a machine or enlist help by offering irresistible quid pro quo of free jam!
Great article. I am a freezer jam convert. The taste is so summer fresh compared to jam canned in a water bath. I make strawberry rhubarb freezer jam too. 😋