Strawberry Freezer Jam
Summer is the perfect season for berries - which also makes it the perfect season for making berry jam! Sandra P. has shared her recipe for a quick and easy strawberry jam (it only takes about an hour), which stores very well in the freezer. According to Sandra, this recipe can also be used with many different types of fruit including blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, pears, nectarines, papayas, pineapples, apricots, kiwis, and plums.
View the full recipe below, or view the video presentation on the Evergreen YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/A4OcNI3bLb4
.Ingredients:
1 package Club House No Cook Freezer Jam
4 cups finely chopped fruit
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 small jars
Wide-mouth funnel
Timer
Step 1
Wash and rinse your jam jars (this recipe fills about 8). You can use any old small glass jars and run them through the hottest cycle in the dishwasher to sanitize. It's good to do this the day before so they can dry thoroughly.
Step 2
Wash fruit and let it dry in a colander. Then cut off any stems or soft spots. Sandra has a handy tool for "de-stemming" strawberries, which saves a lot of time if you can find one!
Step 3
Place fruit into a food processor and chop into very small chunky pieces. Once you have 4 cups of chopped fruit, place it in a mixing bowl.
Step 4
Gently stir sugar into the fruit and let sit for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the Club House gelling powder gradually onto fruit mixture while stirring for 3 minutes.
Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then stir gently for 1 minute more.
Step 5
Place jars onto newspaper (to avoid a mess on your counter!) and label if desired. Pour jam into jars (if you can use a wide-mouth funnel for this, it makes the job way less messy). Leave 1" of space at the top of the jar, to account for the jam expanding when it freezes.
Wipe your jar rims with clean paper towels before sealing, so the covers won't stick. Seal tightly and enjoy right away, or store in the freezer for up to a year. You can store in the refrigerator for 6 weeks.
Notes
- Timing is important in the recipe - this is chemistry, not cooking!
- There are no preservatives here, so makes sure a clean spoon is used each time you scoop jam.
- Strawberries come in varieties, and some are better for jam-making. If you can buy your fruit from a farmer's market, ask which are better for jam. The ones Sandra uses are smaller and sweeter.
- For a fun day with the family, go strawberry picking in the morning and then make jam!
We hope you enjoy your jam-making! Thank you again to Sandra for sharing with us. Join us next week for yet another fun-filled VTE via Zoom call. See you at 7:00pm EDT. Cheers!
