Strawberry Freezer Jam

I think I'm making up for my months of absenteeism! The oven has been on non-stop and the mixer and mixing bowls and spatulas have had more use this weekend than they have the past few months!

I went strawberry picking with the kids on Friday and came home with what seems like 10 pounds of strawberries that are going to turn quickly if I don't do something with them... fast! I made strawberry scones this morning. (Recipe to follow shortly) and a Strawberry Tea Bread. This barely made a dent in my strawberry population.

Jam uses a lot of strawberries. I have never made jam before. I just recently learned of Freezer Jam. Essentially it's a no cook jam. Easy. Brilliant, I thought I would give it a try. I went to the store and bought some pectin, measured out 4 cups of strawberries, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, then mashed the strawberries and added the sugar and pectin and stirred the soupy stuff for 3 minutes as indicated on the package. When my time was up I poured it into jars that I let rest out on the counter for 30 minutes to set and solidify.

Still too many strawberries left over, so I repeated the steps above and made another batch. I'll have lots of jam stored up in my freezer. Unless I can find lots of friends who like home made strawberry jam!

I did notice that one package of pectin (Ball) was specifically for freezer jams. The other was not. I will let you know if there is a visible difference in appearance or taste or texture.

Ingredients:

4 cups of strawberries, cut and stems removed
1 package of pectin (preferably that for freezer jam -- by Ball)
1 1/2 cups of sugar

In a bowl combine pectin and sugar
In a separate bowl mash strawberries. When well mashed add the pectin-sugar mixture and stir for 3 minutes.
Pour into desired containers.
Let sit out for 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator or serving.

Note, this is a very sweet jam. I added some salted butter to my toasted freshly made bread. My toast was divine! I do love the fresh strawberry flavor as opposed to the flavor of cooked berries from most jams.

(For more strawberry recipes please see my side-bar. Thank you!)