Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cup crushed strawberries (or any berry)
4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1 3 oz liquid pectin pouch
2 T lemon juice


Combine crushed strawberries, lemon peel and sugar; let sit for 10 minutes.  Add pectin and lemon juice and stir for 3 minutes.  Ladle into 1/2 pint containers, leaving 1/2" head space.  Seal and label.  Let sit at room temperature until set - usually 24 hours or less.  Lasts 3 weeks in the fridge or 1 year in the freezer.

Peach Jam: replace with 1 1/2 cup crushed peaches, reduce sugar to 3 1/4 cup, increase lemon juice to 2 1/2 T.


I just finished the last of my freezer jam two sandwiches ago and I miss it already!  I made 2 batches of each.  It lasted as long as it did because the second batch of each I crushed ahead of time, and it didn't set as well.  I'm not really sure about the science, but if I had to guess (and I have already) the water needs to be drawn out by the sugar to enhance the fruit's natural pectin, instead of just seeping out from the cellular damage caused by the crushing.  The batch set, but was kind of liquidy - Ian didn't like it so I was forced to eat it myself.  Mostly set jam does make a good ice cream topper though.

This recipe was part of our starting effort to try to eat locally and seasonally whenever possible.  Since this is a cold climate, in order to eat a nutritional variety in the winter you have to preserve.  The strawberries and peaches were purchased from our local farmer's market.  The peaches were incredibly cheap because I bought up their batch of "seconds" which means they were on the ground instead of the tree and would bruise up fast, but since I was crushing them I didn't care.


This coming summer we might step into canning, which besides jam, I'm looking forward to pickling.  Not only cukes, but I have developed a great fondness for pickled green beans.  Certainly I'll continue to freeze - I've already frozen green and jalepeno peppers - by chopping and laying out on a cookie sheet on wax paper.  Good enough for cooking, at any rate.  If I keep freezing stuff I'm going to need a basement freezer.