I have been writing about freezer jam for years. My mom always made it and I have continued the tradition as an adult. I love freezer jam – you don’t have to cook the jam, you can store it in any container you have handy and just pop it in the freezer, and it’s the best tasting jam around (in my humble opinion, at least!). I have a major update to share regarding my annual freezer jam process. I’ve always used Sure-Jell pectin because that’s what my mom always used and it’s what I could find in any standard grocery store. This year, however, I ended up trying Pomona’s Universal Pectin and I am in love!

Since I have been limiting myself to just one grocery store per week (thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown), Pomona’s was my only option because that was what was available. I was a little nervous about switching it up, but I will for sure use Pomona’s Pectin over Sure-Jell going forward, pandemic lockdown or not!

SURE-JELL PECTIN: CONS 

While I love the freezer jam I have always made with Sure-Jell, there have been a few drawbacks over the years.

1. Potential of jam not jelling: Sometimes the jam simply doesn’t jell. You’ll follow all the directions precisely and for whatever reason the jam just never jells. So, every batch was stressful. And when it didn’t jell, it was just such a waste of time and fruit. I know for a fact I’m not the only one this happens to, based on years of comments here on the blog.
2. Recipe misprint: One year Sure-Jell misprinted the freezer jam recipe in the pectin boxes. It is amazing how many years those bad recipes keep turning up for people, ruining batch after batch of jam.
3. Sugar Content. The classic Sure-Jell freezer jam recipe uses SO MUCH SUGAR. I know, I know, Sure-Jell has a low-sugar pectin option and I’ll admit I never tried it. I’m sure it’s great. But I love the original so much, but it is a heck of a lot of sugar.
4. Different Recipes for Different Fruits: The recipes for different types of fruit are all different, so you have to be super careful when reading the recipe to prepare your jam or it won’t jell.
5. Finicky Recipe: The directions are very finicky in general – you have to follow them precisely or else, well, see #1 and #4 for why this is frustrating!  

POMONA’S UNIVERSAL PECTIN: PROS

Enter Pomona’s Universal Pectin. The texture of the jam is a little different from Sure-Jell’s, but it is equally as delicious. I will now address each of the issues listed above as applied to Pomona’s:

1. Happy Jelling! This pectin is super reliable. I have made many batches now and every time the jam starts jelling instantly. It’s magic. And completely un-stressful.
2. No misprinted recipe legacy. Pomona’s, however, does not include the freezer jam recipe in the box. You can find it on their website, but it’s kind of buried. So, I will share the recipe below (and re-write it with my notes). 
3. Sugar Content: Pomona’s freezer jam recipe uses WAY LESS SUGAR and is still delicious. And the jam jells no problem and isn’t so dependent on sugar content. Also, the recipe gives you a range of the amount of sugar to use, so you can adjust to your taste.
4. The recipe for different types of fruit are all the same. Four cups of prepared fruit per 4 teaspoons of pectin! (Note, there are approximately 9 teaspoons of pectin in 1 box, so don’t dump the whole thing for one batch…make sure you measure.)
5. Simple Recipe: The directions are simper and seem no fail to me. I would be stunned if this recipe didn’t jell. It’s worked like a charm every time for me!

So, there you have it. I’m a Pomona’s convert! 

FREEZER JAM RESOURCES

• Click here for my Freezer Jam Fruit Buying Guide. This guide will tell you how many ounces of fruit to buy for different amounts of pectin and sugar. I included measurements for both Sure-Jell and Pomona’s Universal pectins. This guide is a lifesaver for me year after year and I updated it with a nice graphic this year! Note: the guide is only for strawberries and raspberries.
• Click here for the Sure-Jell raspberry and strawberry freezer jam recipe. Sure-Jell is delicious and some of you may still want to go that route. 
• Lastly, the Pomona’s Universal Pectin freezer jam recipe! This recipe can be used for many types of fruits, listed below! 

Freezer Jam with Pomona's Universal Pectin

 

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This recipe is for raw freezer jam using Pomona's Universal Pectin. "Raw" simply means you do not cook the jam. The jam can be stored in any air-tight container, in the fridge for 1 week and up to 1 year in the freezer. (Note: I'm certain we've kept it in the fridge longer than 1 week without it going bad, but do what you feel safe with!) Recipe suitable for the following fruits: Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Sour Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Pear, Kiwi, Blackberry, Plum, Peach, Apricot, Nectarine This recipe is from Pomona's Pectin website, but I have re-written it for ease and specifically for raw freezer jam, and have added notes as well.

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 4-6 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups mashed fruit (see step 3 below for preparation details)
• ½ cup to 1 cup honey OR ¾ to 2 cups sugar (I use sugar)
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 3 teaspoons pectin (or 4 teaspoons pectin if using peaches, apricots or nectarines)
• 4 teaspoons calcium water (plus more if needed, see step 1 below for how to prepare)

Instructions

1. Prepare calcium water: Combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (included in the box) with ½ cup water in a small clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Set aside. Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use if needed.
2. Wash and rinse freezer containers. Set aside.
3. If using Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Sour Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Pear, Kiwi, Blackberry, Plum: Remove hulls/stems/pits/skins as applicable, mash or grind, then measure to 4 cups. Make sure fruit is at room temperature when making the jam. If using Peach, Apricot or Nectarine: Pit/Chop/Mash OR peel/pit/mash fruit - bring to boil in a pan, boil for 2 minutes while stirring then let cool in a bowl, then measure to four cups.
4. Measure fruit into large bowl. Add chosen sweetener (honey or sugar) to fruit and mix well.
5. Bring ¾ cup water to a boil. Carefully pour into a food processor or blender. Add 3 teaspoons pectin (note: for peach, apricot, nectarine add 4 teaspoons pectin). Vent lid and blend 1-2 minutes, until all powder is dissolved. (Jane note: I brought the water to a boil, then removed the pan from the heat, added the pectin, and whisked vigorously for 2 minutes and this worked, too.)
6. Add hot liquid pectin to fruit mixture and stir to mix well.
7. Add 4 teaspoons calcium water from jar, mix well into fruit mixture. Jell should appear at this point. If not, stir in 1 teaspoon calcium water at a time until jam is jelled.
8. Fill containers, leaving ½" space at top of container. Store in freezer immediately for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after thawing.

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Update 4/26/20: If you are using Sure-Jell pectin, be sure to read this post and confirm that the freezer jam recipe printed in your box insert is the same as the one below (keep reading for details). Note: I now use Pomona’s Universal Pectin, click here for reasons why and the recipe for freezer jam using Pomona’s. Also, click here for a Freezer Jam ingredients buying guide for both Sure-Jell and Pomona’s.

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I make freezer jam every year. It’s my favorite kind of jam. We never buy jam at the store. We’re completely spoiled and addicted to freezer jam and I blame my mom.

ANYWAY…most years when I make my many batches of jam, I share a new tip or two on the blog. Far and away the most awesome freezer jam tip I gave was how many berries to buy for making strawberry or raspberry freezer jam. I don’t know what I would do without that post – I use it every year! If you want to read through the rest of the tips, click here – there is a lot of handy info in all those posts.

This year’s tip, however, is CRITICAL to success if you’ve ever tried to replicate what I do. Every year I say the following: “Just buy Sure-Jell pectin and follow the instructions for freezer jam. Works like a charm!” Well, DO NOT DO THAT. This year I cracked open my box of pectin and immediately noticed the directions were different. I did a lot of google searching and discovered that last year Kraft inexplicably changed the directions. They have since fixed the problem, but apparently there are still boxes out there with the wrong directions inside. If you follow the wrong directions (which tell you to mix the sugar with the pectin and water and then boil the three together), your jam will absolutely not turn out. So, I’m going to put the CORRECT directions here on the blog, mostly for my peace of mind. I really don’t want you buying bucket loads of berries only to have your jam bomb on account of me telling you to use the directions in the box. Argh!

Also, lest you think I am a domestic goddess (because I am not), my raspberry jam didn’t come out this year. It’s more like raspberry sauce than jam, but it still tastes like heaven, so whatever.

With that vote of confidence (I swear this recipe works 99.99999% of the time!), here are the instructions for raspberry and strawberry freezer jam!

Raspberry or Strawberry Freezer Jam

 

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Instruction for using Sure-Jell pectin to make raspberry or strawberry freezer jam. If you want to make another kind of jam, the instructions on the inside of the box have a chart indicating the amount of berries and sugar needed. Be sure that you follow the directions below for making the jam, however, as Kraft misprinted the jam technique in 2014.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• FOR STRAWBERRY JAM: 2 cups crushed strawberries + 4 cups sugar
• FOR RASPBERRY JAM: 3 cups crushed raspberries + 5¼ cups sugar
• FOR BOTH KINDS OF JAM: 1 box Sure-Jell Pectin (regular pectin NOT the less/no-sugar pectin)
• FOR BOTH KINDS OF JAM: ¾ cup cold water

Instructions

1. Freezer jam can be stored in any airtight container. Make sure containers are clean and dry.
2. Crush berries and, using a dry measuring cup, measure the exact amount of prepared fruit into a large bowl.
3. Measure exact amount of sugar then add to the berries, stirring well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Once berries have been sitting for at least 5 minutes (to time everything properly), mix the pectin and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. Once mixture is boiling, boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
5. Add to fruit-sugar mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved (a few crystals may remain).
6. Add to containers, leaving ½" space at the top for expansion when freezing. Cover with lids and let stand for 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw frozen jam in refrigerator.

Notes

Click here to find out the amount of berries you need to buy for this recipe as well as what the yields are.

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My house really needed to be cleaned this weekend but, alas, the berries were calling and I spent all of my free time making this year’s supply of freezer jam. And, by the way, I do believe that indicates that my priorities are in order. Also, I sure wish it was practical for me to put all the jam into Bonne Maman jars, but I only have three on hand. But seriously, how cute?!?

Can’t believe it’s time to plan another menu!

MONDAY:
– Turkey Boursin Baguettes
– Fresh Fruit

TUESDAY:
– Chili
– Corn chips

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps
– Chips and carrots with dip

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Takeout night

SATURDAY:
– Going to dinner with some out-of-town friends

SUNDAY:
– Pat’s Oriental Chicken Salad
– Potstickers

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

You know the drill – share your menus for the week! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cooking!

Note: I now use Pomona’s Universal Pectin, click here for reasons why and the recipe for freezer jam using Pomona’s. Also, click here for a Freezer Jam ingredients buying guide for both Sure-Jell and Pomona’s. Keep reading for a tip about prepping strawberries.

I just finished my annual task of making strawberry freezer jam for the upcoming year! I ended up with twenty-two 2-cup containers, but I’m worried that it might not be enough jam. I’m probably going to have to make more since, apparently, I’m raising a wild pack of rabid jam eaters.

I write about my jam escapades every year and I find that I’m constantly finding new little tips that help out with the process. This year is no exception! You know how you’re not supposed to puree the fruit because then it won’t gel properly? (If you don’t know that, true story.) My least favorite part of making strawberry jam is smashing the strawberries. They’re tricky little buggers. I noticed in the directions this year, though, that it said you could use a food processor. You simply process the fruit to a fine chop, but do not puree. Since I finally have a food processor, I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Yes, that container is almost empty! It’s been two days. These kids are rabid, I tell ya. RABID.

Using the food processor worked beautifully. The whole process went SO MUCH FASTER and I liked the final texture of the jam a lot. The fruit is more uniform in size and there aren’t any of those giant berries floating around in the jam. (I’m sure some people like the giant berries in the jam, but I’m not a fan.) So, that’s this year’s tip! Don’t be scared to use your food processor ”” just make sure you don’t process too much and you’ll be good!

P.S. Those berries got JAMMED. (Please, someone, get the joke! Here, maybe this will help…) Those berries got retro-jammed! (Now? Anyone?)

This post was updated on 4/26/20 to include a visual freezer jam fruit buying guide, including information for Pomona’s Universal Pectin as well as Sure-Jell pectin. Original post was written 6/16/11.

• Click here for Sure-Jell’s strawberry or raspberry freezer jam recipe.
• Click here for Pomona’s Universal freezer jam recipe (my new choice for freezer jam).

My jam is all made and stored in the freezer, ready and waiting to make our year a happy jam year indeed! We ended up with 28 cups (14 containers) of raspberry freezer jam and 48 cups (24 containers) of strawberry freezer jam. I bought WAY more berries than I realized, but I must admit that I’m happy to have such a large supply!

Every year when I go to buy my berries and pectin, I end up standing in the store feeling frustrated. I can never figure out how many boxes of pectin I should buy for the amount of berries I have. Generally the containers the berries come in are measured in ounces, but the pectin recipe tells you how many pints of berries to buy. And it’s surprisingly annoying to figure out how those match up. AND…I’ve found that the amount of pints that the pectin box recipe suggests doesn’t necessarily yield the amount of crushed berries that they tell you it will.

SOOOOOOOO…this year I kept track! And I crushed so many berries that I feel like this is pretty fool proof. This post will be helpful if you plan to make strawberry or raspberry freezer jam. And it will be very helpful for me next year when I go to make more jam. I’ll actually have all the amounts written down. No more frustrating google searches on my iPhone and hasty calculations on the back of a receipt while my girls tear the store apart, only to end up being wrong! This post will forever keep me on track. Yippee!

Here is the above chart broken down into text form:

Sure-Jell Pectin Freezer Jam Buying Guide

• 3 boxes Sure-Jell pectin for 64 ounces strawberries and 12 cups of sugar. Yield: 15 cups jam (64 ounces also labeld as 4 pounds crushes to 6 cups with a few berries left over)
• 1 box Sure-Jell pectin for 24 ounces raspberries and 5 1/4 cups sugar. Yield: 7 cups jam

Pomona’s Universal Pectin Freezer Jam Buying Guide

There are approximately 9 teaspoons of pectin in one box, so you should be able to do two batches of jam with one box of Pomona’s pectin, based on the measurements below:

• 4 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin for 44 ounces strawberries and 3/4 – 2 cups of sugar. Yield: 4-6 cups jam
• 4 teaspoons Pomona’s pectin pectin for 32 ounces raspberries and 3/4 – 2 cups sugar. Yield: 7 cups jam

This year I used sixteen 6-ounce containers of raspberries (4 boxes of pectin and 21 cups of sugar) and three 64-ounce containers of strawberries (9 boxes of pectin and 36 cups of sugar) to end up with the amounts of jam I outlined in the first paragraph of this post.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are using SURE-JELL pectin, a couple years ago some of the boxes got bad directions. Click here to make sure that your directions in the box are the correct ones!

Someone asked in the last freezer jam post about the Ziploc containers I use. Growing up my grandma and mom used all kinds of containers – jars, random tupperware, even Ziploc bags! For freezer jam, as long as it’s clean and can close, you’re good to go! I personally use the small (2-cup) round Ziploc containers that have a screw-top lid. We always eat our jam within a year and we’ve never had ice crystals or freezer burn. Then I save the containers for next year – they stack nicely so they don’t take up too much space while waiting for the next batch of jam. (One quick tip – often there is a $1 coupon inside the Ziploc containers for the pectin I use. I never discover the coupons until the jam is already made and am kicking myself for not saving $13! Just keep that in mind if you buy these containers for jam.)

I hope all of this is helpful for at least some of you. Even if it isn’t, I have to admit it will be for me. I know, so selfish.

I have boxes of pectin and pounds of sugar sitting on my counter right now.

You know what that means…it’s that magical time of the year when we make tons of raspberry and strawberry freezer jam! We just ran out of last year’s supply, so the timing is perfect.

I’ve written about freezer jam before. Three times, in fact (here, here and here). Because if I accomplish nothing else with this blog, I hope I can get you non-freezer jam people to jump on the freezer jam bandwagon. It’s easy to make, you don’t have to sanitize or can anything, and it tastes better than pretty much any other jam on the planet. Why wouldn’t you make this stuff?

Gotta run! The 10 pounds of berries in my fridge are calling!

Click here for a follow-up post that tells you how many strawberries and raspberries to buy for jam.

Note: I now use Pomona’s Universal Pectin, click here for reasons why and the recipe for freezer jam using Pomona’s. Also, click here for a Freezer Jam ingredients buying guide for both Sure-Jell and Pomona’s.

What is that white box standing in my garage?

Oooo…it has a door on top. What could be in there?

Frozen food? Say it ain’t so!

Yup, we went to Sears and bought a stand-alone freezer last weekend. And I couldn’t be happier.

We all know I like to freeze stuff. Cookie dough, vegetables, wine, jam…and this article about freezing food by Mark Bittman might be one of my most favorite New York Times articles ever. So the fact that I now actually have room to freeze all this stuff makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I know, ironic.

Now that I have 5 cubic feet to freeze things, what should I be freezing? Obviously I already have oodles of ideas. And I’m even thinking of going in on a cow next year. Yes, a cow. A local friend of mine purchased a cow with some other friends and when it was butchered, they split the cuts of meat. Now I can actually do something crazy like that!

You know how much I love hearing from you. Please share your favorite foods and tips for freezing!

Note: I now use Pomona’s Universal Pectin, click here for reasons why and the recipe for freezer jam using Pomona’s. Also, click here for a Freezer Jam ingredients buying guide for both Sure-Jell and Pomona’s.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…freezer jam is the best, for two important reasons:

• It tastes amazing, fresh, delicious, wonderful…did I mention fresh and amazing?
• It’s so easy to make. I mean EASY. And it’s easy to store, too. No canning necessary, just pop in a tupperware or jar or whatever you have and stick it in the freezer.

If you haven’t made freezer jam before, please give it a try! There are all kinds of yummy fruits just begging to be preserved this time of year, so go ahead and make their dreams come true.

A few quick tips:

• I don’t have a recipe to share because I just follow the directions inside the pectin box and everything comes out just lovely.
• Follow the directions to a T! One time I put the fruit in a food processor instead of mashing with a potato masher like the directions said – the jam barely gelled. Another time  I put the wrong amount of fruit in (apparently because I can’t read) and it didn’t gel at all. Just do what the instructions say and everything will work. Promise!
• To figure out how much fruit you need, buy the pectin, open the package and look at the instructions for freezer jam. Do that ahead of time so you get the right amount of fruit. You can generally find pectin in the baking aisle at the grocery store – go with the powdered pectin, I’ve had better results.
• Even though freezer jam is fast and easy to make, if you DO end up having fruit you want to make jam out of and just don’t have time, mash or chop the fruit up as per the directions, put in a ziploc bag and freeze the fruit…then make the jam later when you get a free minute. I’ve done this several times, with good results. That way you can take advantage of the in-season fruits, even if you’re not ready to make your jam.
• If you really want to know everything I have ever said about freezer jam in addition to this post, click here.

My favorite flavor by a long shot is RASPBERRY. But peach is pretty amazing. Who am I kidding, the strawberry is pretty darn good, too. Happy jamming!

Click here for a follow-up post on how many strawberries and raspberries to buy to make jam.

We recently went olallieberry picking! You may be thinking, “Olalawhat?” You’re not alone – I just discovered them myself. Olallieberries are grown primarily in California and are a cross between the loganberry (which is a cross between raspberries & blackberries) and the youngberry (which is a cross between blackberries & dewberries).

Now that you know the olallieberry’s genealogy {yawn}, on to the fun stuff! We picked our olallieberries at Phipps Country Store & Farm in Pescadero, CA…a lovely spot nestled in the hills near the ocean. How beautifully northern California is that view?

Phipps Farm was so fun, a great place to take your kids. Old tractors all over the place and more chickens than you can imagine (Anna’s favorite attraction by far). We went with one of Cate’s little friends and his family. It was just a really happy afternoon.

The kids had a BLAST picking berries, which are ripe when they are BLACK. Needless to say, Anna was almost exclusively attracted to the bright red berries…which sadly were as sour as could be!

Phipps had the largest assortment of beans I’ve ever seen. They were beautiful and I had to resist the urge to photograph every bean I saw.

There are two sure signs that berry picking was a great success.

Sign #1: Ridiculously dirty kids.

Sign #2: Ridiculously delicious homemade jam.

In case you’re wondering…for my olallieberry jam, I followed the freezer jam directions for raspberries from the pectin box.