Easy No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam

Growing up on a farm, food preservation was a way of life. My parents always had a large garden. And Mom preserved MANY jars of fruits and veggies, which she stored on shelves in the basement, tucked beneath the stairs.

It was always such a treat, especially in the middle of winter, to dig into that preserved goodness. It was so much better tasting than anything we could buy at the store!

While I do take on a canning project now and then, it is definitely not part of my regular life. But easy freezer jam? I can always fit that in! This strawberry freezer jam is one of our favorites, but I also love making other flavors like raspberry jalapeno, peach, raspberry blackberry, and strawberry rhubarb.

Why This IS The Easiest Strawberry Jam Recipe Ever

Every June, we make at least one trip to a local strawberry u-pick farm. Nothing beats a big box of tender, sweet, fresh-picked strawberries. And they make the most delicious strawberry jam!

• (Almost) no cooking: The only “cooking” required in this recipe is heating the pectin up on the stovetop. It takes about 60 seconds. Otherwise, this strawberry freezer jam is completely no-cook!
• No canning skills required. Related to the above, freezer jam skips the entire canning process. So you don’t need to worry about sterilizing the jars, boiling them, or making sure they set properly. As long as you have clean pint-sized jars, you’re all set!
• Ready in 30 minutes. Since there’s no cooking or canning required, strawberry freezer jam can be prepared in less than 30 minutes! Just keep in mind that the jars need to sit at room temperature for 24 hours, so some patience is required before diving in!
• Only 3 ingredients. Fresh strawberries, sugar, and fruit pectin. That’s it!

Freezer Jam vs Regular Jam

What’s the difference between freezer jam and regular jam? There are a few things, from how it’s made to how it’s stored. Here’s a run-down of the biggest differences.

1. The fruit is not cooked. When you make a traditional jam, the fruit is generally cooked on the stovetop with sugar and sometimes lemon juice or pectin. By contrast, freezer jam uses fresh fruit (or minimally cooked fruit).
2. You skip the canning process. With traditional jam recipes, you sterilize your jars before adding the cooked fruit, then you seal the jars in a boiling water bath. Freezer jam skips this entire process, since it doesn’t need to be shelf-stable.
3. Freezer jam needs time to set. Most freezer jams require about 24 hours of rest time on the counter before going into the freezer. This gives the pectin ample time to set before you freeze the jam.
4. The consistency. Since the freezer jam is not cooked, it tends to have a looser consistency than traditional jam.
5. Stored in the freezer. And of course, as the name implies, freezer jam is stored in your freezer instead of on the pantry shelf!

What You’ll Need

One of the best things about this recipe is that you only need 3 ingredients, plus canning jars and a funnel. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.

Special Equipment:

• Canning jars – I like to use 1/2-pint glass canning jars. But other sizes of jars or other freezer-safe containers with freezer-safe lids will also work. I know that some people don’t like to store their freezer jam in traditional glass canning jars, afraid of the glass breaking in the freezer. But I’ve never had any issues with that, and I really do prefer glass over plastic. If you’d rather use plastic, there are some great options out there. Just look for freezer-safe plastic containers in the canning supplies section.
• A wide-mouth funnel – This simple tool makes it easier to spoon the jam into your jars without making such a mess of the jars. It’s not a necessity, but I do like to use one myself.

For the Strawberry Jam:

• Strawberries – Use firm perfectly ripe fruit for best flavor and set. Inferior fruit will produce inferior jam.
• Sugar – Regular granulated white sugar.
• Fruit Pectin – This is what will help the jam thicken, to give you that “jam” consistency. I use this pectin.
• Water

How to Make Strawberry Freezer Jam

Making freezer jam is such an easy process that I can now walk away from the kitchen, leaving our daughters in charge. They’ve helped to make freezer jam since they were young! (See that metal canning funnel in our daughter’s hand in the photo below? That once belonged to my grandma, one of my favorite kitchen tools.)

Tips for Success

This jam recipe is pretty simple, but there are still a few things to keep in mind:

• Wash and dry your jars. Always thoroughly wash jars in hot, soapy water before use. Then dry them.
• Measure ingredients EXACTLY. Altering the recipe or ingredients could cause the jam to fail to set properly. That means using the exact amount of crushed strawberries and the exact amount of sugar. Resist the urge to add a few extra strawberries just because you have them!
• Don’t skip the 24 hour rest. It is tempting to simply pop the jam into the fridge or freezer, but this 24 hour rest period gives the pectin time to set, creating that jam-like consistency. Also, it’s not a good idea to put hot jam into your freezer as it can lower the ambient temperature for foods next to the jars.
• Don’t over fill the jars. Freezing can cause the jam to expand a bit, so leave at least 1/2 inch of empty space at the top of your jar. This way your jam has somewhere to go!
• Use fresh strawberries. I only make this strawberry freezer jam in the summer months, when juicy, ripe strawberries are plentiful. The quality of the strawberries will determine the quality of the jam!

Ways To Use It

I adore the fresh flavor of strawberry freezer jam! I like to swirl a spoonful of the jam into a bowl of yogurt and top it all with some homemade granola. Or spread it on a toasted English muffin or piece of toast. Or top waffles or buttermilk pancakes, and then add a dollop of whipped cream. Delish!

How Long Does Freezer Jam Last?

Freezer jam will last for up to one year in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, just thaw it in the fridge overnight. If you prefer to use your jam right away, you can skip the freezer and store it in the fridge for up to 1 month.