We’ve been talking a lot lately about preserving the summer’s bounty through canning. However, if canning makes you nervous, or you have plenty of freezer space instead, you can make this simple freezer jam that is just as delicious. We have a great resource for you anytime you’re preserving food, whether it is freezing, canning, or dehydrating, through the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can find this recipe, and tons of other research-based recipes, at nchfp.uga.edu.
Uncooked Berry Jam with powdered pectin- 2 cups crushed strawberries or blackberries (about 1 quart berries)
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 package powdered pectin
- 1 cup water
Yield: About 5 or 6 half-pint jars
Procedure:Sterilize canning jars and prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
To prepare fruit. Sort and wash fully ripe berries. Drain. Remove caps and stem; crush berries.
To make jam. Place prepared berries in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve pectin in water and boil for 1 minute. Add pectin solution to berry-and-sugar mixture; stir for 2 minutes.
Pour jam into freezer containers or canning jars, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top. Close covers on containers and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
To store. Store uncooked jams in refrigerator or freezer. They can be held up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or up to a year in a freezer. Once a container is opened, jam should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a few days. If kept at room temperature they will mold or ferment in a short time.
