I started to sympathize with myself by assuming that you need to have certain genes to be able to make jam. And unfortunately, I have not got that gene. My bad! Do you fall into the same category? If so let me share with you my secret easy to make freezer jam that I found recently while searching for recipes. Now with this, you can have your ever desired jam right in front of you in your home. I’ll be giving you links for all the types of jam that you can make in the bottom section, but now I will be pedantic about strawberry no-cook freezer jam.
What is A No-Cook Freezer Jam?
No-cook jam or a freezer jam is different from other jams because it does not require canning. They are made from fruits, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. After being made, they are stored in a tight container and are left in the refrigerator for a long period of time. They are very easy to prepare because-
- They do not require canning
- They do not require a long process of cooking, instead, they are set with pectin.
The use of pectin helps to gel the fruits without cooking.
Ingredients that you will require
Fresh fruits: Make sure that you use fresh and ripen fruits. Do not use fruits that are sour tasting. They will make your jam sour.
Sugar: Use at least 4 cups of sugar. I know this sounds like a huge dosage but it is JAM, and jam is all about 70% sugar.
Beaker, tight containers: Stay prepared with clean and dry containers that are airtight. They will be used to store the jam.
Lemon juice: Prepare lemon extracts from good and fresh lemons.
Pectin: Get some soluble pectin from the nearby store. This will eliminate the tedious and tiring process of cooking and heating.
Direction to cook
After getting all the ingredients prepared, start and follow the steps given below-
- Wash the fruits properly. Make sure they are dirt-free, or else your jam will get spoiled.
- Put the fruits in a bowl and mash them with a masher, or you can use a grinder to get them converted into a pulpy substance. You can keep them partially mashed.
- Add 4 cups of sugar to the mashed fruits and mix them very well. Continue to stir for 10-20 minutes.
- Add pectin to the mixture and then again stir the mixture. Continue to mix for about 20 minutes.
- After the fruits, sugar, and pectin are mixed, now you need to add lemon juice to the mixture.
- Mix the whole accurately.
- Not move the mixture to an air tight container so that you can keep them safe for a long period of time. Keep the container in the refrigerator for a week or a month or so.
Now you are all set to have your mouthwatering jam after a few weeks.
Things to keep in mind
- Always check the expiry dates of the pectin. You need to store them for a long period of time, therefore try to get the pectin that is fresh enough to last longer.
- Use clean and freezer friendly containers. You will be storing the containers in the freezer for quite a long and also, make sure they are tight enough to not leak from anywhere.
- Store them in a hygiene way or else that may end in food poisoning.
Also read: Healthy Way To Shop And Store Your Food
Now that you know the required ingredients, the recipe and the things to note, I am pretty sure that you will be in the category of, ‘I can make jam’. There are times when I go hankerin’ for things that I cannot do, and this one was one such rainbow thing for me. But with this no-cook freezer jam, I can say me ‘chasing rainbow’ got converted to ‘setting Thames on fire’. And I hope this applies to each one of you.