The Best Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam {Video How-To!}
This is hands down the best recipe for no-cook strawberry freezer jam ever! Bonus: you can use a lot less sugar than conventional freezer jams…or even use honey! The taste is so fresh and delicious; it’s incredible!
Me and my old-fashioned heart, well, we love canning, even if it is a dying trend (at least among many of my friends that I talk to).
And yes, even freezer jam, as simple as it is, falls along the canning spectrum somewhere!
Making strawberry freezer jam is one of the easiest things to make and put by.
Because it isn’t shelf stable, you’ll need freezer space for storage, but you can make small batches without any problem, so you ensure you have plenty of freezer space left for, you know, ice cream and other important things.
Or, if you’re me, you just go ahead and invest in a large, standing freezer for the garage and a separate generator so that if the power goes out, your large batches of freezer jam won’t suffer.
Now, I can’t promise your kids won’t ever leave the door of the freezer open a crack after snagging an otter pop, unintentionally letting every little bit of food in the freezer, including stores of precious strawberry freezer jam, thaw and drip and spoil over the course of a week.
That is a personal issue you’ll have to navigate on your own.
(And while it is unconfirmed whether or not I’m speaking from personal experience, let me just give you a hint that surviving an episode like this may require lots of tissues, chocolate, and therapy.)
I used to do the whole cook-the-strawberries-for-half-a-day and then steam or water bath the jam so I could put the pretty jars on my shelves without need of refrigeration or freezing.
And while this type of cooked strawberry jam is tasty, with strawberries, there’s nothing quite like the fresh, bright taste of strawberry freezer jam.
Because the strawberries aren’t cooked, every time you pull a container from the freezer and let it thaw, you get that luscious, just-picked berry taste.
And it is phenomenal.
Now let me take a second to talk to you about pectin.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know I’m not a fan of advocating specialty products or ingredients just for the sake of being trendy or different.
But in the case of freezer jam (or any jam or jelly for that matter), the only pectin I have used for the last several years, is Pomona’s Pectin (and yes, I have an updated jalapeño jelly post coming soon using this amazing stuff).
I am totally unaffiliated with this company; they have no idea who I am, but I honestly, genuinely love this product so much that I’ll gladly tell the world about it.
Without getting into the nitty gritty and boring you with all the reasons why I’m a fan, let me just say:
Basically, I got fed up with the extra junk added to most commercial pectins AND the fact that with most of them, you have to add as much, if not more, sugar as you do fruit (and most low-sugar pectins have a lot of added hidden sugars to compensate).
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider jam health food.
But if given the chance to have the most delicious strawberry freezer jam on the planet AND have it be lower sugar or even made with honey, I’m gonna be all over that.
Because, by doing so, the jam actually tastes like strawberries that are lightly sweetened with sugar. Instead of tasting like sugar lightly sweetened with strawberries.
Pomona’s Pectin is all-natural; the citrus-based pectin is activated with a calcium powder mixed with water.
There are no preservatives or added sugar to the pectin (additionally, it’s Kosher manufactured, vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO, if you care about any of the above).
And even though the method for using it is a little different than other widely available pectins on the market, it is NOT difficult.
In fact, it’s super easy.
I even made a little video to show you how simple it is.
As far as availability, most healthier food stores (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc) carry Pomona’s.
I even have a cute, family-owned grocery store close to me (Clif’s Market in Caldwell, if you are local to the Boise area) that carries it.
But mostly, I stock up online. The reviews speak for themselves. This is good stuff.
I buy from Amazon (this 6-pack is the most cost-effective) or sometimes sites like Thrive Market will have it for 50 cents cheaper or so.
One box of Pomona’s Pectin can make about 6-8 pints of jelly/jam.
If you’ve also used Pomona’s Pectin in the past, you’ll have to comment below and let me know what you think.
If you haven’t, and you can get over me totally fangirling over pectin, of all things, you should definitely try it.
Without tooting my own freezer jam horn too much (let’s give the credit to Ms. Pomona, whoever she might be), I have had many, many people tell me over the years that this strawberry freezer jam is the best they’ve ever had.
Honestly, I think it’s because that delicious, natural, strawberry flavor totally bowls you over with it’s fresh, yummy taste.
It’s incredible.
Just to give you a little comparison, for 4-5 cups of pureed strawberries, I use 1 1/2 cups of sugar (or sometimes half sugar and half honey) when using Pomona’s Pectin (and you can cut it down to as low as 3/4 cup per batch).
Sure-jell, a popular pectin, has a recipe for freezer jam calling for 2 cups crushed strawberries and 4 cups sugar.
And their low-sugar recipe uses 4 cups fruit to 3 cups sugar.
So just from a sweetener perspective, Pomona’s is winning big time, and I promise that there is no sacrifice in the texture or taste of the jam because of it.
In fact, quite the opposite: IT’S THE BEST FREEZER JAM EVER!
Last week I snagged 32 pounds of strawberries and made pints and pints of jam in just under three hours. Not too shabby.
What about containers, you ask?
Well, I’m a rebel, and often freeze jam in jars.
I know this is considered living dangerously on the edge in the jam world, since food expands in the freezer and jars can break, but as long as I’m careful to leave 1/2- to 3/4-inches of headspace in the jar, I’ve never had a jar crack.
The jars can be topped with every day canning metal lids and rings or these handy dandy plastic lids (which for some reason make me very happy, I love these lids).
I also use (and reuse year after year), plastic freezer containers like the ones pictured below.
There are a lot of options out there; it’s not rocket science deciding which to choose.
My freezer is stuffed with the ones you see below (picked those up at my local Winco) and also these Glad Freezeware containers.
So there you have it! More words dedicated to the best strawberry freezer jam than I’ve written in my personal journal all year.
Clearly, I love me some really good freezer jam, and there’s nothing that makes me happier than being able to share that goodness (or rather, the method to obtaining that goodness) with you!
The Best Strawberry Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 1 box of Pomona’s Pectin
- 4-5 cups pureed or crushed strawberries, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of strawberries (crush or puree to desired consistency, I like the mixture fairly smooth)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, or honey (see note)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cups boiling water
Instructions
- Take out the small white packet of calcium powder and measure 1/4 teaspoon into a jar or container with a lid. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Shake well; set aside. The rest of the dry calcium powder can be stored indefinitely for later use.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice to the strawberries and stir well.
- In a blender, combine the boiling water and 1 tablespoon of pectin (in the large white packet). Process until smooth.
- Add the warm pectin mixture to the strawberries and mix to combine. The mixture will start to jell and thicken.
- Shake the calcium water to recombine and measure out 4 teaspoons; add to the jam. Stir well. (Extra calcium water can be discarded or stored in the refrigerator for months.)
- Portion the jam into containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with a lid. Store in the freezer (for up to a year) or in the refrigerator (for several weeks).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and the insert of the Pomona’s Pectin box
I made this but it doesn’t work well if you are not processing all your fruit. Pouring boiling water into the pectin made a lumpy mess which was only partially solved with the blender. I ended up putting the pectin mixture back into the fruit and cooking it down to get it to dissolve more. Afterward, I pushed it through a strainer and saved out the chunky fruit parts. This helped but it didn’t fully solve the problem. I then put the liquid part back in the blender and after blending, I mixed the chunks of fruit back into the liquid portion.
In spite of this effort to salvage the project, there are still small pectin lumps throughout and the texture reminds me a lot of tapioca pudding or cream of wheat cereal. The jam tastes good, but the lumps are a bit of a bummer. If I were to make this again, I would try dissolving the pectin in room temperature water. If it is not lumpy then I’d mix it into the fruit and gently heat it to get it to bloom.
I’d love a canned raspberry jam recipe.
I bought this pectin and made a batch. It’s currently in my freezer just waiting to be eaten.
Question: Can you use frozen strawberries, (thawed) to make this freezer jam? I
have lots of frozen strawberries and raspberries in my freezer and need to use them.
I haven’t tried it, but I think so!
Hello!
I just came across your website/recipe after searching for recipes that used Pamona’s Pectin! I’m excited to try it! Does your recipe work the same if I’m using peaches?
Thank you so much!
I haven’t made this jam with peaches (only strawberries) but I’m guessing it’ll work. I think if you try googling “pomonas pectin peach freezer jam” it should turn up a few resources for you.
Silly question but can I use this exact recipe for raspberries instead of strawberries?
Yes!
I want to use Splenda or Stevia for sweetener. Do I measure the same for this sugar the same as regular granulated sugar?
I haven’t tried using splenda or stevia so I honestly don’t know – you’d have to experiment. Good luck!
The spoon in the stevia container is miniscule, because its sweetening power is HUGE. You need to consult the Stevia manufacturer for recommendations on the amounts. The Splenda may be similar to sugar, but I would consult the manufacturer there, as well.
This is the absolute best strawberry jam I have ever had. It is so nice to taste strawberry more than sugar. I used the 1 1/2 cups sugar, but I honestly think I will use even less next time. Mel, thank you for sharing so many incredible recipes. My family now rests assured about anything new I try making if they hear it is one of your recipes.
Thank you so much, Michelle!
I made the Pomona freezer jam a couple of years ago, and loved it, but wondered if you could purée the strawberries. A google search led me to your blog. The recipe is simple and easier to follow than their video, but one thing “got me” then and now, even though I made a double batch this time: the blender! Is there a different way of mixing the pectin in boiling water? The blender makes such a mess, even when holding the lid and venting it. It’s simply too little liquid to mix properly.
I can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow!
I’m so glad you told me where I can get Pomona’s Pectin. I once bought it at a strawberry farm when we lived in Michigan and I ran out last year and didn’t know where else to buy it. I’ve only ever canned using that pectin (all three batches I’ve managed to can in my whole life). But the strawberry/raspberry jam was delicious and I used very little sugar as well. It jelled perfectly too even when it was clearly expired for the last batch and I’m sure my measurements were off. I can’t wait to try this freezer jam recipe. I also came across that other recipe that uses 4 cups of sugar to 2 cups of fruit. And as beautiful as the pictures were and as delicious as the blogger claimed it was I just couldn’t do it…ill eat cake if I want that much sugar thank you very much. Thank you Mel I love all your recipes!
This jam is amazing! I love freezer jam, but have always hated the massive amounts of sugar. I’ve used low sugar recipes before, but they still have more sugar than I want. I doubled this recipe today and used 10 cups of strawberries with only 3 cups of sugar, still not a health food, but certainly a ratio I can get onboard with! Thank you for introducing me me to this pectin! It’s a game changer!
You have once again persuaded me to cook..not an easy feat… ha! Do you have squeeze actual lemons or Can you use lemon juice you buy in the grocery store… what do you do? Thanks for being my mr. miagi.
I prefer the taste of fresh lemon juice but you could probably use the lemon juice in the bottle if you don’t have fresh lemons. 🙂
I made 1 1/2 batches yesterday. I would like it a little thicker. currently it is spreadable but runny. Any sugestions? The taste and sugar amount are perfect!
If you add more pectin (you’ll have to reboil this batch or just use more pectin next time) that will thicken it up more!
Just made this recipe for the 2nd time- not sure that we could ever go back to store bought jam again!
I only added 1c sugar this time around because the berries were so sweet.
I do recommend allowing the berries- or at least most of them, be crushed and not pureed, it seems like it holds onto more of the complexity flavors of a strawberry instead of it getting pureed all the way. The first time mixed all the ingredients in a bowl and the flavors seem brighter.
I love strawberry freezer jam, and I make a very low sugar recipe with Ball Freezer Jam Pectin, but I am so excited to try this one, if I could only find some local grown strawberries somewhere along the Wasatch front…but most years I have not luck. Strawberries from food clubs and grocery stores do not have a lot of flavor and don’t have much juice, at least from my observations. My grandma always taught me jam and preserves are only as good as the fruit you use. Do you recommend strawberries from grocery stores or food clubs?
I almost always get our strawberries from fruit stands or u-pick farms in our area.
If you are in Utah, Rowley’s Red barn in Santiquin has strawberries for 1$ a pound this weekend! I’m ready to make this delicious jam!!
I’d love to learn how to can applesauce. Thank you so much for this recipe!! I’ve been dying to make a freeze strawberry jam.
I’ve been making strawberry freezer jam for years. Yesterday I was given two flats of strawberries picked in Modesto that morning–the best you can get for taste. I decided to search for an alternate recipe and came upon yours. I had never used the Pomona’s pectin, but when I saw that you can reduce sugar to 1 1/2 cup, I was game. I went online to see where I could buy it–we’re sheltered -in-place now–and found that our neighborhood produce market carried it!
I followed your recipe exactly, deciding to use 5 cups of fruit to the 1 1/2 cups of sugar. It was the easiest jam I have ever made and it is absolutely delicious. The essence of strawberries just touched with sugar. I’m going to distribute some to my neighbors, calling it “Shelter.”
Thanks for the great recipe and the tip on the pectin! I’m going to try freezer jam for the first time because I want to cut down on sugar for my little ones, just curious, is this recipe interchangeable with other fruits? Specifically raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, cherry and peach?
Mostly it is. Sometimes the amount of lemon juice needed will change (or the pectin depending on how much natural pectin is in the fruit).
i dont have a food processor, i do everything by hand. do i still need to add the boiling water?
Yes, it helps dissolve the pectin.
Delicious! I was looking for a jam recipe that doesn’t have so much sugar and this was great! I only added 3/4 cup of sugar and it was perfect. My strawberries were freshly picked, so they were really sweet already. If I make this with grocery store berries, I might add another 1/4 cup. Thanks for another stellar recipe!
This jam turned out great and so easy! When I’ve made freezer jam before you leave it set out of the freezer for 12-24 hours and then freeze? This recipe seems to call for freezing immediately? Thanks!
Sorry I see the answer is below! Pop on freezer! Thanks!
Yes I freeze immediately 🙂
Sooo excited to make this!! Can I use the lemon juice that is bottled or do I need to go get a fresh lemon?
Yes, you can use bottled lemon juice.
Mel, you changed my canning life with this recipe! Now that I know about Pomona’s, I think I’ll ever use anything else. This freezer jam was delicious and so easy! It was great on sandwiches and AMAZING in ice cream.
I branched out and made strawberry jam, peach pie filling, and peach jam with Pomona’s so far this year. It cans up beautifully!
It’s the best! I’m glad your jam turned out amazing.
Can I make it without the lemon juice? It seems “optional” from the instructions in the Pomona box and I just don’t have it in hand …. however I will go out and get it if you convince me! Haha! Just don’t want to spend a lot of time canning something sub-par but also want to save a trip to the store if it will be a negligible difference! Hope this makes sense!
Hey Eliza, I definitely think the lemon juice helps with color and flavor!
Hi! Quick question: I am confused about the “4t calcium water plus more if needed” in the instructions. So I estimate the packet has about 1 tsp of the calcium powder in it. If I were to use all that 1tsp of calcium powder, how much water do I desolve it in? And once I have done that, so I measure 4tsp of THAT mixture to make the 4 cups of strawberry jam? Thanks!!
Yes, you use 4 teaspoons of the PREPARED calcium water in the recipe. The Pomona’s instructions have the exact amount of water, but I think it’s 1/2 cup water for every 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder.
This sounds wonderful. I just placed my order for the pectin and while I was at it I ordered their canning book.
How about frozen peach jam?
I have a question about the yield. The post says one box makes 6-8 pints but the recipe says it makes 3 pints. Maybe I’m misreading something but I’m hoping it makes 6-8!
So, I made this with strawberry/blueberry, lemon, and .5 cup honey .5 cup sugar, and the taste is wonderful, but the texture is strange to me – it’s a little gelatinous and not very smooth. I’m wondering if I messed it up or if I’m just used to MCP’s freezer jam, with it’s smoother, dare I say slimier, texture. My Pomona’s jam looks like yours in the video and pictures, so I don’t think I messed it up. Have you made freezer jam with MCP, and is Pomona’s supposed to be so different texture wise?
I’ve never used MCP pectin so I’m not familiar with the texture of it, but because Pomona’s is a totally different makeup for pectin than other commercial pectins, I’m guessing the texture will be different of the Pomona’s jam. If you’d like it smoother, you can blend the berries more.
I already had some liquid pectin so I thought I’d get some Pamona’s, make both, and do a taste test. My liquid pectin used 2 c. Strawberries and 4 c. Sugar. I made it yesterday and it set nice and thick and we all thought it was yummy and jammy. Today I made this one and wow! What a difference! It wasn’t as thick, but thick enough (I did add a bit more calcium water). But the flavor was SO MUCH BETTER! It was bright, fresh, and slightly sweet. A side by side comparison made yesterday’s jam taste sickly sweet- like hurt your throat sweet. All I could taste was sugar. Gross. I’ve tried low sugar pectins before with not great success. Thanks for this great recipe and recommendation!
You should try using lime juice instead of lemon, and put lime zest in your jam. It is AMAZING!
I love Pomonas. It is my go to pectin. I also find that it sets up much better than regular pectin.
I was excited about trying this recipe as I’m not comfortable with the high amounts of sugar usually used. I followed the instructions carefully but my experience hasn’t been impressive… The jam develops a strange texture and smells fermented by the half way point of a pint jar. This morning I threw out a half full jar after noticing mold growing around the rim and on the lid.
The pectin does not contain preservatives. And there is not enough sugar to act as a good preservative. I noticed in the instructions that came with the pectin it said the jam lasts one week in the fridge. When I read that I put my pint jars away and pulled out half pints. Hopefully to avoid the problem of it going bad before I use it as you experienced.
So I made this recipe today, but with frozen strawberries. It kinda looks like the sugar may not have dissolved completely, probably because it was too cold…is there any way to salvage my jam? Help!
I’ve made this recipe in the past, and looove it!
I haven’t ever made it with frozen strawberries…so I’m not entirely sure. You could try cooking it to dissolve the sugar, but I’m not sure if it would stay thickened.
Mine was also thin….could I add more pectin when I thaw a jar?
You’d need to reboil the jam if adding more pectin to see changes in the thickness, I think.
Hello, My name is Cari. And I’m an addict… Yes, I made this jam after the kids had gone to bed. I may or may not have been seen licking the vitamix. Made 6 cups. By the end of the next day, only one jar (2 cups) remained. End of day two, it was all gone. Now, my kids had their fair share, and ate it by the bowl. No kidding. By the bowl. But I’m pretty sure with my multiple pieces of toast that day, I inhaled as much as they did. Just found strawberries on sale again and made another batch. Hoping at least a little bit will make it to the freezer this time. Thanks again for another fantastic recipe.
Haha. Your opening line made me laugh. 🙂
Hi Cari. I know you only meant to have fun in your story, but please, there are people who are actually addicts of all kinds, including food addicts, so I’m just asking if you could refrain from using the term so casually as it tends to water down the seriousness of the term. Thank you. Partner of an addict.
I made this recipe three times within two days and it has turned out runny each time. I followed the recipe exactly and used Pomona’s Pectin. Is it supposed to be really runny?
Hey Michele, sorry to hear that. It might depend on the variety of strawberries/water content. It should start to gel as the pectin is stirred in…if it’s not, try upping the pectin.
Thanks!! It still tastes great 🙂
Hey Mel! Hopefully this isn’t a repeat question… I recently made this jam and husband and I loved the flavor- super fresh and natural!! However, it did seem a little on the runny side compared to other homemade jams. I followed the recipe exactly, with 1/2 honey and 1/2 sugar. Is this typical? Thanks a bunch! Use your site like everyday 😉
Hey Nicole – thanks for the comment! If it’s overly runny, you might need to add a bit more pectin and calcium powder (some of it may depend on the variety of strawberries used). Or try using slightly less strawberries to the current ratio of pectin. Let me know if you have other questions!
Thank you!!
Love this. Wish I had read it last week before making my first ever batch of freezer jam using the Sure jell! I really want to try this pomona pectin.
THANK YOU for introducing us to Pomona’s Pectin! I am loving making freezer jam with less sugar that actually tastes like the fruit it was made from. I have made 3 batches of strawberry jam, 2 batches of raspberry jam, and 1 batch of blueberry – All with terrific success! Thanks again!
Yay! I’m so happy you love Pomona’s as much as I do!
I have used Pomona pectin for years, but recently I started using instant clear jel in my freezer jam. Instant clear jel is a great natural product (I think maybe the Amish came up with it)…just mix it with your sugar to prevent clumps, stir into the fruit, give it about ten minutes & put your jam in jars & freeze. No cooking or boiling required. I also use it to thicken cobblers & pies. Also there is a regular clear jel that you use when cooking. Purchased from Hoosier Farms on Amazon.
I’m not trying to be a smartie pie & I’m not affiliated with this product at all. I’m just an old home cook. These clear jels have changed the way I prepare food, from gravy to baked goods, even ice cream. Just want to share with you.
Thanks, PattiAnn!
Where did u buy this pectin that u used? And can i use it with sour cherries?
Thanks!
I haven’t used it with sour cherries, but I think you can – you’ll need to add more sugar, most likely. There are links in the post where I buy the pectin. 🙂
I finally found local fresh strawberries! I made 1 batch of this recipe as written using the 3/4 cup of sugar as the berries were plenty sweet for me. All went well. It took me about 50 minutes and that includes sterilizing 3 jars, washing and topping the berries AND the cleanup.
AND, the jam is delicious plus no heating up the kitchen. Thanks, Mel!
Thanks for the report back, Liz! Glad you enjoyed the finished product!
Another great recipe, Mel! I’ve never made jam before and I’m so happy I started with this one! Can’t believe the amount of sugar in other recipes. It was so easy and delicious. Thank you — you’re the best!
So what are the correct proportions of berry pureė to calcium powder/water…it is a bit confusing ….
You’ll use 4 teaspoons of calcium powder/water mixture and the amount of strawberry puree listed in the recipe.
Do I seal these and put them right in the freezer? Other recipes I have seen say to leave it out on the counter for 24 hours. Thank you!
I pop them right in the freezer.
What does the calcium powder do in the freezer jam?I never used it before or in this as I haven’t heard of it before. ( I am over 70)
Been canning both hot bath and freezer for 50 + yesrs.
It activates the pectin for this particular brand of pectin (Pomona’s).
Thank you thank you !!
I adore Strawberry Freezer Jam !!
I am sorry if someone already asked but 106 comments it s lot to stroll through.
How long will it keep in the fridge, once taKen out ot the freezer.
Also I assume you puree your strawberries first ??
First timer here trying to make some heaven. ☺
Hi Tania – yes, in the ingredient list it indicates to use crushed or pureed strawberries. It should last several weeks once out of the freezer and in the refrigerator. 🙂
What calcium powder? Is t in the ingredients list?
It’s in the box of Pomona’s pectin (which is listed in the ingredients).
Maybe I am missing something here but I watched the video and read the recipe. In the recipe it says to measure out 4 teaspoons of calcium water and in the video you used 2 tablespoons. Am I missing something here? Which am I supposed to follow?
Hi Whitney – in the video, I’m just loosely measuring the calcium water, so you can use the 4 teaspoons in the recipe and use more if the jam is taking longer to jell.
Shoot, I wish I would have realized I’m not using all the calcium powder in just one batch (I actually made two batches and only used half of the water/calcium mixture you have in the recipe). I was happy that I could store left0ver powders to use next year (to make the price more worth it) but now I can’t because mixing 1/2 tsp only left less than 1/4 tsp and I’m wasting the remainder that I mixed up (I saw in a comment you left that the rest of the calcium mixture can be stored for months… I can’t imagine needing it again by then though).
To help prevent others doing what I did, maybe you should adjust the amount mixed to match the rest of the ingredient amounts??
Other than that – thanks for the recipe, it gave me the confidence to try out making jam. I had done so before but I never remember what recipe I use so it sometimes prevents me from looking all over for the recipe again. I’m so excited to learn about a less-sugar option!
PS. Boise Co-op also sells the pectin, I paid somewhere around $5.50 for the box.
Hey Stephanie – you can freeze the calcium/water mixture (in ice cubes or in a freezer-safe container) and use it next year. Sorry for the confusion! I’ll add more clarification to the recipe.
Will this recipe work for a combination of fruit or just stawberry? I really love strawberry, but I also like to make strawberry blueberry. And I’ve been wanting to make raspberry stawberry or peach raspberry or mango strawberry. Freezee jam is my favorite kind. Mmmm….I’m getting all excited about homemade jam and bread.
Yes, this should work with a combination of fruits (although I usually stick with strawberry).
Just chiming in here to say that if you’re on the fence about buying random pectin that you may or may not use ever again, DO IT. Go ahead, but the amazon six pack. After one bite, there won’t be any doubts in your mind about you being able to use them all (fyi, they don’t really ever expire anyway). This tastes like jam should taste, but you don’t have to dream about it anymore because it’s actually for real and not just a sugar paste flavored with a smattering of fruit (am I the only one that dreams about jam? maybe, oh well… sweet dreams anyone? anyone? bueller?)
I made two regular batches tonight and then one double batch. Mainly because I couldn’t get to it until after the kids were in bed and I wanted to make sure I did it right (I can’t think clearly with my blessed distractions awake.) The first batch was heaven. The second batch was divine. The third double batch was, well…. I don’t know… still fantastic but I messed up somewhere along the way. I had a lot of calcium powder left (so if you’re tripling the batch, I wouldn’t recommend just dumping the whole thing of mixed calcium in when it’s time… I’d measure it out), but was 1/2 a tablespoon short of pectin. Woops. Then I reread the recipe. Oh yeah, you said one box would triple the batch… not quadruple. I chalk it up to it being midnight. If left to my own devices, I’m either distracted by my lovelies or too tired to think straight. Oh well. Even if it doesn’t set up great, it will be pretty yummy as an ice cream sauce or pancake sauce.
Mel, would it be possible for the cooking illiterate like myself if you could write out a big batch recipe (as in a recipe that uses the whole box)? Somehow I just can’t quite make it there on my own. Bless you and Pomona and all your jammy goodness.
Thanks for the detailed comment, Jen! You made me laugh out loud. I’m the queen of taking on late night baking projects for the same reason (no kids underfoot!) only to wonder why things turned out so wonky and realize that I forgot a key ingredient. Glad you liked this jam! I’ll add a recipe note for using the whole box. 🙂