There is nothing sweeter than the strawberry season. Enjoy Strawberry Freezer Jam with Sure-Jell all winter! The pop of a fresh strawberry straight from the field can be used on toast all year long.
Enjoy ripe, flavorful strawberries picked at their peak all year long. This homemade strawberry freezer jam is the same one I made with my mom. I am now teaching my kids how to make this strawberry jam, too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Classic Freezer Jam Recipe
- Quick And Easy
- Lasts All Year Stored In The Freezer
Featured Ingredients
- Ripe Strawberries - Freshly picked ripe berries are the best.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar.
- Sure-Jell Pectin - The yellow box.
- Water - Good ole H2O
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Wash and dry the mason glass jars or freezer-friendly plastic containers with covers.
Step 2: Wash the strawberries and remove the hull. Discard the strawberry stems.
In my house, this is a kid-friendly job. I give them a straw, and they push the hull right off through the bottom of the berry. It works like a charm, and everyone gets to help!
Step 3: In a large bowl, mash strawberries with a potato masher.
Step 4: Measure the exact amount of sugar in a large bowl. Do not reduce the sugar, or it will not work.
Step 5: Add the crushed berries to the sugar. Set the timer for ten minutes. Stir this mixture every other minute. Stirring the mixture will help dissolve the sugar, which is what you want. Nobody wants a grainy jam.
Step 6: In a small saucepan, add the water and the Sure-Jell fruit pectin. Bring the water to a boil. Stir constantly. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
Step 7: After ten minutes, add the pectin mixture to the strawberry mixture.
Step 8: Stir constantly for three minutes. It is ok if a few sugar crystals remain.
Step 9: Fill the containers immediately, leaving at least ½ inch space on the top because the mixture will expand during freezing.
Step 10: Let the covered jam containers stand at room temperature for twenty-four hours. Refrigerate for up to three weeks. Or freeze for up to 1 year. However, after a year, I found a rogue jar in our freezer, which is still delicious! Thaw the jam before eating.
Tips and Tricks
Shortcut Idea: Use an immersion blender or a food processor to crush the strawberries. Just be aware the "electric methods" can quickly obliterate any strawberry pieces, and the berries will become liquid. You want small bits of fruit in your strawberry jam, just like what you buy from the grocery store.
Variations
Less Sugar Sure-Jell: An excellent option for a low-sugar strawberry freezer jam and can be found in the pink Sure-Jell box. It uses less sugar and more crushed strawberries. This type of fruit pectin is dissolved with the sugar in a medium saucepan, boiled, and added to the fruit.
Liquid Sure-Jell (Certo) - This is my favorite way to use fruit pectin. There is no water to boil, and it uses lemon juice, which I love! Liquid pectin has fewer steps. It also has the same amount of sugar as the yellow box of fruit pectin. Also, something worth noting, there are two pouches of liquid pectin in one box, so two batches of freezer jam per box. For complete instructions, review Strawberry Jam With Certo recipe.
Storing and Freezing
Store: Because this is a freezer jam and has not been canned in a water bath or pressure cooker, it must be kept in the freezer until you are ready to use it. Defrost before using.
Freeze: Jam can be kept in the freezer for a year. After a year, the quality of the jam will begin to deteriorate.
FAQs
The strawberry freezer jam needs to sit at room temperature for twenty-four hours to allow the pectin to be fully set.
It could be ratio between fruit and sugar was off. Or the sugar didn't fully dissolve. Another option is the pectin was expired.
It will last in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Truthfully, it is a lot of sugar combined with fresh fruit and Sure-Jell fruit pectin. In order for freezer jam to work, you need to use the exact amount of sugar the recipe calls for. This will ensure it will set up and preserve the fresh strawberry flavor.
The little boxes of Sure-Jell have been around since 1934. That is many, many batches of jam! Sure-Jell creates a homemade, easy strawberry freezer jam recipe that lets you know exactly what ingredients are the jam you put on your toast!
Yellow Box of Sure-Jell - is the original.
Pink Box of Sure-Jell - is the lower sugar option. It is formulated to use less sugar.
Blue Box of Sure-Jell (Certo) is liquid pectin, has fewer steps than the other two options of Sure-Jell, and uses lemon juice in its recipe.
How To Use Strawberry Jam
- Pour jam over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Add jam to strawberry shortcake.
- Pour it over Swedish oven pancakes.
- Use it as one of the toast topper options.
Love This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating + comment. It helps so much, and we love hearing from everyone! Thank You -Venessa
Recipe
Strawberry Freezer Jam with Sure-Jell
Equipment
- Potato Masher
- Mason Jars or Plastic Freezer Containers
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh, ripe strawberries crushed
- 4 cups white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 box Sure-Jell, Yellow Box (Note 1)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the mason glass jars or freezer-friendly plastic containers with covers. Set aside.
- Wash the strawberries. Remove the hull and stems from the strawberries and discard.
- In a large bowl, mash strawberries with a potato masher.
- In another large bowl, add the sugar. Do not change the amount of sugar in the recipe. Any less and the jam will not set.
- Next, add the crushed strawberries to the sugar. Stir. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the water and the Sure-Jell packet of pectin to a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- After 10 minutes, add the saucepan Sure-Jell mixture to the fruit sugar mixture. Stir constantly for 3 minutes. This will dissolve the sugar and create the jam. It is okay if a few sugar crystals remain.
- Using a ladle and a wide funnel, fill the jars immediately. Leave at least ½ inch space on the top because the jam will expand during freezing. Add the covers and set aside.
- Let the covered jam containers stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Then refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze for up to 1 year.
- If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.
Gail says
You didn’t give me any proportions, such as how much sugar, or how much fruit
Venessa says
If you look at the recipe card there are the measurements for how much sugar, crushed strawberries, water for one box of Sure-Jell (yellow box). If you are looking proportions for the other Sure-Jell boxes, such as the low sugar (pink box) or the liquid Sure-Jell (Certo) look at the measurements on the box. The instructions and measurements in this recipe are for the yellow box of Sure-Jell. Does this help answer your question?
-Venessa
Jennifer says
I have kiwi to use up can I use kiwi and strawberries and make the crushed amount for both total 2 cups and use the same amount of sugar etc and make the same way? Or even use with peaches in season? Thank you!
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Jennifer,
The kiwi and strawberry combination sounds great! I would try it - just make sure you keep the ratios of sugar and fruit the same. I have never tried peaches and I do not know how much mashed peaches you need for the correct ratios. Although it sounds delicious. Give it a try - even if it doesn't set you will have a great ice cream topping. 🙂 - Venessa
Joy Lohman says
How many cups do you use when using the pink box? I know the yellow box says 2 cups strawberries and 4 cups sugar. All the directions say 2 quarts strawberries and 3 cups sugar. So how many cups of strawberries do I use?
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Joy-
For the Sure-Jell Pink Box (Low Sugar) you will need 4 cups of crushed strawberries and 3 cups of sugar. It will make about 6 cups of strawberry jam. Start with 8 cups of whole strawberries. I will create a low sugar Sure-Jell recipe with instructions during the next fresh strawberry season! - Venessa
Mary says
Why do NOT have these directions on the BOX!!!!!!!!!!
Venessa Mandelkow says
Mary -
I am not affiliated with the Sure-Jell company and no idea why the directions are no longer on the box.
-Venessa
Julie says
It’s not only not ON the box, it’s not even IN the box.
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Julie - I have heard from multiple readers that there is no longer an insert or any type of instructions on the Sure-Jell box. I have no idea why, but this recipe was built with the Sure-Jell instructions so no worries! - Venessa
Mickey Bezjak says
Delightful ~ like eating fresh strawberries all year long🍓
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Mickey - I agree, there is nothing better than the taste of fresh strawberries in December! Thanks for taking time to leave a comment. 🙂 -Venessa
Clara says
Love this jam soooo much!!! I love to make it every year!
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Clara!
I love that you love this jam! Thanks for taking time to let me know. - Venessa
Laurie Frederickson says
What. If my sugar hasn’t dissolved by the time to put it in the jars. It seems very granular.
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Laurie -
Don't put it into the jars if the jam still feels granular. Stir, stir and stir some more! The action of stirring the sugar, strawberries and pectin is what dissolves the sugar. It's a great arm workout 🙂 - Venessa
Debbie says
I just bought your sure gel pectin as I have an abundance of strawberries. On the box to make freezer jam(as well as the cooked version) it says to use lemon juice but the recipe on your web site has it using water! Which recipe should I follow. I’ve made freezer rasp jam for yrs at home in Van BC Can(I’m down at our vacay place in Calif thus the load of st berries!) and I’ve used Certo freezer jam pkg and you don’t add any liquid in that recipe. Can you please clarify the recipe for me meme please? Regards DB
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Debbie - The reason there is water in this recipe is to dissovle the powdered Sure-Jell. I am not sure what the recipe says on the Sure-Jell box, but I do know that my recipe has worked for years! I have used lemon juice in my Strawberry Jam with Certo recipe, but never in this recipe that uses powdered Sure-Jell. Did you get the low sugar Sure-Jell box? Even that recipe for low sugar strawberry jam has water in it to dissolve that Sure-Jell too.
If it was me, I would go with my recipe, not because I am biased, but because I know it works. And if Sure-Jell changed something, which could happen, you may end up with strawberry sauce for pancakes and ice cream. Everyone wins!
Please let me know what recipe you choose and how it goes for you. In Minnesota strawberry season isn't until June... I would love to get a jump start on problem solving this recipe if needed.
Thanks so much Debbie-
Venessa
Debbie says
Th you for your quick reply. I’ve got the box right in front of me and it’s not low sugar gel On the front of the box is has MCP premium pectin ,on the back of the box there are 2 recipes one for freezer and cooked methods. For the freezer one is states: 1 box of MCP, 2 qt’s fruit,4 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice yields 7 -8oz containers. It also has a statement on the box saying “All you need to make h made st berry jam is one box of MCP,st berries,lemons and sugar! Very confusing I must say.
The cooked recipe is a tad different but I wanted to make the freezer method as I didn’t want to have too much heat going on in my kitchen here as the temps are going up here for Easter tomorrow, plus I still have to put the oven on for my cake. Th you for any help I just don’t want to waste ingredients and end up throwing it all out! Ciao Debbie B
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Debbie, I think I have solved the mystery! The MCP Sure-Jell is a new product and it acts more like a liquid pectin (Certo) than the typical Sure-Jell we all grew up using. I would follow the recipe on the box. There is also a recipe online from Kraft Heinz which full disclosure I am not affliated with. I just use Sure-Jell because that is how my Grandma taught me.
Thank you so much for alerting me to this new product. I had no idea. If you would be willing to report back how it went for you I would be so grateful. Also sent me some of that heat. We had snow flurries this morning in Minnesota! 🙂 Thanks Debbie - Venessa
Debbie says
Thankyou Vanessa for the info and will do as you tell me follow the box directions! I for sure will let you know how it turns out a praying good enough to spread on tomorrows toast! If I could send this hot weather I would ,we’re not complaining as we come from the west coast on the pacific in North Vancouver( a over the bridge community from the city of Vancouver BC Canada )and our winter and a good part of most of the yr is sadly rainy, but the summers can also be very nice. We don’t get the humidity like the eastern seaboard (Florida etc) so it’s comfortable. But we had no winter this yr at least down on the lower parts, the ski mtns got some but again not their best ski season. My colleague at work ( I’m still nursing casual now ) at my University affiliated hosp in Vancouver and now into my 54 yr of nursing, but I love what I do, but I often tell people my Happy place is my kitchen. We do entertain a lot an I “chef” and bake every wk, that too I’ve been doing for 54 yrs!!!
Take care and the nasty weather this too will pass!!! Cheers Debbie B
Venessa Mandelkow says
Hi Debbie! I just ordered a few boxes to test this new MCP Sure-Jell too. I want to be sure I can give my readers the best guidance for all things freezer strawberry jam. I didn't even know it was a thing until you asked, so THANK YOU so much! Enjoy your happy place cooking up a storm - and not the kind with snow or rain. Thank you for being a nurse. I could never since the sight of blood and I don't do too well. 54 years is such a great accomplishment. Have a gread weekend, enjoy all those fresh strawberries! - Venessa