Best Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe – Low Sugar No Pectin + Video

It’s Strawberry Season, and that means making the best Strawberry Freezer Jam to preserve the harvest! This delicious fresh recipe only uses 4 ingredients, takes only 10 minutes to make, and it lasts over a year in the freezer!

Whether or not you grow strawberries, this fast and easy recipe is a sure hit that your whole family will love… It’s so fresh tasting and easy, you’ll want to share it with your friends! Plus, It makes a great gift 😉

There’s no better way to preserve the vibrant flavor of freshly picked strawberries than this easy-to-make jam! With just a few ingredients and minutes, you’ll savor the taste of summer all year round!

Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe Without Pectin

I usually make this recipe by the food processor or blender, but you can also just use a bowl and a potato masher! So whether I have gallons or just cups of strawberries the recipe is easy to adjust for the amount of strawberries you have!

The thing I LOVE most about this strawberry freezer jam is it’s almost all fruit! There’s no water added, and barely any sugar at all! Classic strawberry jam recipes call for 4-8 CUPS of sugar… That’s WAY too much for me to feel good about. With this homemade jam, you have the option to use very little or no added sugar.

This strawberry jam recipe is so easy to make, that it’s perfect for beginners trying to make their own jam for the first time!

It only takes about 4 steps: take your washed and trimmed strawberries and put them in the blender or food processor and puree till desired smoothness. Then you add your lemon juice to preserve color, a tiny bit of sugar, and thickener… Then mix well!

After blending all ingredients together, you’ll put in in freezer safe containers, or in the fridge, till you’re ready to use! That’s it… Super simple easy jam!

To Pectin or Not To Pectin… That is the Question!

Most fruit jams are commercial pectin jam recipes. The one thing I don’t like about using pectin, even the newer freezer jam pectin, is that you need to use at least 4 cups of sugar. That is too much sugar for me! I like my freezer jam to be mostly fruit with a little sugar, not the other way around.

The thing I love most about freezer jam is that it is more fruit and less sugar, and fresher, than traditional jams. Not to mention that you don’t cook the fruit with freezer jam…. This recipe really capitalizes on all those virtues!

Ultra Gel (and EZ Gel) is different… You don’t need lots of sugar or to cook it, because it thickens any liquid whether it’s hot or cold.

By omitting pectin, freezer jam maintains a fresher, more vibrant fruit flavor. And, making pectin-free freezer jam requires fewer ingredients & steps, making it an appealing choice for those who prefer a fuss-free and quick jam-making process!

No Cooking Time

This recipe is made at room temperature, does not require any cooking time… EZ Gel thickener eliminates the cooking process!

It’s the fastest strawberry jam recipe you will ever make, with the BEST flavor! You’ll wash, blend and mix the strawberries with the other ingredients. It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, but I like to schedule 30 minutes for packaging and cleanup.

Tools You’ll Need

This strawberry freezer jam recipe is so simple, and cuts out many steps that require things like: candy thermometer, water bath canner, or large pot! These are the only tools I use to make this super easy, delicious jam:

• Blender or food processor! – I use a blender for this most often, but I use a food processor for so many things and it works great for this too!
• Measuring Cups
• A rubber spoon – scraper – spatula: These are super handy to get all the goodness out of the blender or food processor and into freezer containers!
• Freezer Containers – I love using these freezer safe mason jars, because I don’t like plastic. If you do use plastic, be sure to get the BPA free freezer safe plastic containers. You don’t need to add chemicals from plastic to your jam!
• Dissolvable Labels! So everyone knows what is in your containers for the next year (or two).
• Freezer Space! Make room in your freezer for your freezer jam. I like to keep mine in the deep freezer, because it freezes for a longer period of time at the colder temperature.

Key Ingredients

I do not use pectin in freezer jam… This recipe does not require any cooking, and pectin does. This is a no or low sugar no pectin freezer jam! All you need is:

Fresh Strawberries (or frozen works too): Of course strawberries are the main ingredient… Without it you’d just have a thick lemon spread. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries here, but if you use frozen thaw them first.

For this recipe, I always use fresh fruit, because we get a nice harvest of them out of the garden almost every year. Fresh strawberries are easy to work with and provide a naturally rich flavor. However, that does not mean that you can’t use frozen strawberries!

LEMON Juice: You may think lemon juice is an odd ingredient for strawberry jam…. But lemon juice compliments the strawberry flavor. Citric acid in lemon juice keeps the color of the strawberries nice and bright over time too!

Without lemon juice, instead of bright pink or red strawberry jam, you’ll end up with a darker color that does not look fresh or as appetizing.

On top of that, lemon juice adds a refreshing tartness that pairs well with strawberries while keeping the color bright. Lemon Juice, fresh lemon juice or lemon juice concentrate both work here.

Sugar: This is totally optional, and you can add more or less according to your preference. The only thing it does is adds sweetness… If you don’t want to add sugar or a sugar substitute, you don’t have to, just reduce the lemon juice or it’ll be too sour!

EZ Gel thickener or Ultra Gel Thickener: These thickeners are a GAME CHANGER…. These both thicken the mashed strawberries nicely without requiring cooking or even warming them!

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes! You can use frozen strawberries in freezer jam… You will need to thaw frozen strawberries on the counter and keep any juices they lose. Blend thawed strawberries and juices in step one of the instructions, and follow the instructions!

Using frozen strawberries can slightly alter their taste depending on storage time, but they’ll still be delicious. But it will still taste great!

My Tips

This is a small batch strawberry jam recipe, and you I repeat small batches using my blender to process my extra strawberry harvest!

I don’t sterilize my jars…. I just wash them in hot soapy water… Then set on a clean towel to dry.

Place strawberries in your blender, about 4 cups (or 2/3 – 3/4 the way full). If you like chunky strawberry jam, use a potato masher instead of the blender;) Add the Lemon Juice and sugar or sugar substitute.

Then, Puree (or mash) to desired texture…. I like raspberry jam chunky buy my family likes it smooth.

After getting it to your perfect consistency, add your thickener, and whisk till well combined!

If you see sugar or ultra gel stuck to sides, stop and use your rubber spatula to scrape and mix it in well.

Fill your jars, or freezer safe containers, leaving room for expansion when it freezes!

Pairing

There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious strawberry freezer jam! This freezer jam is so versatile, you can enjoy it on much more than a peanut butter and jelly!

Of course, we LOVE it on Sourdough Pancakes and fresh Sourdough English Muffins, or crispy Sourdough Waffles. But it’s so good, we don’t stop there…. Strawberry freezer jam tastes so fresh and delicious we love it on toast any time of year, or on a loaf of Homemade Bread or in a fresh strawberry PIE.

TIPS

• You can adjust the texture to your liking from chunky to smooth by blending it more or less
• Want Sugar Free Strawberry Freezer Jam? No Problem! You can adjust the amount of sugar, and you don’t have to use sugar at all. Likewise, you can substitute maple syrup for honey, or my favorite, erythritol, and other natural sweeteners.
• DO NOT Skip the lemon juice! It keeps the bright red strawberry color vibrant and adds a tangy flavor.
• Make your freezer jam thicker by adding a tablespoon more of the Ultra Gel (or EZ Gel)at a time. (Till your jam is as thick as you want it.)
• Store strawberry freezer jam in airtight freezer containers until you are ready to use.
• It’s best to thaw frozen freezer jam on the counter, but you can also use the microwave if you’re in a hurry.
• Thawed strawberry freezer jam is best used within 2 weeks of opening.
• Store freezer jam in refrigerator after opening…. If there’s any left in the jar!

Let me know what you think!

If you make this strawberry freezer jam, and have questions, leave them in the comments below! AND…. I’d really appreciate a review on the recipe card, Thank YOU so much!