Summary
Unlike traditional canned jam, these preserves do not require long days of preparation and exact cooking times or any cooking at all sometimes. all you need are fresh ripe fruit, clean jars, sugar and pectin to help the jam set. Be sure to use fruit that is perfectly ripe...the jam is only as good as the fruit used.
Cookware used in Recipe
1 Quart with Cover View
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Servings 12 - 14
Ingredients: ½ cup balsamic vinegar 6 cups strawberries, halved ½ tsp. sea salt 2 cups sugar 5 Tbls. NO Cook freezer jam fruit pectin
Directions: Place the vinegar in the 1 Quart Sauce Pan and bring to a low boil. Cook over medium heat to reduce by half, to about ¼ cup. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the reduced vinegar, strawberries and sea salt. Mash with a potato masher just until the strawberries start to release juice, but are still in chunks. In a separate bowl, stir the sugar and pectin until well blended. Add it to the strawberry mixture. Stir for 3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves.
Pour into clean jars or freezer containers, leaving ¾ inch of space at the top to allow the jam to expand in the freezer. Store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use.
Note* Make sure to use the right kind of pectin, otherwise, the jam won't set, because freezer jams aren't cooked and use less sugar. The fruit's natural pectin needs to be boosted with commercial pectin, which is available in most supermarkets. NO COOK pectin is designed specifically for uncooked freezer jams. The directions on most boxes of pectin advise using the exact amount of sugar recommended, or the jam will not set properly. This is simply a matter of taste. You may prefer to have a jam that is a little runnier and a lot lower in sugar. The main thing to remember is to stir the pectin into the sugar thoroughly, or it will clump together. Yields: 6 (8oz) jars |