Homemade strawberry freezer jam with less sugar so the berries actually taste like berries. No canning required, no complicated equipment — just fresh flavor you can pull from the freezer all year long.
I originally shared this recipe back in June 2014, and today I’m updating it with new information and my some extra tips! The Ball stir in pectin I used to use for this recipe is almost impossible to find now so I’m updating this for the method I use now with Sure-Jell.
The other thing I love about this recipe is how approachable it is. This is genuinely one of those recipes I hand off to my kids. They crush the berries, measure the sugar, stir everything together — and feel like total rockstars when there are six jars of homemade jam lined up on the counter at the end. You don’t need canning equipment, and you don’t need to block out an entire Saturday afternoon. What you do need is about 30 minutes, some ripe strawberries, and enough freezer space to stash a few jars for later. Come January, you will be very glad you did.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Less sugar than traditional freezer jam recipes — the berries actually taste like berries, not candy
- No canning required — no water bath, no special equipment, no stress
- That gorgeous fresh strawberry flavor holds up beautifully in the freezer for up to a year
- Makes 6 cups, which means plenty to keep and plenty to share
- Kid-friendly enough to make together — mine basically run the whole show at this point
- Straightforward enough for a first-time jam maker, satisfying enough for someone who’s been doing this for years
What Is Strawberry Freezer Jam?
If you’ve only ever bought jam from the grocery store, here’s the thing nobody tells you: most of what you’re tasting is cooked fruit and a lot of sugar. Traditional canned jam is cooked down and then processed in a water bath so it can sit on a pantry shelf for months. That process works beautifully for shelf stability — but it also cooks out a lot of that bright, fresh berry flavor.
Freezer jam is different. The berries are never cooked, which means they hold onto that just-picked taste. Instead of a water bath, your freezer does the preservation work. You do need to keep freezer jam refrigerated or frozen — it doesn’t live on a shelf — but the tradeoff is flavor that honestly doesn’t compare to anything you can buy in a store.
It’s also significantly more forgiving and FAST than traditional canning. There’s no sterilizing equipment, no worrying about seals, and no complicated processing times. If you’ve ever wanted to try making jam but felt intimidated by the canning process, freezer jam is the place to start. (And sorry / not sorry if this gets you hooked on making jam and next thing you know you are canning anything that holds still long enough!)
Ingredients for Strawberry Freezer Jam
This recipe has just three ingredients!!! Here’s what you need to know about each one:
Fresh Strawberries You’ll start with 8 cups of whole strawberries, which crush down to about 4 cups. Ripe, in-season berries will give you the best flavor — this is one of those recipes where the quality of your fruit really shows up in the final jar. Look for berries that are deeply red all the way through, fragrant, and firm but not hard. Pale, underripe strawberries will give you pale, underripe jam. We eat all the strawberries we grow fresh (we meaning mostly my three children) so I use whatever berries go on sale at the store AND smell good! This means I’m paying $1 – $2 / pound for my berries – that is some cheap jam, people!
Sugar This recipe uses 3 cups of sugar, which is notably less than most strawberry freezer jam recipes (the standard method calls for 4 cups or more). Less sugar means the strawberry flavor comes through clearly instead of getting buried under sweetness. The pectin we’re using is specifically designed to work with reduced sugar, so you still get a beautiful set without needing to load up on the sweet stuff. And not to brag but if your jam has less sugar doesn’t that mean you can eat twice as much of it??? 😉
Sure-Jell For Less or No Sugar Needed Pectin This is the key ingredient and it’s worth talking about. Sure-Jell makes two versions of their fruit pectin — the standard yellow box and the pink box labeled “For Less or No Sugar Needed.” We’re using the pink box. The two are not interchangeable! The pink box pectin is formulated to set properly with reduced sugar, which is exactly what makes this low-sugar recipe work. Look for it near the canning supplies at most grocery stores. If your store only carries the yellow box, check a larger grocery store or order online — it’s worth finding the right one. I’m referencing Sure-Jell because it is a national brand carried by most stores. Frankly there are not a lot of different brands available for this.
How to Make Sure-Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam
This freezer jam comes together in a few simple stages. Read through the whole method once before you start — there’s a 24-hour rest at the end that’s easy to forget to plan for. This rest just allows the jam to finish setting.
Step 1: Prep your containers Wash your jars or freezer containers and set them aside. You don’t need to sterilize your containers. Just make sure they’re clean and completely dry. This recipe makes about 6 cups of jam, so have enough containers ready for that yield.
Step 2: Crush the strawberries Hull your strawberries and crush them one layer at a time using a potato masher or fork. You’re looking for a mix of small pieces and juice — not a smooth puree. Some texture is a good thing here. Measure out exactly 4 cups of crushed berries. Exact measurement matters for a proper set, so don’t eyeball this one. (I sometimes do pulse these in my food processor but if you get carried away and make a full on puree the texture of the jam ends up kind of odd.)
Step 3: Boil the pectin While the berry mixture rests, stir the pectin powder into water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Once it reaches a full boil, stir hard for 1 minute, then remove from heat immediately.
Step 5: Combine and stir Pour the hot pectin mixture into the berry and sugar bowl. Stir everything together vigorously for 1 minute. Don’t rush this step — thorough stirring helps the jam set properly.
Step 6: Fill your containers Ladle the jam into your prepared containers, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top of each one. That space matters! Jam expands as it freezes and without it you risk cracked jars or popped lids.
Step 7: Rest, then freeze Put the lids on and let the containers sit at room temperature for 24 hours. This is when the jam sets up. After 24 hours, move what you’ll use in the next few weeks to the refrigerator and freeze the rest.
Freezer Jam Containers — What Works Best
One of the nicest things about freezer jam is that you’re not locked into specific canning jars. Here are your best options:
Glass mason jars are a great option with one word of warning* Half-pint (8 oz) jars are the perfect size — easy to use up within a few weeks once opened. Make sure to leave that ½ inch of headspace so they don’t crack in the freezer. Ball and Kerr both make jars that are explicitly freezer-safe but I use whatever I have on hand.
*Word of Warning on Glass Jars: WHERE they get stored in the freezer matters. I used to keep them in my upright freezer in the garage. I cannot tell you HOW many jars took a dive and got smashed on concreate. If you want to use glass jars make sure they are stored in your freezer so that they won’t jump out! Plastic can also shatter but it is somewhat more forgivving…
Plastic freezer containers work beautifully and are a great option if you’re nervous about glass in the freezer. Look for containers specifically labeled freezer-safe — regular food storage containers can crack at freezer temperatures. These lovely clear plastic jars come in 4 or 8oz sizes which is nice!
Repurposed food jars: There is a general warning against using repurposed plastic jars for freezer jam but I cheerfully ignore it. I’ve saved old peanut butter jars for years for jam! I wash them out very well to make sure all the peanut butter grease is out and then fill them with jam and freeze. In theory they are an unknown that could crack in the freezer but I’ve never had that happen except when I dropped the jar.
Whatever you use, that ½ inch of headspace is non-negotiable.
Tips for Perfect Strawberry Freezer Jam
Measure exactly. This is the single most important tip for freezer jam. Both the crushed fruit and the sugar need to be measured precisely — too much or too little of either can prevent the jam from setting properly. Use measuring cups and level them off. Remember glass liquid measuring cups for the fruit and dry ingredient measuring cups for the sugar, mmmk?
Don’t skip the 24-hour rest. The jam needs time to set at room temperature before it goes into the freezer. It will look loose and liquidly when you first fill the jars — that’s normal. Give it the full 24 hours and it will firm up.
Stir the pectin mixture vigorously. When you combine the hot pectin with the berry mixture, stir hard for the full 3 minutes. This is what activates the set and distributes everything evenly.
Use ripe berries. Underripe berries are lower in natural pectin and higher in water content, which can affect how the jam sets. Berries don’t really ripen after bringing them home so buy decently ripe ones!
Make it a kid project. Crushing berries is genuinely fun and very hard to mess up. My kids handle the mashing, the measuring, and the stirring — I handle the boiling pectin step and the hot pan. It’s a great way to get them into the kitchen with a result they’re actually proud of.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does strawberry freezer jam last? In the freezer, this jam will keep for up to a year. Once you open a jar and move it to the refrigerator, plan to use it within 3 to 4 weeks. It rarely lasts that long in our house.
Can I use frozen strawberries? Yes. IF they are unsweetened and were fully ripe before freezing. Thaw them completely to room temperature, and don’t drain the juice — that liquid is part of your measurement. Measure after thawing.
Can I use regular Sure-Jell instead of the For Less Sugar version? The standard Sure-Jell (yellow box) and the For Less or No Sugar version (pink box) are formulated differently and are not interchangeable in this recipe. If you use the standard yellow box you’ll need to follow its specific recipe, which calls for significantly more sugar. For this low-sugar version, you need the pink box.
Why didn’t my jam set? How do I fix it? The most common culprit is inaccurate measurement of either the fruit or the sugar. If your jam is too loose after the 24-hour rest, you can pour it all back into a bowl, boil a new package of pectin in ¾ cup of water, stir it in, and re-jar. It will still taste great. Runny freezer jam also makes an excellent ice cream topping or smoothie mix-in — so it’s never a total loss!
Can I reduce the sugar even further? The recipe is already formulated for reduced sugar using the pink box pectin. Going significantly lower than 3 cups risks affecting the set. If you want to go sugar-free, the pink box pectin does support that — follow the no-sugar instructions on the box insert rather than this recipe. I haven’t used those but they are available if you want to try.
Can I double the batch? It’s better to make multiple single batches than to double up. Larger quantities can affect how the pectin sets and how evenly everything combines. If you want more jam, run two batches back to back.
Is freezer jam safe without canning it? Yes, completely. Freezer jam is preserved by freezing rather than by the water bath canning process. As long as it stays frozen (or refrigerated once opened), it’s perfectly safe. It’s actually one of the easiest and most beginner-friendly forms of home food preservation.
Ways to Use Strawberry Freezer Jam
The obvious answer is toast, and I will never argue with toast. But here are a few other ways this jam earns its freezer space:
- Swirled into plain yogurt or cottage cheese
- Spooned over vanilla ice cream or cheesecake (VERY popular in our home)
- Stirred into oatmeal
- On English muffins, biscuits, or scones fresh from the oven
- In a classic PB&J — this jam makes one that is genuinely worth eating
- Straight off the spoon. I said what I said.
And if a good slice of fresh Sourdough Bread sounds perfect with freezer jam come learn simple Sourdough Baking with me in Sourdough For The Rest of Us!
More of My Favorite Jam Recipes
- Raspberry Freezer Jam
- Quick and Easy Dried Apricot Jam
- 15 minute microwave pumpkin butter
- How to Make Peach Jam For Canning Beginners
Easy Low Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed strawberries from about 8 cups of berries
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 box Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes (1.75oz box size)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash your jars or freezer containers and set aside. This recipe makes about 6 cups — have enough containers ready.
- Hull the strawberries and crush them one layer at a time with a potato masher or fork, leaving some small pieces for texture. Measure out exactly 4 cups of crushed strawberries into a large mixing bowl.
- Measure the sugar into a medium sauce pan and whisk in the Sure-Jell pectin.
- Whisk 1 cup of water into the pectin mixture.
- Bring to a full boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute stirring all the time.
- Pour the hot pectin mixture into the strawberries. Stir vigorously for 1 minute making sure everything is fully blended. Use a spatula to scrape sides and bottom if needed.
- Ladle into prepared containers, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top of each.
- Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours to set.
- Refrigerate for up to 3–4 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Helpful Recipe Notes
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Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
I love strawberry jam! So excited to give this recipe a try! 🙂
Mirlandra says
Ooo – this jam is the BEST! I hope you enjoy it! I love having the taste of summer hiding in my freezer all year long!
The Better Baker says
Oh how I would love to slather this on my morning toast. YUMMMM! Thanks for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.
Mirlandra says
Nothing says breakfast like great jam!
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
I love how easy and divinely delicious this sounds! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Mirlandra says
Thanks! Always nice to have some good jam / strawberry sauce on hand “just in case.”