Four Easy Freezer Jam Recipes

Freezer jam should taste like fresh fruit — because it basically is. No cooking, no canning, no mystery ingredients. Just ripe summer fruit in a jar, ready to pull out of the freezer in the middle of February when you need a little sunshine on your toast.

If you’ve never made freezer jam before, you’re in for a revelation. Unlike traditional cooked jam, freezer jam skips the heat entirely — which means the fruit flavor stays bright, fresh, and nothing like the overly sweet versions you find at the grocery store. A box of low sugar pectin, some ripe fruit, and about 30 minutes is all it takes to fill your freezer with something genuinely wonderful.

I love all jam — cooked, canned, and everything in between. A cooked mixed berry jam has a deep, complex flavor that perfectly suits the fruit. But when I have a flat of perfectly ripe strawberries or a bucket of white nectarines at peak sweetness, freezer jam is my first call. Nothing preserves that pure fresh fruit flavor better.

Below you’ll find all of my freezer jam recipes, plus everything you need to know to make them successfully the first time.

What Is Freezer Jam?

Freezer jam is a no-cook jam made with fresh fruit, sugar, and pectin. Instead of cooking the fruit down on the stovetop and processing jars in a water bath canner, you stir everything together, pour it into freezer-safe containers, and let the pectin do the work. The result is a softer, fresher-tasting jam that captures the flavor of fruit at its peak.

All of my freezer jam recipes use a low sugar pectin, which keeps the sweetness in check and lets the fruit flavor shine. Sure Jell is the brand you will find it at most grocery stores.  These recipes use the low sugar one which comes in a pink box. (They make a full sugar one that comes in a yellow box and you need more sugar than fruit for it!) It’s available nationally in the US and the method is the same across all the recipes below.

Easy Freezer Jam Recipes

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry freezer jam is the classic for a reason. When strawberries are at peak season — deeply red, fragrant, and almost too sweet to eat — this is exactly what you should be doing with them. This recipe captures that pure strawberry flavor in a way that no cooked jam ever quite manages.  My Great Aunt always kept stashes of it in her freezer and I remember slathering it on her amazing bran muffins every time we visited her in Minnesota.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Raspberry freezer jam is bright, bold, and just tart enough to keep things interesting. Raspberries have such a distinctive flavor that a little goes a long way — and skipping the cooking means every bit of that intensity stays right where it belongs.  When my raspberries are in full swing I make this and Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial!

Blackberry Jam

Blackberry jam should taste bold, dark, and a little wild — not like sugar with a hint of berry. This easy freezer method dials back the sugar so the fruit does exactly what it should. If you’ve never had homemade blackberry jam, prepare yourself.

White Nectarine Freezer Jam

White nectarines are one of summer’s best kept secrets — sweeter and more floral than yellow nectarines, with a delicate honey-like flavor that disappears entirely when you cook them. Freezer jam is the only way to preserve what makes them special. This one is a showstopper on a cheese board.  You HAVE to try it with brie!

Tips for Making Freezer Jam

Use ripe fruit
Freezer jam has nowhere to hide. Since there’s no cooking to concentrate flavors, the quality of your fruit matters. Use fruit that smells fragrant and is fully ripe — this is a great use for fruit that’s just slightly too soft to eat out of hand.

Chop, don’t puree
Finely chopped fruit gives freezer jam its beautiful chunky texture. A food processor will take things too far too fast. Stick to a knife and cutting board for best results.  I’ve also used a fork or potato masher to get the consistency I love.  I think texture is a personal taste thing but for me a good jam has a smoother texture with a little chunky fruit to it.

Measure carefully
Pectin is sensitive to ratios. Too much or too little fruit throws off the set. Always measure your prepared fruit after chopping, not before.

Use freezer-safe containers
Wide mouth mason jars, and plastic freezer containers both work well. Whatever you use, leave at least ½ inch of headspace at the top to allow for expansion that happens in freezing.

Be patient with the set
Freezer jam needs to sit at room temperature for a full 24 hours before it reaches its final set. Don’t panic if it looks loose right away — give it time. It will also firm up further once refrigerated or frozen.

Freezer jam is softer than cooked jam
This is normal and part of what makes it so wonderfully spreadable. If you’re expecting the stiff set of a cooked jam, freezer jam will feel different — but once you taste it, you won’t mind one bit.  This is also what makes it one of my favorite dessert sauces!  No bake cheesecake topped with this jam?  HEAVEN!

Freezer Jam FAQ

How long does freezer jam last?
Store one jar in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. Refrigerated freezer jam is good for up to 3 weeks. Frozen jam keeps for up to a year — thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Can I use frozen fruit?
Maybe…  If you bought a bag of frozen strawberries from a grocery store I wouldn’t want to make jam of them.  But if you froze quality fruit at peak ripeness by all means thaw it out and jam it up!  I often freeze fruit in summer that I’m to busy to make into jam and then make amazing jam in the fall.

Thaw the frozen fruit completely and drain any excess liquid before measuring.

What if my jam doesn’t set?
Give it the full 24 hours at room temperature first. If it’s still too loose after that, it likely comes down to a measuring issue — too much fruit or not enough pectin. It will still taste delicious even if the set is soft. Use it as an ice cream topping or stir it into yogurt.

Can I reduce the sugar further?
The sugar ratio in these recipes is already reduced thanks to the low sugar pectin. Reducing it further risks affecting the set and the preservation. Stick to the recipe the first time through — you may be surprised how not-too-sweet it already is.

Do I need special equipment?
Nope. A large bowl, a medium saucepan, a knife and cutting board, and freezer-safe containers are all you need. No canner, no thermometer, no special jars required.

Can I double the recipe?
It’s not recommended. Pectin works best in single batches — doubling can throw off the set. If you want more jam, make two separate batches back to back.

 

Layering Freezer Jam Recipes For Gifts

One of the most beautiful things you can do with freezer jam is layer different flavors in a single jar for a stunning gift. Since freezer jam sets without cooking, you can spoon one flavor into a jar, let it firm up, and then add a second or third layer on top. The result is a gorgeous striped jam jar that looks like you spent hours on it — and actually took about five minutes of active work plus some patience.

How to do it:
Make two or three batches of different freezer jam flavors. Let the first layer set in the jar at room temperature for several hours until firm, then carefully spoon the second flavor on top. Repeat with a third layer if you like. Let the finished jar set completely before freezing or refrigerating.  (Alternately you can make all your batches, let them set and then spoon layers into the jars.)

Strawberry and raspberry make a classic combination. Blackberry and white nectarine are stunning together — the dark purple against the pale gold is almost too pretty to eat. Three or four layers together in a wide mouth mason jar tied with a ribbon is a beautiful and delicious gift!

Making Jam With Kids

My children have loved making jam with me in the kitchen and freezer jam is a really easy way to try it out.  Kids love homemade jam and they learn about where food comes from before it lands on the store shelf.

If you plan to make jam with kids I highly recommend picking up a copy of the 80s classic, Jamberry by Bruce Degan to read with them.  It’s such a fun berry book with catchy rhymes and great illustrations- a favorite of mine to since childhood.  It just brings even more fun and joy to the jam process!