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I have been super excited to share this recipe with you guys forweeks, because I have been gobbling it up! And every time I dig my spoon in to slather a piece of toast with this jam, I’m just in heaven– so I know it’s a winning recipe that you guys are going to love too!
When it comes to homemade jam, I generally stay far, far away from making it on my own. My mom best the best jam on the planet, and she keeps us supplied pretty well in the summer months.
But I recently had a craving for some homemade strawberry jam and also happened to have some extra strawberries on hand that were starting to turn. I knew we weren’t going to eat them in the condition they were in (we’re super picky fruit eaters around here), but they were basically untouched cartons of strawberries, and I didn’t want them to go to waste!
So I figured jam was the perfect solution– minus the fact I didn’t have a TON of strawberries. It seems like all the recipes for jam call for, like, a million pounds of fruit! But after a little bit of digging around online for small batch solutions, I found a number of recipes for refrigerator jam (essentially freezer jam, but a smaller batch) that were exactly what I was looking for!
I found this recipe from Recipe Girl was closest to the type of recipe I was looking for, with the exception of the small addition of cornstarch that I used in mine.
The jam turned out DELICIOUS. I really could just eat it with a spoon! And sometimes I do 😉
A few things to note… keep in mind that refrigerator jam is NOT going to have the same consistency as other homemade jam recipes that call for the use of pectin. The jam texture is achieved through the sugar, corn starch, and boil time– and while it is thicker than a sauce, it’s not going to be as firm as pectin jam. But, I can personally assure you, the the texture of this jam is one of its charming qualities that makes me prefer it over other jams!
Refrigerator jam is not necessarily meant to have as long of a shelf life as pectin jams. Most recipes I read through suggest a 2 week shelf life, but we are on week 5-ish and it’s still wonderful. In my opinion, the sugar and lemon juice really keep this recipe fresh for a VERY long time. Still… something to keep in mind.
Can you freeze it like freezer jam? I don’t know. We didn’t. But my best assumption would be: yes, you can!
This recipe made about 2- 16 ounce mason jars for me. Maybe a little more– we actually ate a lot of it warm right out of the pot on this homemade french bread, so I’m not 100% sure on how much the yield is exactly. But it’s close to 32 ounces. Maybe a touch more.
Enjoy!
Small Batch Strawberry Jam
Yield: 2 - 16 ounce jars
This jam recipe is perfect for making a small, easy batch in less than an hour of active prep time. It is deliciously sweet and perfect on just about anything! You can sub in any fruit (or combination of fruits) that you like. I'm very partial to strawberry peach!
Ingredients
5 cups strawberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
5 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Add the strawberries to a pot (I used a 4 quart saucepan) and mash. You could use a potato masher, pastry cutter, or fork-- anything to mash up the fruit and release the juices.
Pour the lemon juice into a sandwich-size ziptop bag and add the cornstarch. Seal and shake the bag until the cornstarch has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the pot with the strawberries.
Add the sugar and stir all ingredients together.
Turn the stove top to medium-high and bring mixture to a ROLLING boil (as in, the bubbles don't stop when you stir them). Allow the jam to boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring often. Mixture should thickly coat the back of a spoon.
Picked at the peak of ripeness and then frozen, these berries will be exponentially better than a pale, washed-out berry from faraway climes at this time of year. Get them into the jam pot before they thaw; the faster they defrost, the less juice escapes the fruits. This makes a thicker, tastier jam.
The biggest difference between freezer jam and canned jam is in taste. Both are jams and are great on sandwiches, rolls, biscuits and the like, but freezer jam is never cooked, thus making it taste fresh just like a perfectly ripe strawberry.
How Long Jams and Jellies Last After You Open Them. An opened jar of jam or jelly will last for about six months in the refrigerator, per the USDA. But it's still a good idea to eat it as soon as possible, says Lee. "Once opened, jams and jellies will be exposed to air, which contain mold and bacterial spores.
When it comes to cooking jam, most fruit doesn't need much processing. If you're going for a rustic, textured jam with chunks of fruit in it (my favorite kind!), in most cases you can be pretty hands-off. Berries—even strawberries—can be left whole.
More liquid means more expansion and trust us, you are better SAFE than sorry! Seal the filled jars with a lid. We prefer to use two-piece lids. You can reuse lids over and over again for freezing, not just one time use like for canning.
How long does homemade freezer jam last in the freezer? Freezer jam is good for up to a year in the freezer. After a year, the quality of the jam will deteriorate; but you'll probably never have to worry about that problem!
There are a few causes for runny jam or jelly. Usually the cause of jam or jelly not setting up is either not following the recipe correctly, not enough pectin be it either naturally occurring or added, or not cooking the jam out long enough.
Freezer jam is supposed to have a thick, pudding-like consistency but if it doesn't set it will be runny and much thinner. If your jam doesn't properly set, it's usually because the ratio of fruit to sugar was off, your pectin was old, or because your sugar didn't fully dissolve.
If you aren't using pectin as a thickener, the sugar as well as the cornstarch slurry will work to thicken quite well. Feel free to add more for an even thicker jam.
After ladling your hot jam into clean jars, let it cool completely at room temperature before capping and refrigerating or freezing. You can freeze jam in plastic or glass, and you can even freeze jam in zip lock freezer bags, just be sure to press out any extra air before zipping them up.
Note: For safe eating practices, store your opened jar of jam or jelly in the refrigerator until consumed, and examine it frequently for signs of spoilage (like mold or yeast growth, or off-odors, including “fermented,” “alcohol” or “yeasty” odors). Discard the product immediately if any signs of spoilage are detected.
If you're making fruit jam at home and skipping the canning process, what is often called quick jam or freezer jam, store in the fridge or freezer to preserve, and be aware that it should be consumed within 10 days if refrigerated and 3 months if frozen. It's not shelf stable without proper canning.
Jam-making, after all, is a controlled evaporation of water, so if you accidentally take too much out, you can always add a little back in. If you don't have jars or other glass containers, allow the jam to cool in the pot, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Frozen fruits can be used in the same way as you use fresh fruits, but you need to thaw them first and then proceed with the recipe. One thing to note, ensure that you don't leave the frozen fruit out to thaw several hours.
“The truth about fresh versus frozen is that both have the same nutrients, unless frozen produce has sauces or sugars added,” says Beal. If your favorite vegetable or fruit is out of season or is more affordable frozen, frozen is often the better choice.
It's far better to have some slightly under-ripe fruit than overripe fruit, because once it goes even a little past its prime, it quickly starts to lose the pectin and acidity that are essential for good jam, while also producing overcooked flavors and a leathery texture.
Fruit that has seen better days can also be turned into jam; as long as it's not moldy or spoiled. It works best if you add some under-ripe fruit to the mix, or a complementary fruit. Over-ripe fruit has less pectin, so jam made with only over-ripe fruit may not set up.
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