Old Fashioned Sure-Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
An easy strawberry freezer jam recipe!
Strawberry season is such a fun time of year. Everything is warming up, plants are blooming, summer is just starting. Each June we try to take time to go to our local strawberry patch and pick loads of strawberries. Some to eat, of course, and some for freezer jam! This year unfortunately we didn’t make it out to the u-pick patch but I found a great sale for $1/pound for strawberries.
This recipe brings me back to my childhood. My mom has used this recipe since I was a kid and now I get to make it for my family! It’s really actually not very complicated at all. Just a few simple steps and you can make enough jars of fresh jam to freeze for the entire year. These can make perfect gifts too!
You can use any size canning jar you’d like. I like using the 8oz quilted mason jars because they are the perfect size for our family.
There’s no pressure element used in this canning process, just preparing, setting, and freezing so that makes it truly easy and a beginner’s recipe as well!
If you are looking for the original insert no longer included in the Sure-Jell box, I’ve included photos of it here in this blog post.
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The How To
(If you are looking for the original insert no longer included in the Sure-Jell box, I’ve included photos of it here in this blog post.)
First, wash and dry your jars. You can use any jar, small or large. This recipe will make approximately (6) 8oz jars of jam. Use can even use plastic containers.
Next, crush the strawberries. You can use a blender and pulse them until they reach your desired consistency or use a potato masher. You can crush them as much as you’d like, leaving small or large bits of berry. Once mashed place them in a large bowl.
After that, pour your sugar and pectin into a saucepan. Mix them thoroughly together. Stir in 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil using medium-high heat, stirring continually.
When it reaches boiling temp, let the mixture boil for exactly 1 minute. I use a timer on my phone, make sure you time it! Then remove from the heat.
Next, pour the pectin mixture into the large bowl of crushed strawberries. Stir until thoroughly combined. Immediately fill the jars with jam leaving 1/2 inch of room at the top. This will allow for the jam to expand in the freezer.
Let the jars sit for 24 hours on the counter and then they are ready! Freeze for up to 1 year. The jam will stay fresh for 3 weeks in the fridge.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe, let me know how your jam turned out in the comments!
-Hailee
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If you are looking for the original insert no longer included in the Sure-Jell box, I’ve included photos of it here in this blog post.
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Blender | Potato masher | Mixing bowls | Medium pot | 8oz Mason jars
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Sure-Jell Strawberry Freezer Jam
Equipment
- Blender or potato masher
- Large Bowl
- Medium pot
- 6 8oz mason jars
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed strawberries
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 pkg Sure-Jell For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Wash and dry jars.
- Crush strawberries to equal 4 cups of crushed berries. You can use a blender and pulse them until they reach your desired consistency or use a potato masher. You can crush them as much as you'd like, leaving small or large bits of berry. Once mashed place them in a large bowl.
- Pour sugar and pectin into a saucepan. Mix.
- Stir in water, bring to a boil using medium-high heat, stirring continually.
- When it reaches boiling temp, let boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Pour pectin mixture into the large bowl of strawberries. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Immediately fill jars with jam leaving 1/2 inch at the top.
- Let the jars sit for 24 hours on the counter and then they are ready! Freeze for up to 1 year. Jam will stay fresh for 3 weeks in the fridge.
why has the ratio of strawberries and sugar changed. It used to be 3/1 cups strawberries to 4 cups sugar?
I meant 3 1/2 cups strawberries to 4 cups sugar and you mixed the sure jell in dry and let it stand? Have the ingredients in sure-jell changed?
For this recipe I used the less sugar Sure-Jell box, it called for 4 cups mashed berries and 3 cups of sugar.
You mix together the surejell package, sugar and water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, add your berries, stir well, and pour into jars. Hope this helps!
my strawberry jam came out too watery, what did I do wrong? I followed the directions precisely. I even did it twice.I don’t know where to put this question.
It could be the pectin didn’t reach the right temperature, or it got too hot. Or it could be there wasn’t enough pectin for the amount of berries. I’m so sorry this happened, hope this helps!
I am curious same as another comment. why did the directions change cooking sugar with surejell and water vs adding sugar to berries? and why no instructions in the box. I followed the online directions and so far mine are runny not set up yet which the old way it use to set up while pouring the surejell over the sugared berries.
Hi! I sure hope it sets up! This is the way the sure-jell directions say to do it. To mix the sugar into the pectin in the less sugar recipe. I have heard now that instead of paper there is sometimes a QR code on the box but I haven’t checked.
That’s how I used to make it too. Did it work the way you made it?
Sure did!
I made freezer strawberry jam and in the jars now that they set all night every thing has separated and in layers in the jar what did I do wrong and is it going to be safe to eat after all that work?
Did it separate the fruit and the jell? That’s totally normal, just freeze and when you pull out each jar give them a stir. Hope this helps!
I have a Question if you Splenda in the recipe can you use half Splenda and half regular sugar to cut down on the calories and the last time I made strabeery freezer jam thesure jell I used I did not have to boil it just mixed it together and poured in jars but can’t find that anywhere
I haven’t tried it, but the general rule is that you can replace Splenda cup for cup with sugar, so I think you could do half and half.
Let me know how it turns out!
Why did they change instructions on using SureJell? Before sugar was mixed with berries now they want you to mix sugar and SureJell together. My first batch never jelled and why don’t you get the paper in box on instruction…they increased the price but lowered their standards.
I’m SO sorry yours didn’t jell together. That can be so frustrating and a waste of time and money!
exactly what I was thinking!
Can you use any kind of berries in this recipe?
I think different fruits call for different amounts in jam. When you buy a box of sure jell you can reference the paper that comes in the box. It’ll tell you how much fruit you need for a lot of different kinds of jam. Hope this helps!
They don’t put recipes in the box anymore 😕. Not Happy!!! I had my berries ready sugar , and Sur gell . open the box no recipes . I have been using this product for 40 years. I won’t buy it again!!!!! you can buy pectin a lot cheaper. Pectin is Pectin ! I used yours because of the recipes.
Yes! I wish they still had the recipe in the box. I have a page that has photos of the insert in the box. I’ll link it for you! https://ourjourneytohome.com/rediscovering-sure-jell-for-less-or-no-sugar-needed-recipes-a-nostalgic-look-at-the-original-recipe-insert/
my Sur Gel freezer Strawberry Jam is all off from your directions, new box this year
2cups crushed strawberries
4cups sugar. mix and let stand 10 minutes
pectin and 3/4cup water,boil I minute
Add to sugared strawberries stir 3 min
please advise I have wasted sugar and berries before and do not want to do that again.
Also, I’d like to know if I can refrigerate the crushed berries a few days prior to making the jam.
Yes that is correct. I suppose you could refrigerate the berries a few days before making the jam, it might not make a difference or it might not taste as good as using fresh ingredients right before freezing jam.
That’s how I remembered doing it a few years ago. I kept reading on here over and over to make sure. I’m hoping it turns out. When I open the box and instruction paper wasn’t there I thought I couldn’t make it. Then googled it. Time will tell for me.
Why did my freezer jam change color after it froze? It looks pink now.
I believe that’s normal, mine looks pink in the freezer too.