One of the sure signs that spring has arrived would be the piles of well-priced fresh strawberries at the local market. I am a fan of enjoying what’s in season, taking advantage of the abundance of the crop and the attractive pricing. So while we will be enjoying the fresh berries in a variety of ways, I will also be sure to freeze plenty for later, as well as make a bit of jam. I use a simple recipe, often referred to as freezer or refrigerator jam. This easy method requires no pectin, and adds only a few ingredients to the fresh berries to preserve the pure taste. Looks like we will be enjoying the flavor of spring for quite some time this year.

Click here for more great ideas on how to freeze fresh strawberries and our easy recipe for the best Strawberry Daiquiri. 

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Easy Strawberry Jam

Easy to make freezer or refrigerator jam, this method requires no pectin, and adds only a few ingredients to the fresh berries to preserve the pure taste.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Jelly

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 3 pints

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries washed and hulled
• 3 cups of sugar more or less to taste
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Wash, drain, and hull your strawberries. As you are working with the strawberries, discard any that are questionable, (it is important not to include any berries that appear damaged, they will shorten the length of time your product will keep).
• In a large bowl, crush the berries in batches using a potato masher. Transfer the crushed berries into a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add the juice that was collected in the bowl that you used to crush the berries. Add sugar and lemon, and heat over a medium heat while stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• Increase the heat to high and bring the strawberry mixture to a boil, stirring constantly (as the mixture boils it will increase dramatically in volume, use caution and do not leave unattended). When the jam has come to a complete boil, reduce heat medium high and continue to boil until the mixture reaches a temperature of 220°F, stirring often. Use a candy thermometer to monitor temperature.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer into jars or storage containers. Jam can be held in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or frozen for up to a year.
• The jam can also be sealed in jars and processed in a water bath for long-term storage. Sterilize jars, rings, and lids. Fill jars leaving ¼” of head room. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal. If you have any questions regarding safe canning procedures, refer to your canning guide, or check out Introduction to Canning from Ball.

Notes

This recipe produces a soft-set type of jam since it uses no pectin. Adjust the amount of sugar if desired. I used only 2 cups for this batch and it came out great. You can also increase the lemon if you want more tang.

Yesterday I stopped by a local market to pick up some produce. I have taken to shopping for fresh vegetables and fruits every few days rather than just once for the entire week. At the store, the quality of an item can drastically vary between shipments. The peas that are delivered at the beginning of the week may look terrible, but the reorder a few days later might be the freshest product ever seen.  I also focus on buying what is in season, looking for the best price on what looks best.

I love shopping the vegetable market. While others would rather look at tables of the latest fashions at the mall, I enjoy seeing a pile of well stacked onions. As I was wandered around eyeing the mountains of fresh flavor, I noticed that the store had gotten new uniforms for their employees. Green, now that’s an appropriate color I thought to myself. As I continued to shop I noticed everyone was wearing green. Of course being Saturday I figured they had on extra staff, but this seemed a bit more than usual. It wasn’t until I saw what I thought to be an employee wearing a green beer mug on his head that it hit me. These were not new uniforms, it was St. Patrick’s day. WOW. I guess sometimes I am a bit slow on the uptake.

Realizing that my cones and rods were not out of adjustment, and the uniform mystery now behind me, I turned my attention back to the produce. Directly in front of me were beautiful, plump, bright red, fresh strawberries, and for only one dollar a pound. I started loading the clam shells into my basket and then suddenly wondered, what would I do with all of these berries?  They really won’t keep very long……..or will they?

To prepare Strawberries for Freezing:

I begin by thoroughly washing the berries in cold water. With a sharp knife remove the tops, and any other part of the berry that is not desirable. Slice the berries and place them in a non reactive mixing bowl. I lightly sugar the sliced strawberries with one rounded teaspoon of sugar for each pint. (Sugar is optional, however I find it helps maintain the color and also adds a bit of syrup. Sugar substitute can also be used). Mix the berries and the sugar well. Let stand for about five minutes to allow syrup to form.

I like to portion products I freeze, it comes in hand for recipes. (Two cups of sliced berries is equal to one pint, and works well in different applications). Label and date a heavy freezer bag, and spoon in two cups of sliced berries being sure to include the syrup.  Work all the air out of the bag that you can and seal.  I lay the sealed bags flat to freeze, and find they stack well taking up less space in the freezer. (The flat packages also thaw quicker on the counter when I am ready to use them).

Cooks Note: Most any fruit or vegetable can be canned, pickled, or frozen.  When ever you come across product that looks good and is well priced I find it worth my while to do so. This is a great way to truly take advantage of a sale.

Nothing tastes better than a frozen strawberry daiquiri on a hot summer day. Here is an easy and delicious recipe that my good friend Stacie’s retired mother Judy from Florida shared with me.

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Judy’s Strawberry Daiquiri

Nothing tastes better than a frozen strawberry daiquiri on a hot summer day.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 small can frozen lime aid concentrate
• 1 can frozen strawberries in sugar thawed (use the can from the lime aid to measure)
• 1 can light rum (again with the can)

Instructions

• In a blender add all ingredients.
• Blend.
• Add ice to fill the blender and blend until frozen.
• Garnish with a lime wedge or fresh strawberry.

What a rewarding way to enjoy the fruits of my labor. With the money saved freezing my own strawberries, there is enough left over to buy the rum.  Now that makes this drink doubly refreshing!