Low Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam + Video
The fruity taste of strawberries really shines in this low-sugar strawberry freezer jam made easy in the microwave. Plus tips + tricks for setting jam!
One of the supermarkets in my area had a ridiculously good deal on strawberries. $3.99 per flat! For those who don’t know, a flat is 8 pounds of strawberries! I needed some fruit for a party I was having, but there was plenty to spare, so I decided to make some freezer jam.
Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
I searched for a good recipe, and found some I liked, but was shocked about the amount of sugar in almost every recipe I found. I wanted a low-sugar strawberry freezer jam, so I decided to try and make it with less sugar.
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At first, it was unsuccessful, which I am sure had nothing to do with the sugar and I will tell you why in a minute.
I ended up with jam that separated as soon as I poured it into my jars: fruit on top and liquid on bottom. I knew it wasn’t going to set, so I added more Pectin and re-heated my mixture, and it worked great.
The Science of Sugar and Pectin in Jam
Sugar draws liquid from fruits, which is also known as maceration.
When my low-sugar strawberry freezer jam was still runny after my first attempt, the fact that I used less sugar had nothing to do with it. After all, I had used less sugar, so hypothetically, there wouldn’t have been as much liquid drawn from the fruit, right?
Maybe or maybe not, but none of that mattered anyway because the sugar is not going to make a jam more thick or less thin; it’s not a thickening agent. The Pectin is the key thickener in jams.
Fruits naturally have Pectin, but the riper the fruit, the less Pectin the fruit naturally has. Strawberries are already lower on the Pectin spectrum.
Heat makes Pectin form into a gel. So when I added more Pectin and re-heated my mixture, the heat helped the Pectin gel up and it worked beautifully.
Tips and Tricks to Setting Jam
I am pretty confident in saying, if you have runny jam, extra Pectin (start with 1 Tbsp more) AND Heat will fix your problem.
Here is some Pectin, fruit, and jam science facts for you:
“When dissolved and let cool, Pectin forms invisible strands that hold liquid in. Acid (such as lemon juice) helps draw even more Pectin out of fruit when it is heated. Water is attracted to sugar. Adding sugar causes some water to be drawn to the sugar molecules, leaving the Pectin molecules free to more easily get at and bind with each other, setting the preserve.” (Source: http://www.cooksinfo.com/pectin)
So now that you know why you might be having problems with strawberry jam setting, you can go ahead and try this recipe! I hope it brings you success!
Ingredients for Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
For this low-sugar strawberry freezer jam recipe you need four ingredients.
- Fresh Strawberries
- Lemon Juice
- Low/No Sugar Pectin
- Granulated Sugar
How to Make Strawberry Freezer Jam
To make the strawberry freezer jam, you will:
- Crush the strawberries by pulsing them in a food processor or blender. Do not purée completely.
- Stir in the lemon juice and pectin. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and stir until mostly dissolved.
- Heat in microwave on high for 10 minutes until boiling and foamy.
How to Tell if Your Freezer Jam will Set
Once the jam has boiled sufficiently, the best way to tell if it will set is looking at the mixture from the side.
It’s best if you use a clear bowl to cook it in. You can also look through the container you will be storing the jam in, as long as it is clear.
If the mixture has a consistent texture of fruit and liquid throughout, it should set properly.
If the mixture separates into liquid on bottom and fruit on top, you will need to add additional pectin (1 Tablespoon) and bring the mixture back to a boil. Then check it again.
Filling the Jars
- Once the jam mixture looks consistent, skim the foam off the top and discard it.
- Use a ladle and funnel to fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space for expansion.
- Immediately top with lids and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to cool down before placing in the freezer.
Will this Recipe Work with Other Fruits?
Yes! Just keep in mind the natural pectin in the fruit you are using and adjust the pectin as needed. Check out this pectin chart to help you. We’ve tried this recipe with strawberries and peaches.
How to Store Freezer Jam
You can store this un-processed strawberry freezer jam in the fridge up to 3 weeks or in the freezer up to 1 year.
It’s best to use a freezer-safe container. Here are some options:
- Glass Mason Jars – are freezer safe as-is. I prefer to use the 8 oz jars, or half-pint size. The mini 4 oz jars are so cute and great for gifting. Stick with brand names here, Ball or Kerr have been around for years and make quality products.
- Plastic Lids – You can use the lids and bands that typically come with the glass mason jars, but since you are not canning this strawberry freezer jam, I prefer to use these screw on plastic lids that come in regular or wide mouth.
- Plastic Jars – If freezing glass makes you nervous, try these Ball Plastic Freezer Jars or these Screw Lid Freezer Containers.
NOTE: Be sure to add the date to the jar so you know when you made it. ( I write the date with a sharpie onto some masking tape attached to the lid.)
More Strawberry Recipes
Looking for more ways to use a lot of strawberries? Try these strawberry recipes:
- Strawberry Crisp
- Strawberry Cream Pie
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Strawberry Bars
- Strawberry Delight
Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups (.91 kg) crushed strawberries, (about 2 lbs strawberries)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons Ball Low or No Sugar Needed Pectin, (equivalent to about 1 box Sure-Jell Less or No Sugar Needed Pectin)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Wash, hull and crush strawberries in a LARGE (10 to 14-cup) microwaveable bowl to equal 4 cups. You may use a potato masher, food chopper, or food processor to crush the strawberries; do not puree–leave slightly chunky. Add lemon juice and Pectin. Mix well. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Add sugar; stir until mostly dissolved. Heat in the microwave on high for 10 minutes until boiling and foamy. (Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over.) Remove and stir one last time. Mixture will still be thin.
- Skim the foam off the top, then pour jam into clean freezer containers leaving ½-inch head space for expansion. Your jam should look consistently chunky throughout the jar after it is poured into the jars. If the fruit has risen to the top and the liquid remains at the bottom, pour the fruit back into the bowl, add one additional Tablespoon of Pectin and heat again until boiling and foamy.
- Immediately top with lids and let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to cool down before placing in the freezer.
Video
Notes
- If you can't find low/no sugar pectin, you may substitute 6-8 Tbsp Ball Classic Pectin.
- To store the jam: Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.
- To use freezer jam: Pull from the freezer, allow to thaw in the fridge, and use like store-bought jam. (The freezer is for storing purposes, since the jam was not canned in a hot water bath.)
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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*Originally published 5/7/13. Photos updated March 2022.
Help please, I made a mistake. I could only find regular pectin and did not see your note in time to increase the amount of regular pectin. And of course, my jam is very runny. Do you know if it is to late to unfreeze the jam, add more pectin and re-boil the jam, would that be possible? Thank you!
It’s hard to say. I always check the consistency before I freeze it, but you can certainly try reheating it and adding more pectin after it thaws. If you do try it, please report back. I’d love to know if it worked out.
Can I substitute raspberries in equal amount for this recipe?
Yes, you may just need to adjust the pectin. I believe it will still be ok with the listed amount, but sometimes raspberries gel easier than strawberries do. You can start with slightly less and then add more and re-heat if needed.
I cannot wait to try this recipe!!! I’ve been looking for a great low sugar option and this totally fits the bill. Would it be ok if I heated on stovetop vs microwave?
Yes, cook it over medium heat. You will need to stir it occasionally so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan and make sure that it comes to a full rolling boil, thickens, and becomes foamy. Follow all other steps as written. Note: It will continue to thicken as it cools.
I’m so happy to see a low sugar, easy recipe for jam! I’m currently waiting my 20 minutes with the two batches I am making now. Have you tried sweetening with honey? I’d love to make my next batch with honey, but didn’t know if you had tried that yet. Any information would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Sherry
Yay! I haven’t tried it with honey myself, but I bet it would be ok. You may need to lower the added pectin because honey already has some pectin in it.
This is it! I have been looking for years for the perfect low sugar jam recipe, and this is it! I actually made raspberry jam, but pretty much followed this recipe otherwise. I had made two other batches this year and both were a bit meh. The first was too sweet, the second too runny, but this one is exactly what I wanted. Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed this jam as much as we do! It definitely works well with many different fruits. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe!
So happy to have found this recipe!! I have a 1 year old and she loves jam with her breakfast stirred into Greek yogurt or on pancakes. This recipe is going to take away so much guilt that I have about the sugar content in store-bought jams! Do you think this would work with other fruits as well? We are going to go apple and peach picking so I’m wondering if I could use this recipe to make apple and peach jam too. Thank you for sharing this!
I’m so glad to hear that Olivia! I have had other readers share success with using peaches for this recipe. I’m not sure about apples though. I do have an apple butter recipe that is basically a really thick applesauce that works great for the same uses you are using jam for. Here’s that link if you want it: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/homemade-apple-butter/
Thank you so, so much! I’m making the jam tomorrow and am going to make the apple butter after we go picking ☺️
This turned out very well for me – I boiled in a pot until it came to a boil, boiled for an additional minute, and ladled into containers. I was suspect of the directions in the Sure-Jell box b/c it contained no lemon juice. I found an old article on line that said for some time Kraft was trying to make the directions for making freezer jam “easier” and inadvertently left out the lemon juice, which didn’t work for many, many people. They even took it off the market for a while so they could correct the directions. I’m so glad I found you! Thanks for posting.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe Carolyn. Glad it worked well for you!
This recipe is not at all what the instructions on the Sure-Jell are. First of all I don’t have a microwave. I do it on the stove and secondly the box recipe calls for 4 c. strawberries and 3 cups sugar. I would love it if I could make it with half the sugar.
My mother made freezer jam most of my life and I’ve made it all of my adult life. The last 3 years or so it’s been almost guaranteed to fail. The solution is to use more of their product. Hmmm.
I did try your solution. Pored the jars out, added more of their product, brought it to a boil, skimmed the foam. This time the fruit was at the top immediately. I’m really about ready to give up. I’ve been hyper focused on being exact with every step. Like adding the fruit to the pectin and not the other way around. It really never used to matter. It always worked. Now hardly ever!
I’m sorry you’re struggling with getting your jam right. You’re right, my recipe is not the same as the recipe on the box because it is my own version. If I don’t have Ball pectin, I typically have to use the whole box of Sure-Jell. I wonder if you didn’t boil it long enough. It does need to reduce in volume partially to thicken completely. I have only ever made this jam in the microwave, but it works every time.