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.
Can you post your recipe for peach jam? I just made a TON of strawberry and it turned out so well!!
So glad it worked out well for you Katie! You should be able to swap the strawberries for peaches in this same recipe. Enjoy!
I would like to do this on the stove, not in the microwave, something about old school that makes it nostalgic. If I follow the same principle “boiling and foamy” will it work?
Yes, that would be just fine. Keep it on medium-low heat and stir continuously so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
I loved this freezer jam recipe. Thank you
Thank you for your recipe- so delicious and way less sugar than even the “low sugar” recipes that come with the pectin! In fact, the first time I used your recipe I wasn’t paying attention and only used a cup of sugar and it still came out great and set up perfectly. Today I made it with 3/4 cup of sugar and it came out fine. (I have had jam not set up for me before, I swear sometimes it’s inexplicable.) I’m trying peach for the first time, with 3/4 cup of sugar too.
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe Melissa!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I sent my husband to the store to get pectin. He brought the Ball low sugar container in the picture above. I had never used it before so I came looking for more clear instructions. I am so glad I used this recipe. I followed it exactly and it worked perfectly.
Yay! I’m glad this recipe helped!
Thank you for actually researching this and posting! I found 99/ 100 recipes that are exactly from the pkg. You showed not just the recipe fix w/ way less sugar, but easy way to tell that it worked and the ‘fix’ if it didn’t. Tasty and approved by my very finicky spouse. 🥳😍🤙🏼
I’m so glad you found my post useful and that you liked the recipe Elisa! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Do you think frozen fruit would work?
Yes, frozen fruit should be just fine. I think it will be better to use the frozen fruit straight from frozen instead of thawing it first. It will release less juice that way, so you should still get a good, thick jam.
Thank you for this! I’ve always used the Sure Jel low-sugar pack, but couldn’t find it this year, so I was using Bell, which had no recipe on it. The jam didn’t set at all, so when I was searching online for remedies and came across this, it helped me realize a) I had read “Tbsp” as “tsp” and b) how to fix it. Then I used your recipe to make a batch of strawberry jam too, and I’m very excited to find one that is truly low sugar!
Glad you found this information useful Wendy, and that you enjoyed this low-sugar strawberry freezer jam recipe!
My yield was only 3 1/2 jars of jam plus a little extra (1/4 cup). Also, is there no water in the recipe – would that account for the smaller yield?
Did you measure 3 1/3 cups of crushed berries? Maybe the 2lbs wasn’t enough. Or the berries weren’t as juicy. You can always let the berries sit longer in the sugar to release as much juice as possible. Sorry it didn’t yield as much.
I’ve been making the cooked version of low sugar freezer jam for years and tried this yesterday. Love it! Much easier & faster than that version plus it tastes great and set up fine, Thanks! Can you use other fresh fruits also?
Wonderful news Sarah! It should work fine for other fruits. Just keep in mind the natural pectin of the fruit you’re using and adjust the added pectin as needed.