It's hard to remember that, while we're knee-deep in stone fruit and berries right now, it won't be that way forever. And one of our favorite ways to preserve summer fruits is by making loads and loads of freezer jam. Have you made any this season?
Freezer jam is great because it's so simple. Essentially, it's a similar process to making more traditional heat-processed jam -- without the heat. So it removes the part of the equation that so many people dread and that ultimately keeps them from canning in the first place: those hot glass jars, tongs, and worries of contamination. Instead, when you make freezer jam, you rely on pectin which gives the jam a perfect consistency and then freeze the jars until you're ready to use them right away.
Generally speaking, freezer jam has much less sugar than other jams and will be a little thinner. Many people believe that it actually tastes more vibrant, too, insisting that when the fruit is boiled down, some of its flavor is lost.
A few tricks of the trade: store/freeze in small containers so you can enjoy small amounts without worrying about it going bad (never a problem in my household), and use superfine sugar which dissolves without a heat source much more successfully than traditional granulated sugar.
Once you try freezer jam, chances are you'll never turn back. You'll stare at fruit differently at the market and envision it all bottled up in little jars for the rest of the year.
Try a Recipe:
• Freezer Jam (Basic Recipe) - Bitten Word
• Strawberry Freezer Jam - Make and Takes
• Peach Freezer Jam - Christie's Corner
• Nectarine Raspberry Freezer Jam - Simple Bites
• Pear Cherry Freezer Jam - The Prepared Pantry
Related: On Small and Unmarked Jars of Jam
(Image: The Bitten Word and Jennie Faber , both via Flickr)
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Hmmm...I love this idea but...these are LOW sugar recipes? The basic recipe from Bitten Word calls for 4 cups of sugar to 2 cups of fruit! My mom used to can and make jam, and I'm sure she didn't use that kind of ratio even in a traditional cooked jam.
I love those French all-fruit jams, and they're plenty sweet. Anybody ever had any luck with truly low-sugar jam or even no-sugar? The nectarines I had this weekend sure didn't need sugar--but would they ever jell without it?
yeah 2-1 sugar to fruit ratio seems ridiculous. when my grandma/mom make jam it's 1-1 at most. making heat-processed jam isn't that hard, really...
If you use Instant Fruit Pectin, the recipe calls for 4 cups of fruit to 1.5 cups of sugar or sugar substitute.
http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/detail/TCL+1440071300
My mom and grandma used to do preserves this way while growing up and still doing (Northern Europe). I find freezer jams much fresher and tastier than cooked ones. Not mentioning less of mess and very time efficient. It took us 2 hours to prepare for freezer 6 kilos of strawberries.
The recipe I usually use is 4 cups chopped fruit, 1 cup sugar, and 2 T. lemon juice (no added pectin, there's enough in the fruit and lemon juice). This is a reduced-sugar version of the Cook's Illustrated recipe, and I think it tastes better--more like fruit, less like sugar. Just bring it all to a boil in a frying pan, then simmer, stirring, 5-8 minutes (until slightly thickened). The Cook's Illustrated test for doneness is to put a saucer in the freezer, then put 1/4 teaspoon of the hot jam on it; tilt the saucer and the jam should run a bit, but not like a thin liquid. If it doesn't run at all, the jam is overcooked.
cmcinnyc, homemade jam won't get as thick as store-bought if you don't use pectin, but it will thicken. I don't know what the effect would be of using no sugar, but there's no risk in trying--if it doesn't thicken at all, use it as pancake syrup! Or you could try putting a few cranberries in with the nectarines when you cook them; cranberries have lots of pectin, which is why cranberry sauce turns into jelly.
Personally, I would use the nectarines to make mixed fruit jams--they add a lovely brightness to jams made with blackberries, blueberries, and other fruits. I think the best jam I've ever made was blueberry-nectarine; it was just fantastic.
When I first visited my husband's mother in Knoxville, TN, I had my first freezer jam experience. She made homemade yeast rolls (which I have yet to duplicate in SF) and we put strawberry freezer jam on them.
I DIED.
THE MOST AMAZING flavors ever. She brings me more jam (not of the freezer variety) every time she visits, but I have to wait to get back to Knoxville to get more of that amazing stuff.
It tasted so much of fresh strawberries it was shocking. My mouth is watering right now thinking of it.