I found something at the store the other day, that I just had to share with all of you! It’s my new secret ingredient in making freezer jam.
I’ve been making freezer jam since I married my husband who came from a homemade jam household. It is as easy to make as my mother in law promised that it would be. You just stir sugar and pectin into smashed fruit and store it in the freezer. Even the three year old can help.
Except, sometimes it just doesn’t work like it is supposed to. Sometimes the sugar won’t dissolve after stirring and stirring and stirring, and I wonder if I should heat up the whole mixture or just let it set with sugar crystals. Sometimes the problem is solved and I’ve got gorgeous jam and sometimes the trouble shooting doesn’t work and I’ve got more raspberry syrup than I need.
I was grocery shopping the other day and found this pectin and decided to give it a try: Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin. (That is an affiliate link, but I am providing this review because I loved the product, I’m not receiving any pay for this post.) It worked like a dream. I tried it with both a single and double batch and the sugar dissolved just like it should and I had jam in 30 minutes with no headache and no second guessing.
I’ve been converted and I’m going to try it with the fist sized blackberries I’ve got growing in the backyard.
Making freezer jam really is simple. It varies a bit with different pectin brands, but the first step in every recipe is to smash the fruit. After it is all smashed you measure it and place the measured smashed berries in a bowl.
With this Ball pectin, you then measure the pectin and the sugar in a second bowl.
The third step is dumping the sugar/pectin into the berries and stirring for three minutes. The miracle here is it only took three minutes, not ten or fifteen that it sometimes takes with other brands of pectin.
After the sugar is dissolved, pour the jam into clean jars and let them sit for 30 minutes. Then keep in the fridge if you are going to eat it right away or store in the freezer.
- 3⅓ cups smashed raspberries
- 1⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Ball RealFruit instant pectin
- Smash enough raspberries to measure out to 3⅓ cup smashed berries. Keep the berries in a medium sized bowl.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and instant pectin.
- Add the raspberries to the sugar mixture and stir for 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour or spoon the jam into clean jars or containers. Let sit for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge or freezer.
That is the kind I always use too Kristen. Perfect every time. I always do multiple quadruple batches and even by timesing it by 4 it always works.
Oh! Good to know. Thanks!