3 Summer-Ripe Freezer Jam Recipes

Freezer jams are a quick and easy way to capture delicious seasonal flavors without cooking. That's right, there's no heat required to transform sun-ripened fruit into sweet, spreadable goodness. These jams set up similar to cooked jams but are not processed in a hot water bath canner. Instead, the jams are preserved by freezing, offering a fresh, bright taste that's as close to fresh fruit as you can get.

Each of these jams contains the same base recipe: 1-1/2 cups of fruit, 3/4 cup of sugar, two tablespoons pectin and one tablespoon lemon juice. The combinations of fruit and flavors are as follows:

Strawberry plus mint, blueberry plus chia seeds, and raspberry plus peach.

In a bowl, mash the fruit into a pulp with a potato masher.

Add the sugar and mash the fruit some more until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Mix in the mint (if making strawberry-mint jam) or chia seeds (if making blueberry-chia seed jam).

Add in the instant pectin. Mix for three minutes until the jam thickens then transfer mixture to an 8-ounce jar. Store in the freezer for up to one year.

When ready to use, simply place jam in the fridge overnight to thaw. Serve on toast or muffins or mix them into your favorite oatmeal or yogurt. Re-freeze any leftovers.