Fresh or Frozen Fruit Small Batch Jam Recipe - Life Full and Frugal (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to make jam with fresh or frozen fruit? ›

The best jam is always from fresh fruit that is almost, but not quite ripe. The jam I make from frozen fruit is almost as good as from fresh, and certainly tastes better than jam left around for a year.

MAKE JAM WITH FRESH OR FROZEN BERRIES

It adds sweetness and flavor. Because, let's be honest, sometimes berries just aren't always as berry tasting as we'd like them to be, right? With fresh or frozen blueberries, you can make a delicious homemade jam to enjoy all year round.

Defrost, but don't drain, frozen fruit before using. Generally you use the liquid from the frozen fruit along with the fruit unless you notice that there is an excessive amount of liquid, in which case you would ladle off some of the excess liquid before measuring your mashed fruit.

Many people prep and freezer their berries to make into jam later, when the weather cools. Making freezer jam from previously frozen berries is safe. I suggest thawing the berries completely and allowing the fruit to just reach room temperature so the ingredients will dissolve more easily.

Fruit: If you're jam making for the first time, it's best to start with high pectin types of fruit like citrus, apples, cranberries, currants, plums, and quince. These fruits will naturally thicken easier when cooked with sugar, which is essential for good results.

You don't want mushy, over-ripe, or bruised fruit. Your homemade jam will only taste as good as the fruit you use. Wash the fruit well. For delicate fruit like berries, wait to wash them until you're ready to begin cooking.

So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell. Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

This timeframe can vary depending on the recipe and specific ingredients used, but 1 year is a general guideline for homemade jams. “An unopened jam can last for almost 2 years when kept in a cold, dry place. But an open jam should be consumed within 6 months and refrigerated since you opened it.”

If you've made jam and waited for it to cool, but it is still runny, pour the jam back into a saucepan and bring it back to a boil. Boil until the jam starts to reduce and therefore thickens.

Do no stir jam once boiling, but use a wooden spoon to check it is not sticking on the base of the pan. Stirring lowers the temperature and delays setting point being reached. It is wasteful to remove scum too often. Do it at the beginning and at the end.

What is the ratio of sugar to fruit when making jam? ›

The amount of sugar you need to make jam depends on the amount of pectin in your chosen fruit, but generally the fruit-to-sugar ratio for traditional jams is 1:1 (ie. 450g/1lb sugar to 450g/1lb fruit).

Fruit floating to the top is perfectly safe, and is due to a density difference between the liquid and fruit pieces. To prevent the separation use ripe fruit, and crush the berries into small pieces. Make sure to not overcook the fruit.

What Type of Jars Can I Freeze in? It is important to only freeze in mason jars that do not have shoulders (jars that are straight sided or “tapered”) are the easiest because the contents can expand upward in the jar during freezing, especially if you're freezing liquids (jams, jelly, soup, broth, etc).

A: Opened home-canned jams and jellies should be kept in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower. “Regular” – or pectin-added, full-sugar – cooked jams and jellies are best stored for 1 month in the refrigerator after opening. They may last longer depending on the specific product and how it is used.

Generally speaking, if your jam doesn't firm up, you were short in pectin, sugar or acidity or didn't get a hard boil. We will correct that when we remake the jam or jelly! Finally, you CANNOT reliably make batches of jam larger than 6 cups of raw fruit (of course, but the time you add sweetener, lemon juice, etc.

Depending on the fruit, some may retain more nutrients frozen while others are better fresh. Nutrients in fruit are at their peak right after being picked. Because fruit is frozen quickly, it retains nutritional value. If your fresh fruit is truly fresh, the nutrient value may be similar.

Fresh berries that are nice and ripe or, frozen strawberries are best for making jam. Either will work.

It's far better to have some slightly under-ripe fruit than overripe fruit, because once it goes even a little past its prime, it quickly starts to lose the pectin and acidity that are essential for good jam, while also producing overcooked flavors and a leathery texture.

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.