Freezer Jam

It should be obvious that I've done it again - the same thing thing I do every late June/early July -I've over bought cherries - I have no resistance at all ...





I decided to try a lower sugar version - the set was a bit softer than regular jam - all the better to use over ice cream or in a trifly-type dessert - but still thick enough to be used on English muffins or biscuits or for PBJ. Freezer jams are better tasting than regular cooked jams - they really do taste like the fruit from which they come - and so very easy to make.

This is the recipe I used - but the recipes on the pectin inserts are all fine to try - the basic method is the same for all freezer jams and jellies.

2.25 lbs. Cherries ( 3 cups chopped )

1 cup water

1 cup Pineapple Orange juice ( actually about 0.75 c juice and 0.25 lemon juice)

1 cup water

1.5 cups sugar

1 box Pectin

Combine chopped fruit with juice

Add sugar, mix and let stand 10 minutes

Gradually add pectin to 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, boil hard for 1 minute while stirring ( hard boil means that even when you stir the mixture, it keeps on boiling).

Add the pectin mixture to the fruit and keep stirring for 3 minutes.

Ladle jam into freezer containers (any sort will do - about 8 ounce size is good - too large and the jam may not set well). Make sure you've run the containers through the dishwasher beforehand so they are really clean - it's the least you can do considering all the processing you are avoiding by making freezer rather than the old fashioned sort of jam.

Let stand at room temperature until set - no more than 24 hours. Jam should last for at least a year in the freezer, and if you don't eat it all - 3 weeks in the fridge.