Freezer Jam with Pomona’s Pectin can be a great alternative to heating up your kitchen on a hot summer day, while still preserving your delicious bounty. Our process is a little different, so please read below for instructions and options.Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener. See our store locator for where you can purchase some in your area, or place an order with us online!
Notes
Option #1: You can make freezer jam with ANY of the jam recipes from our website, cookbook or the recipe sheet that comes with Pomona’s Pectin.
All of the ingredients in the recipe stay the same, the only difference is that you get to skip the water-bath canning process. Simply follow the recipe instructions, place your cooked jam into jars, allow them to come to room temperature, pop on the lids and place them into the freezer for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after thawing. Lasts about 3 week in refrigerator.
Option #2: If you are wanting to make an uncooked freezer jam, you are welcome to do that too! We call it our “Raw Freezer Jam”. Due to customer preference for the cooked version, we removed this recipe from our printed instruction sheet…but it is still darn tasty and a great solution when cooking with little helpers! [ see below for ingredients and instructions ]
Ingredients
- Raw Fruit: Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Sour Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Pear, Kiwi, Blackberry, Plum Remove hulls, stems, pits, skins as required; mash or grind room temperature fruit
- 4 cups mashed fruit
- ¼ cup lemon or lime juice optional
- ½ to 1 cup honey OR 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup boiling water for dissolving pectin
- 3 tsp pectin
- 4 tsp calcium water (step #1) plus more if needed…see directions that follow
- Raw Fruit: Peach, Apricot, Nectarine Pit, chop and mash or peel, pit and mash fruit. Bring to boil in pan. Boil for 2 minutes while stirring. Let cool in bowl.
- 4 cups mashed boiled, cooled fruit
- ¼ cup lemon or lime juice
- ½ to 1 cup honey OR 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup boiling water for dissolving pectin
- 4 tsp pectin
- 4 tsp calcium water (step #1) plus more if needed…see directions that follow
Instructions
- Before You Begin, prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash and rinse freezer containers.
- Prepare fruit. Measure fruit into large bowl with lemon or lime juice (if called for/using).
- Measure sweetener of choice, add to fruit, mix well.
- Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Place into food processor/blender. Add proper amount of Pomona’s Pectin, to make liquid pectin. Make sure to VENT LID. Blend 1-2 minuted until all the powder is dissolved. (if mixture is too thick add a small amount of additional water, juice or some of your fruit to loosen up and assist with removing from blender)
- Add liquid pectin to fruit, mix well.
- Add 4 tsp. calcium water from jar, mix well into fruit mixture. Jell should appear. If not, stir in 1 tsp calcium water at a time until jam is jelled.
- Fill containers to 1/2″ headspace to top of container. Allow to cool and come to room temperature BEFORE placing in the freezer. Store in freezer for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after thawing. Lasts about 1 week in refrigerator.
Doreen M
Can you add granulated sugar to the boiling water and mix thoroughly to dissolve the sugar, then add pectin? I just wanted to make sure that the sugar is in a dissolved form (simple syrup) and less grainy before adding the pectin, and then adding the whole mixture to the fruit. Perhaps boil and dissolve the sugar and water together in a saucepan first, then whir in the blender with the pectin, and then add the mixture to the fruit?
Shelby Collings
That should work just fine!
Kelly Loomis
How do we know accurately when “Jell should appear”? How much should it have jelled? How thick should it get?
Shelby Collings
Hello Kelly,
You will feel some resistance when mixing as the pectin activates, once you feel the texture change and are happy with the consistency, your jam is ready!
Solveig Peck
why can’t I find the recipe for uncooked freezer jam?
Shelby Collings
Uncooked freezer jam is listed on this page as “Raw” Freezer Jam.
Louise
Is there any reason that the jam will only stay fresh for 3 weeks in the fridge? Sugar content?
Shelby Collings
Correct. Happy jamming!
Judy wade
How would I make strawberry rhubarb freezer jam
Shelby Collings
You will follow our recipe, HERE for Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and simply freeze your jars after filling them. You will skip the water-bath canning process.
Happy jamming!
JoLynn Ensz
Hi! I just finished jam this afternoon. I did raw strawberry freezer jam. It jelled very well and very quickly. I almost prefer a little less of a gel… can I use less pectin in my next batch of freezer jam if I want? For what it’s worth I had 20 cups of strawberries… 6-7 c sugar and 15 tsp of pectin. Which is what the recipe would say I believe. Could I use less?
Shelby Collings
You can always use less or more pectin for your preference! Is that 20 cups of mashed strawberries or 20 cups of strawberries that you then mashed?
Mango APK
I have a box that is over 10 years old, but I have faith in science, so I am going to try it anyway. I recall that the frozen strawberry jam lost its color eventually in the freezer. This occurred in less than a year. More like 6 months. Does anyone else have this issue, or is there a solution? (It still tasted great, just not very pretty).
Dana Chiu
I always use some organic frozen raspberries in my strawberry jam…intensifies the color, never fades and taste-wise you can’t tell the difference. You only need a relatively small amount…like for 4 C. mashed berries, about 1/2 C. of this amount is actually mashed raspberries!
Katie Chambers
I have an apple tree and want to make apple jam. I didn’t see apples listed as an option. I’m assuming it would still work with apples?
Then for the “sugar,” could I use a monkfruit/erythritol blend?
Shelby Collings
Hello Katie,
For Freezer Apple Jam we recommend using any of our apple recipe HERE on our website, then simply skipping the waterbath canning process.
Sandi
Could you please tell me for how long the calcium water is good in the refrigerator? I had some left over from the first box of Pomona Pectin and it has been refrigerated for about 2 weeks. Am making more freezer jam and still have calcium water left over.
Shelby Collings
The calcium water can be stored in the fridge for several months (will just need to be tossed if it has any floating bits or smell or color). It can also be stored in the freezer and will keep indefinitely, and will just need to be thawed before use. We also highly recommend labeling your jar of calcium water, as it seems to be the first item tossed when cleaning the fridge/freezer 😉.
Happy jamming and please let us know if you have any other questions, we are here and happy to help!
Angela
I have been having trouble with putting the pectin in boiling water in the blender. It gets very goopy and lumpy. I was wondering if it would work better if I added the calcium water to the prepared strawberries and the sprinkling the powder over berries and blending the whole mixture?
Shelby Collings
That can happen! You can always add a little additional hot liquid or some of your mashed fruit to kind of loosen up the liquid pectin. Be sure that you are not adding the calcium water to the blender, but that you are adding it to the mashed fruit.
Brigitte
Hello!
I made my second batch of raw strawberry freezer jam yesterday and it was cloudier than the first batch which was a bright red colour and clear.
I made it with the same frozen strawberries, thawed them completely and mashed them with a potato masher. I followed the instructions adding only half of the lemon juice since it was listed as optional. I used 1/2c of raw honey. I blended the pectin with boiling water using a hand blender. I had to add more calcium water than the recipe called for and refrigerated it overnight. It is jelled enough to use but not as stiff as I would like. I’m wondering why this batch was cloudy and also why I’m having trouble with it stiffening. Is it because the strawberries are frozen?
Thank you for your response!
Shelby Collings
Hello Brigitte,
Frozen fruit can be very water dense, and inconsistent. It sounds like your defrosted, frozen berries had more liquid the second time and needed more pectin and calcium water to gel that additional liquid. We are not sure why it would be cloudier, but it would not be from the pectin, calcium water or lemon juice.
Happy jamming!
Woody
So reading thru this, coming the fruit is not a true freezer jam. Also, no sugar means no sugar, no honey. Sweetener yes., If wanted
So does your pectin make freezer jam, no cooking?
Shelby Collings
I believe your question is, can you make freezer jam without cooking it…the answer is yes! And the directions are on this very page 😊
Option #2: If you are wanting to make an uncooked freezer jam, you are welcome to do that too! We call it our “Raw Freezer Jam”.
Brigitte
I’m not sure if anyone has asked this question but is it possible to use the no cook freezer strawberry jam recipe with frozen fruit that has been thawed?
Thank you!
Shelby Collings
Hello,
Yes, that would work just fine! You will thaw the fruit, then mash, then measure the same as fresh fruit.
Happy jamming!
Beverly
What is Calcium Water?
Shelby Collings
Hello Beverly,
Calcium water is a solution you make with water and the monocalcium phosphate powder (food-grade rock mineral source) that comes in its own packet with every purchase of Pomona’s Pectin. The Pomona’s Pectin directions tell you how to make calcium water with the calcium powder (1/2 teaspoon calcium powder mixed into 1/2 cup water). Pomona’s Pectin recipes call for calcium water because the pectin is activated by calcium, not by sugar. For more information about calcium water, please visit the FAQ page, Section 2, of the Pomona’s Pectin website.
Happy jamming!
victoria
Thank you
jerry
Thanks for your information.
Kay W
First time user based on all the good reviews. After hours of research, I pieced together a blackberry freezer jam (no cook).
But, as a novice I sure would appreciate the directions to be clearer about adding boiling water to the pectin. I know you probably cover this in your directions & website but its just not obvious. I found my answer reading through these comments.
Deb Heesen
In regards to freezer jam, does it have to go into a jar or can it go into a tupperware type container? I don’t have any jars that are small enough for me to use the jam once I open it within 3 weeks. As long as I had here to the one inch headspace do you think I’ll be okay?
Shelby Collings
Yes, absolutely, you may use Tupperware containers.
Faye
I would like to make peach jam but not sure how much honey or sugar to use as the recipes give a range.
Shelby Collings
Hello Faye,
We would recommend starting with the smallest amount in the range and then adding more should you find that you prefer it to be sweeter. 😊
Leigh
Hi!
I made raw strawberry freezer jam a few weeks ago and it turned out perfectly. This weekend I made raw raspberry jam and it didn’t set. It’s sitting in my fridge in jars. Is there anything I can do to get it to jell?
Shelby Collings
Hello Leigh,
You can use our troubleshooting page, HERE, to try and decipher where things may have gone wrong with this batch!
Wendy Cunningham
Which has a brighter punchier flavour…….
Apricot Jam -Cooked and frozen?
Apricot Jam -Raw?
I too have never heard of cooking freezer jam but I am willing to do it if the flavour is superior.
Thanks, Wendy in BC
Shelby Collings
Hello Wendy,
Great question! Unfortunately, it is all about taste-preference and the apricots you are working with. I prefer apricot jam that has been cooked just a bit, and then canned and frozen…but others may prefer something else. I will leave your post up so that others can chime in 😉
Mary
Does raw raspberry freezer jam set a bit more overnight in the fridge?
Shelby Collings
It sure will/should 😊
Cynthia
When making freezer berry jam, I’m wondering why you say to cook it first. To me the whole point of freezer jam is to preserve the fresh taste of the berries.
Shelby Collings
Hello Cynthia,
This recipe gives you the option to do either cooked and then frozen jam OR raw freezer jam. You get to choose 😊
Happy jamming!
Cynthia
Thank you , yes always good to have options. Now I have another question. I mixed the pectin with boiling water in a jar and shook it as directed. It was pretty gloppy but I shook it a few more times over the evening. Then put it in the fridge to hopefully blend together. Now today I’m ready to make the jam but it’s very thick. Should I bring it to room temperature or warm it up again or add water or just add it to the fruit and stir well?
Or start over?
Shelby Collings
We would recommend using the liquid pectin fresh and in a warm state so that when it is added to the fruit it can mix together easily.
Jane
Just wondering if I can make the jam with a sweetener instead of sugar, and if any adjustments are needed if I make it this way?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! You will want to follow the conversion chart on the sweetener you are using for the amount of sugar that is called for.
Happy jamming!
Donna
I don’t like using water in my jam at all. Can I make the calcium water with fruit juice instead. I already mix the pectin with the juice of the fruit I’m making jam with
Shelby Collings
We have never tried that, but it may work just fine.
Donna Black
Can I make low sugar freezer marmalade with Pomona pectin
Shelby Collings
Hello Donna,
You sure can! We would recommend following any of our cooked marmalade recipes, and simply place cooked marmalade into jars and then freeze for up to 1 year.
Dee
Refrigerating the jam seemed to work. It did firm up and it stayed jelled when I let it warm up to room temp again. I think I’m going to like working with Pomona’s Universal Pectin!
Dee
I’m a brand new user of your pectin and I’m excited because it seems to be very flexible. Can I make smaller amounts of the uncooked jam if I use proportionate amounts of fruit, sweetener, pectin and water, and calcium water? I did try it, but the jam wouldn’t jell. I added more calcium water, but that made no difference. So I added a bit more pectin (dissolved in hot water). That didn’t help. So I added a bit more honey because I was on the low to mid-amount originally. That didn’t help. Right now, I’ve got a small jar in the refrigerator to see if it will jell. I like the uncooked jam because it seems that the flavor of the fruit comes out more than the cooked jam. Thank you!
Shelby Collings
Hello Dee,
Welcome to the Pomona’s family! Yes, you can certainly makes smaller amounts of jam, as long as the proportions are even. Let us know how this last round turns out, based on your description, you should have a good jell.
Dee
I think it worked to refrigerate the jam. The one jar I refrigerated did firm up and it seemed to stay jelled when I took it out and let it warm up again. I think I’m really going to like working with Pomona’s Pectin! Thank you
Kristine
I tried my first batch of strawberry freezer jam with this pectin today and I’m realizing I made a few mistakes, but there was a lot of pectin that seemed to be stuck to the blender and didn’t get into the jam. Can I just use a whisk to combine the pectin and water?
Shelby Collings
Hello Kristine,
Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin and for reaching out to us!
Yes, that does tend to happen. We have found that adding a couple pieces of fruit at the end of the blending can help loosen the pectin up a bit. You can try using a whisk, but that can turn into a mess too.
Barb
Is it essential to boil peaches before making jam? I really wanted the fresh flavor not a cooked flavor.
Shelby Collings
Hello Barb,
If you peaches are super soft and able to be mashed easily, you can certainly make the raw freezer jam!
Hatty Brown
I’m trying to make raspberry freezer jam. As I’m looking at the various recipes (low sugar/ honey or the freezer jam recipe on your website) I’m seeing varying amounts of pectin/ calcium..like 1 calls for 4t of pectin, another 3 t; another 2 t to 4 cups of raspberries. I.m not sure exactly what amount I should be using…
Shelby Collings
Hello Hatty,
Thanks so much for reaching out to us! We are not sure which recipes you are looking at, but we would recommend following our directions for Raspberry Jam HERE or from our instruction sheet HERE, on page 2. You can make it up and then simply put the jam into jars, allow them to cool and then place them in the freezer.
Happy jamming!
Hatty Brown
When I have done raspberry jam in the past using other pectin, I do not boil it or cook it at all. Can I do this jam recipe you’ve directed me to and just proceed as if I was making your raw freezer jam recipe?
Shelby Collings
If you wish to do the no cook method for freezer jam, you will want to follow the directions on our recipe here.
Ingredients:
Raw Fruit: Raspberry
4 cups mashed fruit
¼ cup lemon or lime juice (optional)
½ to 1 cup honey OR 3/4 to 2 cups sugar
¾ cup boiling water (for dissolving pectin)
3 tsp pectin
4 tsp calcium water (plus more if needed…see directions that follow)
Directions:
1. Wash and rinse freezer containers.
2. Prepare fruit. Measure fruit into large bowl with lemon or lime juice (if called for/using).
3. Measure sweetener of choice, add to fruit, mix well.
4. Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Place into food processor/blender. Add proper amount of Pomona’s Pectin, to make liquid pectin. Make sure to VENT LID. Blend 1-2 minuted until all the powder is dissolved.
5. Add hot liquid pectin to fruit, mix well.
6. Add 4 tsp. calcium water from jar, mix well into fruit mixture. Jell should appear. If not, stir in 1 tsp calcium water at a time until jam is jelled.
7. Fill containers to 1/2″ headspace to top of container. Allow to cool and come to room temperature BEFORE placing in the freezer. Store in freezer for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after thawing. Lasts about 1 week in refrigerator.
Emily
Hi,
I’ve been using Pomona’s for years with no issues. Yesterday my blackberry freezer jam didn’t set up even with additional calcium water. I did use cold purée since I pressed the berries the night before. Could this have been the issue? I didn’t freeze it yet because I knew it wasn’t going to set. If I boil it will it set up?
Shelby Collings
What ratio of mashed puree to sugar did you use? Was the puree more liquid than pulp?
Wen
Hello
Can I make a watermelon freezer jam? If yes, which group of fruit do I follow above?
Thank you!
Shelby Collings
Hello Wen,
You sure can! We would recommend following our Watermelon Jam and then freezing it instead of doing the water-bath canning process.
Happy jamming!
Barbara
I made a lot of pectin for a small amount of freezer jam. Can the remaining pectin be saved in the fridge for my next freezer jam recipe?
Shelby Collings
Hello Barbara,
Thanks so much for choosing Pomona’s Pectin! The dry pectin powder and dry calcium powder can be kept indefinitely in a cool-dry place. The calcium water can be kept for several months in the fridge or be frozen indefinitely (will just need to be thawed before next use). Happy jamming!
Lauren
Hello, I think she had the same question I do – can extra prepared pectin be saved for later? I’m guessing no …? Thanks!
Shelby Collings
Hello Lauren,
We are not sure how long it will last, as there is not anything keeping from molding.
Theresa
May I ask how many jars, jelly jar size, does the 1 packet or box make please? I’m only wanting a few jars. Thank you.
Shelby Collings
Hello Theresa,
Each 1oz box of Pomona’s makes about 22 half-pint jars of jam OR 11 half paint jars of jelly. If you do not use it all in one batch, it will keep indefinitely stored in a cool, dry place. The calcium will keep in the fridge for several months or freeze indefinitely (just needs to be thawed before use).
Happy jamming!
Happy jamming!
Meg Larson
I’m a very happy Pomona’s Pectin user, but frustrated by the decision to remove the instructions for freezer jam. I’ve never made cooked jam, only freezer jam. Fortunately, the recipe was printed elsewhere on the internet (including the option to add 1/4 cup lemon juice). It will be a shame if you lose some freezer-jam-only customers who aren’t motivated to do internet research. This is a wonderful product.
Shelby Collings
Thanks so much for reaching out Meg!
If you still have one of the older direction sheet, those directions are still good, we just needed more space to expand on the directions…as the majority of our customers were not please with the way the directions were written up!
** NOTE, you can use ANY Pomona’s Pectin recipe for cooked jam or jelly and turn it into a freezer jam, simply by skipping the water-bath canning process. Once your jars are filled, allow the hot jam/jelly to come to room temperature, pop on the lids and place in the freezer. Enjoy! **
Freezer jam keeps for one year in the freezer. Raw freezer jam lasts about 1 week in the refrigerator after defrosting. Cooked freezer jam will keep about 3 weeks in the refrigerator after defrosting.
Vicki
If my jelly didn’t set properly, even after a couple of days, can it be reprocessed in water bath?
Shelby Collings
Hello Vicki,
You sure can! You can follow our Troubleshooting Page, HERE to try and figure out where things went wrong.
Carrie
What about monk fruit sweetener? It does not dissolve as easily as sugar, and it is sweeter. Have you any experience using this, especially with freezer jam?
Shelby Collings
Hello Carrie,
You can certainly use monk fruit in your jam. We have not tried it in the freezer jam yet, but have had great success with it in our cooked jams. You can try mixing it with the fruit in your bowl and letting it sit for a while to dissolve. You could also try and mix some of it with your pectin/hot water and get it to dissolve that way.
We would love to hear how it goes if you decide to give it a go!
Happy jamming 😊
Jay Shuster
Why did you drop the freezer Jam directions from the packaged instructions? I find it frustrating and surprising that you don’t mention freezer jam on the package or instructions when it is a popular use for your products…
Shelby Collings
What used to be on the direction sheet that came with every box of Pomona’s…is now on our website, here. If you still have one of the older direction sheet, those directions are still good, we just needed more space to expand on the directions.
** NOTE, you can use ANY Pomona’s Pectin recipe for cooked jam or jelly and turn it into a freezer jam, simply by skipping the water-bath canning process. Once your jars are filled, allow the hot jam/jelly to come to room temperature, pop on the lids and place in the freezer. **
Happy jamming!
Marla McCune
so for any recipe the calcium water measurements are taken after the packet is diluted in 1/2 cup water?? It was unclear to me and i put the entire packet plus the1/2 cup water in my first batch and it did not gel well.
Shelby Collings
That is correct! As it is written on the recipe…Before You Begin
Prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
Happy jamming!
Donna Johnson
The packet had just under a teaspoon of calcium so I mixed it with 3/4 of a cup of water.
Metteke VandenBout
Can you use frozen blueberries in the Pomona pectin fresh fruit
Shelby Collings
You sure can! Simply allow the fruit to come to room temperature first 😊
Sarah C
I have a box that is over 10 years old, but I have faith in science, so I am going to try it anyway. I recall that the frozen strawberry jam lost its color eventually in the freezer. This occurred in less than a year. More like 6 months. Does anyone else have this issue, or is there a solution? (It still tasted great, just not very pretty).