Refrigerator Fruit Jam Recipes

REFRIGERATOR JAM

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash two pint or four half-pint canning jars and their lids and screw bands. Place the jars, lids, and screw bands in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 15 minutes to sterilize them. Turn off the heat and leave the jars, lids, and bands in the hot water until ready to use. Place a small plate in the freezer for testing the jam.
• Pick through the berries, discarding any soft or rotten ones. Gently rinse the berries and place them in a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice. Reduce the heat and simmer the berry mixture, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the jam thickens to a viscous consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. As the jam cooks, use a large spoon to skim any foam from the surface. After the jam has cooked for an hour, test it to see if the jam has reached the jell point by removing the plate from the freezer, placing 1 teaspoon jam on the plate, and tipping the plate slightly. If the jam doesn't spread, it's ready. You can also test the jam for readiness with a candy thermometer, which should register 220ºF (104ºC) when the jam reaches the jell point. [Editor's Note: "Jell" point or "gel" point? We rather have an affinity for "jell," thinking perhaps it's an old-fashioned term for the proper consistency. As such, we rather like to use it, even though it's not in common parlance.]
• Lift the jars, lids, and screw bands from the water, using tongs if the water is still hot, and thoroughly dry them. Carefully ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving a 1/2-inch space between the jam and the top of the jar. Wipe each jar rim clean with a damp towel, then top with a lid and seal tightly with a screw band. Let the jars cool overnight at room temperature. Label the jars with the recipe name and date. You can store them in the refrigerator, unopened, for up to 3 months. Once opened, use within a week or so.

SMALL BATCH REFRIGERATOR JAM

Steps:

• Prep the fruit by washing it and removing any stems or peels if applicable. Roughly chop the fruit up into large chunks. Raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries can all remain whole.
• In a saucepan (at least 2 quarts in size) combine all of the ingredients and heat over medium heat. Mash the fruit and sugar with a potato masher or a fork. It does not need to be completely mashed, depending on how chunky you like your jam.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the juices thicken. It will become much more thick as the jam cools. If this is your first time making this and you are a little unsure if your jam is cooked enough to set, spoon a little bit of jam onto a saucer and place it in the freezer for about 2 minutes, or until it is cold. Touch the jam and if it has a gelatinous jammy consistency it is ready. If not, continue cooking.
• Cool completely then store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 4 months. When freezing, be sure to leave enough room at the top of the container to allow the jam to expand when frozen.

REFRIGERATOR JAM

Steps:

• Wash fruit and discard any skin (from peaches or the like).
• Cut fruit into pieces no larger than 1 inch each.
• In a large heavy-duty saucepan add the sugar and stir over medium heat while the sugar melts and the fruit softens.
• Cook, stirring constantly until the jam thickens. this may take an hour or more. Cool, then spoon into very clean jars, cover with clean lids and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

THREE-BERRY FREEZER JAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, process the berries in batches until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small saucepan, combine fruit pectin and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add to fruit mixture; stir constantly until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes., Pour into jars or freezer containers, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 12 months.

FREEZER JAM

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry seven 8-ounce plastic freezer or glass jars with tight-fitting lids. You can also use zip-top freezer bags.
• In a medium pot, combine fruit and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high.
• In a bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin; add to fruit, stirring until sugar mixture dissolves and fruit returns to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat.
• Transfer to jars or bags, leaving a 1/2-inch space on top. Seal and let sit at room temperature until jam is set, 2 to 3 hours. To store, freeze, up to 6 months. To thaw jam, transfer to the refrigerator and use within 3 weeks.