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Uncooked freezer jam

Nellie Oehler and Jared Hibbard-Swanson
SP 50-763 | Revised December 2025 |
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Freezer jams are a special type of fruit spread prepared with pectin, sugar, and fresh fruit that is not cooked down. Because the fruit is never cooked in a freezer jam, the product has a distinct fresh fruit flavor. Freezer jams are quick and easy to make and use little equipment, but success depends on following the recipe developed for the specific brand of pectin you are using.

Fruit

For best flavor, use fully ripe fruit. It is best to have the fruit at room temperature so the ingredients will dissolve more easily. Do not use more fruit or juice than the recipe requires.

Sugar

Mashed fruit is combined with sugar and allowed to stand for 10 minutes until the fruit juices have dissolved the sugar. Sugar is required for most freezer jams to gel. Use the amount specified in the recipe provided by the pectin manufacturer. There are pectin products on the market that can be used to make reduced or no sugar freezer jam.

Pectin

Common pectin brands like Ball, Certo, and Pomona’s have all developed recipes for uncooked freezer jams that have their own unique instructions. Some brands call for dissolving the pectin powder in boiling water first, while others do not call for cooking or heating the pectin at all. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely for adding the pectin to your fruit and sugar mixture.

Containers

Use pint or half-pint glass or rigid, plastic, freezer containers with tight-fitting lids. Wash the containers in hot, soapy water or run through the dish washer. There is no need to sterilize containers or process jam. Fill containers with jam up, leaving ½ inch of headspace for expansion in the freezer.

Storage

For some pectin types, the jam must be allowed to stand at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing, while others can be frozen right after the jam is made. Once frozen, the jam will keep good quality for up to one year. After opening container, store in the refrigerator. Remember, the product is not cooked so it will ferment and mold quickly if left at room temperature for extended periods of time.

Tips

  • Never substitute one pectin for another; they are not interchangeable and each is prepared in a different way.
  • Do not double the recipes. Doubling recipes could result in a runny product, and it is hard to dissolve the large quantity of sugar. Sugar crystals could grow during storage, resulting in a grainy product.

Related content

Source: OSU Master Food Preserver Program

Canned peppers in glass jar (photo Lynn Ketchum)
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