Toss, stir, and mash your way to homemade jam—no cooking required! The jam will be looser in consistency than its cooked or store-bought counterparts, but it still adds a delicious pop of bright flavor to drinks, dressings, and more.
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- Yields:
- 6 c.
- Total Time:
- 20 mins
- 2 1/2 lb.
fresh raspberries, blackberries, or peaches (pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 tsp.
vanilla bean paste (if making peach jam)
- 2 tsp.
lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 c.
superfine sugar
- 3 tbsp.
Ball RealFruit freezer pectin
Directions
-
- Step 1If making peach jam, pulse peaches with vanilla paste in food processor until finely chopped.
- Step 2In large bowl, toss together fruit, lemon zest, and lemon juice. In medium bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin; sprinkle over fruit, then fold and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Using potato masher, lightly crush fruit mixture until juicy with visible pieces of fruit remaining, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 3Transfer to freezer-safe jars, leaving 1/2 inch of space at top of each. Cover and
let sit at room temp 1 hour, then refrigerate 3 days (jam will thicken slightly as it chills) or freeze up to 1 year. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving (once open, consume within 1 week).
STORAGE SMARTS We skipped the water bath (which sanitizes jars) in favor of this shortcut method to save time — but that means you cannot store the jars in your pantry. Jams will last in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for a year.
Did you make this recipe? Comment below!
Assistant Food Editor
Joy (she/her) is the Assistant Food Editor on the food team, where she develops and tests recipes to ensure both deliciousness and accuracy before they appear in titles like Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, Prevention, and Country Living. After graduating from UChicago with a major in political science, she made the (best) decision to pursue her passion for food by enrolling in pastry school and working at her dream NYC restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. Before joining the GH team, Joy assisted on cookbook and editorial shoots, ran an Instagram micro bakery, and worked as a freelance writer and developer with bylines appearing in Eater, Food52, Simply Recipes, Food Network, and more. Joy has a special place in her heart for croissants and tiramisu, and is always on the hunt for the next cafe to explore in the city (a journey that never ends!).
