Cleaning out your freezer? These recipes could get you out of a jam
Cleaning out my freezer is always an adventure. I find items completely forgotten about because they somehow landed in the wrong place. Like a two-pound bag of small, sweet strawberries picked last June that was tucked behind containers of farro and freekeh.
Hidden between jars of bone broth was a quart jar almost full of grape juice. That had to be from making grape jelly last fall.
I had enough fruit to make a small batch of strawberry jam and plenty of juice to make a good four jars of grape jelly.
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Now you can’t fool around tinkering with recipes for jams and jellies. As far as sugar goes, it’s a lot. But we’re talking food chemistry here. Accurate measuring assures success. Besides, you’re not going to consume a whole jar at once. Anything homemade with no weird ingredients added is always better for you. Dollop a spoonful of strawberry jam or grape jelly on a piece of bread and you’ll know what I mean.
I use 8 ounce jars but any size works since these are stored refrigerated.
Strawberry jam from frozen fruit
Ingredients
30-32 oz frozen strawberries, no sugar added, thawed – enough to make 3 cups prepared fruit
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered pectin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups sugar
4-5 jars, 8 oz each with lids
Instructions
Crush fruit, a layer at a time. I do this in the food processor.
Pour into large pot to allow space for boiling.
Turn heat to high. Maintain high heat throughout.
Stir in pectin and lemon juice until mixture comes to a hard boil.
Add sugar all at once. Continue to stir constantly and bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that can’t be stirred down). Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, skim off foam.
Ladle into clean jars.
Wipe rims with clean, wet cloth.
Seal. Cool completely, store in refrigerator up to 6 months.
Concord grape jelly from bottled grape juice
Sometimes bottled grape juice will have other juices added. That’s OK but the only thing in the bottle should be 100% juice, no sugar added.
Ingredients
2-3/4 cups grape juice, 100% juice
1 box/1.75 oz powdered pectin (4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3-3/4 cups sugar
4-5 jars, 8 oz each with lids
Instructions
Pour juice into large pot to allow space for boiling.
Turn heat to high. Maintain high heat throughout.
Stir in pectin and lemon juice until mixture comes to a hard boil.
Add sugar all at once. Continue to stir constantly and bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that can’t be stirred down). Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, skim off foam.
Ladle into clean jars.
Wipe rims with clean, wet cloth.
Seal. Cool completely, store in refrigerator up to 6 months.
Grape jelly make take up to overnight to jell properly.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Strawberry jam from frozen fruit, grape jelly from grape juice recipes
