Strawberry-Kiwi Jam (and other easy variations :) )

Freezer jam. For some reason, I spent most of my life believing that this quicker version of homemade jam must somehow be inferior to traditional, cooked, canned jams... boy, was I wrong! For one thing, it uses much less sugar, which highlights the natural sweetness of the fruit - and you don't have to feel as guilty when your kids happily slather a half-inch of it over their peanut butter. ;) For another thing, because it usually doesn't require cooked fruit (with a few exceptions), the true flavor of your fruit really comes through beautifully. And - a big bonus to busy moms with little ones under foot- not only is it quick and easy, it also doesn't require you to use a boiling-water bath to sterilize and seal your jars. Just fill clean jars, leaving about 1/2" headspace, allow to sit on the counter for 30 minutes, and place in your fridge or freezer. Nothing too dangerous about that! :) As long as you follow the basic guidelines for fruit/pectin ratios, you'll end up with a nicely set jam that tastes AMAZING - even after a year in the freezer.

My kids love  homemade jam - since they've started eating it, they've refused storebought jam completely. We've experimented with many fruit combinations, which have all turned out very well... strawberry-rhubarb, strawberry-mango, mixed berry, raspberry-peach, and so on. We've also tried a few yummy recipes from the Ball canning website, such as plum-cherry vanilla and balsamic-strawberry. (Oddly enough, while I thought the robust flavor of the balsamic-strawberry would be too much for their palates and be more fitted to serving with cheese and crackers, they all enjoyed it even more than the plum-cherry... and insisted on making peanut butter sandwiches with it right away!)

Here is one of the biggest hits of this season, though: strawberry-kiwi jam. :) One bite of this tangy, luscious jam will make you believe that summer is just around the corner, even when it's the middle of winter! :)

Strawberry-Kiwi Freezer Jam

3 cups crushed fresh strawberries (you may use partially-thawed, previously frozen strawberries instead)
1 cup crushed kiwifruit
1 1/3 cups sugar (you may substitute sucralose here if you wish)
1 pkg (1.59 oz) OR 5 tbsp Ball instant fruit pectin (the Ball brand really is the best - it requires the least sugar, and dissolves the most readily. It comes in various amounts, so be sure to check your package size.)

Combine the crushed fruit in a large bowl; set aside. Mix together the sugar and pectin, using a whisk if necessary to remove all lumps from the pectin. Add the sugar mixture to the fruit mixture; stir constantly for 3 minutes. Ladle into glass or plastic canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace at the top. Seal jars with lids; allow to sit on counter for 30 minutes. Label jars and place in fridge or freezer. Jam will stay fresh in your fridge for 1 month (if it lasts that long ;) ), and up to 12 months in your freezer. Makes approximately five 8-oz jars.

That's it! :)


Easy variations:

 *For Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam, substitute 1 cup cooked, mashed rhubarb for the kiwi. This one is my particular favorite, I think. :)

 *For Strawberry-Mango Jam, substitute 1 cup pureed mango for the kiwi.

 *For Mixed Berry Jam, use a combination of your favorite, easily crushed berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries) to equal 4 cups. Keep in mind that blueberries have a higher pectin content and can make your jam quite difficult to spread if you use too many of them, so use a greater amount of other berries first.

No fresh fruit? No problem - use frozen! Just partially thaw it before crushing or pureeing. It shouldn't be completely thawed - just enough to be easily crushed. I tend to make raspberry jam variations using frozen raspberries, since these are usually less expensive than fresh raspberries. I'll often make combination jams, using both fresh and frozen fruit for best flavor. Any way you make it, though... it's going to be good! :)