Strawberry-Mango Freezer Jam

A quick no-cook freezer jam made with fresh mangos and strawberries.

I’m taking this no-cook summer thing very seriously. It’s been so stinkin’ hot that not only do I refuse to turn on my oven but I’m now boycotting anything that requires me to stand over the stove top for longer than 12 minutes (just long enough to cook pasta for the kiddos). The old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”, well I’m taking it to heart. I’m taking the easy way out of most recipes, relying on salads, meals that can be grilled and either smoothies or granola for breakfast.

I had a counter full of fruit a few weeks back that needed to be used like yesterday. The mangos have been so gorgeous in the market the past month, I bought a half dozen as they were on sale at my local Whole Foods awhile back. Perhaps overkill because after a hectic week filled with a too busy schedule, I still had 5 left. (The lone victim made it’s way into a smoothie.) Needing to use them asap, the idea of jam crossed my mind and once it did, there was no deterring it. We go through an obscene amount of preserves in my house. From sandwiches, toast, topping oatmeal or yogurt… it’s fair to say we eat our share of jammy things. Our supply is running low so I figured it was the perfect time to start restocking it!

Usually I put up jam the old fashioned way, filling a cupboard dedicated to all the things I’ve preserved. But since I’ve boycotted the oven until it cools off a bit, I decided to try my hand at freezer jam. I’m new to the freezer jam scene and I have to say, I’m really digging it. All you need is ripe fruit, sugar, pectin specific to freezer jam and 20 minutes of your time. Bam! Just like that you can preserve the taste of summer without the heat, time and mess that traditional jam requires. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a canner at heart and have a major affinity to cooking and preserving fruit the old fashioned way but when it’s almost 100 degrees outside, freezer jam is the way to go. Since you’re not cooking the fruit at all, the integrity of the fruit isn’t compromised and the jam is bright and fresh unlike it’s cooked counterpart. Freezer jam doesn’t set as well as cooked jam- it’s a little softer set but delicious none the less and like I said, IT TAKES 20 MINUTES AND NO COOKING! (I’m sold.)

This makes a small batch- just three 1/2 pint jars but an idea I’m all for as I’d rather stock my freezer (or pantry) with two or three jars of a variety of jams rather than a large amount of just one or two kinds. I used Ball Instant Fruit Pectin, but any pectin that specifies it’s made for freezer jam, is an easy substitute. Hope everyone is surviving the heat and had a great weekend. Be sure to check back tomorrow for some tasty buffalo chicken tacos for Taco Tuesday!

Other freezer jam recipes you might enjoy:
Peach Freezer Jam from Confessions of a Foodie Bride
Strawberry-Rhubarb Freezer Jam with Orange and Cardamom from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
Strawberry Peach Freezer Jam from Cheeky Kitchen
Mrs. Wages Blueberry-Cinnamon Freezer Jam from Food in Jars

Strawberry-Mango Freezer Jam

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Ingredients

• 1 cup diced mango
• 2/3 cup crushed strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Ball Real Fruit Instant Pectin

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Instructions

1. Stir sugar and instant pectin in a bowl until well blended.
2. Add diced mango, crushed strawberries and orange zest; stir 3 minutes.
3. Ladle jam into clean glass jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space to allow for expanding in freezer.
4. Let jam stand until thickened, about 30 minutes and then refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.