Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam (No Canning Skills Needed!)

This Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam is fabulous on toast, English muffins, biscuits, and yogurt. It's also wonderful on cheese and charcuterie boards and SO much more!

The development of this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam has been a labor of love. I went through a LOT of fresh strawberries trying to get it just right. But I'm super happy now with this beautiful jewel-toned jam and I think you will be too!

Each year when our local strawberry season rolls around, I love to come up with a new strawberry jam or jelly. We've got a fairly extensive collection, starting with our basic, No-Fail, Super Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam. The post includes a video to demonstrate just how easy and fail-proof it is if you follow a few simple tips and tricks.

We also have a strawberry jam with jalapenos, a black pepper strawberry jam and a deliciously unique jam that includes a combination of strawberries, raspberries and lemongrass. And last but not least, there are two lovely strawberry jellies in our collection, one plain and another that's sweet and spicy with habaneros as one of the stars.

All of these recipes have free printable labels that we're happy to share with you. In the individual posts, you can learn exactly how to receive the festive labels. The labels make these strawberry jams and jellies fun to give as gifts and they're also great for keeping things organized if you're a jam maker.

A labor of love

As I mentioned above, this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam recipe has been in the making for a while. I tried several cooked versions and while the flavor was good, the beautiful strawberry color became so dark and drab that the presentation was dull and unappealing.

I decided a freezer jam would yield more of what I was looking for... a bright, fresh, sweet/savory flavor (achieved with a splash of balsamic vinegar and lots of finely chopped fresh basil) and a vibrant scarlet red hue.

I thought it would be easy. Just go with our basic Strawberry Freezer Jam and add the vinegar and basil. Nope! No matter what proportion of ingredients (strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar and basil) I tried, the jam didn't set. I was frustrated but determined not to give up.

Finally, I decided to try using 2 packets of pectin as I do in my Peach Freezer Jam. Voila! The perfect set, beautiful color and fabulous flavor. I made a few more batches to make sure that the results were consistent and would work well for you too!

What to do with this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam

You might be wondering how to use this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam. Oh, do we have the ideas! Check a few of them out:

• Serve it spread on toasted Brioche Bread, Biscuits and/or Scones.
• Make a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
• Use it to make thumbprint cookies.
• Sub this jam for the regular strawberry jam in this Shortbread Tart.
• Use it in this Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies recipe.
• Add a splash of soy sauce and use it to baste your grilled chicken for a delicious, unique treat!
• Spoon it over ice cream.
• We love it dolloped on yogurt with fresh fruit and granola.
• Add a spoonful to your morning oatmeal.
• Serve with cheese and/or charcuterie... so delicious!
• Give it as a gift!

Give it as a gift!

Yes, this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam makes a wonderful gift for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, co-workers, etc. As with our other strawberry jams and jellies, we're offering a free printable label that's yours for the asking. If you'd like to receive a PDF of these labels that you can print on your own computer, just let us know in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

We'll email the PDFs to you along with instructions on how to use them.

Don't wait another day! Make a batch of this super easy Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam and wait for the rave reviews to come rolling in!

Cafe Tips for making this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam

• This jam is designed to be stored in the refrigerator (2-3 weeks) or in the freezer (up to a year). It is not suitable for canning with a hot water bath.
• Making freezer jam can have its issues with being grainy and/or not setting up properly. You can read about these freezer jam problems in this post, along with tips and tricks we share to avoid these issues and ensure success.
• Don't cheat on the stirring time. This is important as it helps dissolve the sugar (which helps the jam to set). I set a timer to make sure I'm stirring for the full amount of time specified.
• To ensure success with this Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam be sure to measure everything carefully. Making jams and jellies with pectin is an exact science, with the proportions of sugar and fruit being very important.
• I often get asked if the amount of sugar can be reduced. Sugar in jam is not only for sweetness, it also helps the jam to set up properly.
• Another frequent question is if you can substitute liquid pectin for the powdered pectin. Powdered and liquid pectin are not interchangeable and require different recipe techniques. To ensure success, don't try to sub liquid for the powdered pectin in this recipe.
• That being said, if you have dietary restrictions or prefer a lower-sugar jam you can purchase a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin and follow the directions on the box. To ensure success, do not use this recipe.
• As I mentioned above in the post, this recipe calls for TWO boxes of pectin for proper setting. I use SureJell but there are other powdered pectins available.

Thought for the day:

The woman said to him,
“I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ).
When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4:25-26

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Messiah, You Have Come

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam

Chris Scheuer

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This Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam is fabulous on toast, English muffins, biscuits, and yogurt. It's also wonderful on cheese and charcuterie boards and SO much more!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Resting time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course Condiments, Jams & Jellies

Cuisine American

SERVINGS 90 servings

CALORIES 40 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the jam:

• 1¾ cup crushed strawberries, you'll need about a quart of fresh strawberries to equal 1¾ cups of crushed berries
• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups granulated sugar, measured into a separate bowl

For the basil:

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

To finish:

• 2 1.75-ounces powdered pectin (2 packages if using SureJell), ( a total of 3.5 ounces or 98g) I use Sure Jell
• 1¼ cups room temperature tap water

Instructions

 

For the prep:

• Wash and rinse glass jars (or plastic containers) and lids in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water. Dry thoroughly.
• Stem and crush strawberries. I use a potato masher but you can also pulse the berries on and off a few times in a blender or food processor - just be sure you leave it a little chunky.

For the jam:

• Measure exactly 1¾ cups of the crushed fruit into a large microwave-safe bowl. (Use a dry measuring up to measure the crushed strawberries and level it off at the top with a flat-edge knife - don't be tempted to use extra berries!)
• Add the white balsamic vinegar and stir to combine.
• Add the 4 cups of sugar and stir well for 1 minute. (Again, measure the sugar precisely, using a dry measuring up and leveling it off. You can also weigh the sugar. It should be 800g )
• *Don't be tempted to go with less sugar as the sugar helps the jam to set properly. If you prefer less sugar, go with a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin and follow the directions on the package, not this recipe.
• Place the bowl in the microwave on high power for 3 minutes. (The mixture will not cook but will become warm enough for the sugar to dissolve). Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir well for another minute.
• Allow the strawberry mixture to sit for an hour, stirring well every 30 minutes. Take a taste to make sure the sugar is dissolved. If it still has a bit of a grainy texture, stir for another minute or two until the sugar is well dissolved.(When the sugar is well-dissolved the mixture will actually deepen in color and lose its "cloudiness". That's when you're ready for the next step.)

For the basil:

• Fill a medium-sized pot ¾ full with water. Bring the water to a boil then add the basil, pushing down on it to make sure it’s submerged. Set a timer for 10 seconds then drain the basil well through a small fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold tap water for 30 seconds.
• Drain well, pushing on the basil to remove excess water then spread the basil out onto several thicknesses of paper towels. Bring the paper towels up around the basil and squeeze it to remove any extra moisture.
• Open the paper toweling and transfer the basil to a cutting board. With a large sharp knife, finely chop the basil and set aside.

To finish:

• Mix the water and pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring frequently. Continue boiling and stirring frequently for 1 full minute. Add the hot pectin to the fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes (no cheating, set a timer). Add the finely chopped basil and stir to combine.
• Fill the jars or containers to within ½ inch of the top. Don't fill any higher as the mixture will expand a bit in the freezer. Wipe off the top edges of containers and cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

To store:

• Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw before serving.

Notes

See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions and more tips.
Recipe adapted from the Kraft website.
This recipe yields 5-6 cups of jam (or 90 1-tablespoon servings). The number of jars will depend on the size of your jars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 40kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 0.03gFat: 0.04gSaturated Fat: 0.001gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.002gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 6mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg

Keyword Basil Balsamic Strawberry Freezer Jam

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