What is the Difference Between Freezer Jam and Regular Jam?

Question

BESIDES one goes in the freezer, LOL

Is there a difference in taste or what is it?

Thanks in Advance!!!

Answer 1

Since freezer jam is never cooked it tastes like fresh fruit....

Here is some info I found on it at allrecipes.com

The ingredients for freezer jam are few and simple, but it's vital to obey the recipe exactly if you want reliable, safe, and delicious results.

Fruit Use perfectly ripe fruit. Since you won't be cooking it, the flavor of the jam is going to be much like the flavor of the fruit, meaning if the fruit is  over- or under-ripe, you'll be able to taste it. Jam made with under-ripe fruit, besides being sour, may jell too much, and jam made with overripe fruit, besides having an off-flavor, may not jell enough.

Pectin Traditional jam recipes call for cooking; this process thickens the jam. Since you don't cook freezer jam, most recipes call for additional pectin to thicken it, giving the mixture that jelled consistency you expect from your preserves. Commercially produced pectin is derived from fruit--usually apples or citrus. Store-bought pectin comes in two forms: powder and liquid. These are NOT interchangeable--you should use whichever form your recipe calls for. The most common freezer jam recipes call for powdered pectin; the basic ratios for each packed of powdered pectin are three cups mashed fruit, five cups sugar, and one cup water in which to dissolve and boil the pectin. This formula can vary a little depending on the brand of pectin, however, so the best thing to do is follow the manufacturer's instructions on the package.

Sugar Sugar inhibits the growth of bacteria, keeping your jam fresh, fruity, and safe to eat. Jam recipes are formulated to call for a certain ratio of pectin to sugar, and they will not jell properly if you don't use the correct amount of sugar. If you'd like to make jam with less sugar, you'll need to buy a special kind of pectin that's formulated to work with less sugar and follow the proportions as given to you on the package.

Containers

Before you begin making the jam, have all your containers ready and waiting. Use either sturdy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, or short, wide-mouthed glass jars made especially for the freezer. It's best to choose containers that are no bigger than pint-size; the jam will not set up as well in larger containers. Wash them as you would any other dishes; there's no need to boil them like with traditional jam making.

Making It

The process itself is very simple:

Wash and stem the fruit (and peel it, if applicable).

Place it in a wide-bottomed pan and crush with a potato masher to a smooth consistency, leaving some chunks of fruit if you like.

Stir in the sugar and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, mix together the pectin and water in a small saucepan until the powder is dissolved, bring it to a boil over high heat, and let it boil for a full minute.

Pour it into the fruit and stir for a couple of minutes.

Pour the jam into your waiting containers, leaving a half-inch of "headspace" at the top.

Cover the containers and let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

The jam should have thickened significantly overnight, but it can take up to two weeks for it to completely finish its jelling process. If it's too thick, stirring it will soften it up. If it's still too runny after two weeks, you can pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. It will get thicker as it cools, and you can re-bottle as you did before.

Storing It

As the name implies, freezer jam is meant to be stored in the freezer. In fact, it will keep beautifully in the freezer for up to a year. You can also keep freezer jam in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Once you open a container of jam, you should use it within three weeks as well. Just remember never to leave freezer jam at room temperature.

Answer 2

The basic difference is that there is usually little or no cooking involved....so it it super fresh & tasty.

~~

Raspberries, strawberries and blackberries work well in uncooked freezer jam recipes. You must store uncooked jams in the refrigerator or freezer. You can hold them for several weeks in a refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer. If you keep them at room temperature they will mold or ferment in a short time. Once you open the container, keep refrigerated and use the jam within a few days.

Sort and wash fully ripe fruit. Drain. Remove caps and stems from berries and crush. If you have fruit frozen, the preliminary steps for preparation have already been done. The label you put on the container of fruit should state how much fruit and sugar you added to the fresh fruit before freezing. Subtract the sugar added from that called for in the freezer jam recipe.

The basic recipe for uncooked jam is three cups crushed berries (about one and 1/2 quarts of berries), five cups sugar, one package powdered pectin and one cup cold water.

To Make the Jam: Measure three cups of prepared fruit into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Dissolve powdered pectin in one cup cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Add pectin solution to the fruit and sugar mixture. Stir vigorously for two minutes.

Pour the jam into clean freezer containers or canning jars, leaving one-half inch headspace. Cover the containers and let stand for 24 hours, or until the jam has set and become firm. This quantity makes about seven half-pint jars or freezer containers.

When jam comes out of the freezer, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If the jam is too firm, you can soften it by stirring. If it tends to separate, stirring will blend it again. If freezer jam is too soft bring the jam to a boil in a saucepan on top of the range for one minute and it will thicken as it cools.