Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 lb kiwi, peeled
45g packet of freezer jam pectin*
Directions:
In a medium bowl, use a potato masher (or a spoon) to mash the kiwifruit. Add the sugar and pectin. Stir (or whisk if it is liquid enough) for 3 minutes. Pour into 4-5 clean 8 oz jars, leave 1/2 inch of space at the top. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes then serve, refrigerate (up to 3 weeks), or freeze (up to one year).
*You cannot substitute regular pectin for this. Look for freezer jam pectin in the canning or baking isle at your local store. May only be available during the canning season, ask for it.
My thoughts:
If you’ve been reading this for a while, you know I am a little leery about canning. I made some lovely refrigerator pickles last August (a jar of which is still crisp and edible in my fridge by the way!) that didn’t require any scary canning methods. I’ve been dying to make jam but was still a little scared about attempting traditional canning. What if I made a mistake and ruined the jam or worse-what if I made a 12 jars and didn’t like it? So you can imagine my excitement when I was offered a set of Ball freezer jam jars and pectin. I loved it! In less than 15 minutes we made yummy kiwi jam. We had so many kiwi in the fridge that I wanted to use them up before they went bad. I couldn’t find directions for a kiwi freezer jam so I just used all the kiwi we had, guessed how much sugar, used a whole packet of the pectin and it came out wonderfully. I am now a freezer jam devotee. Freezer jam is great because it uses about a 1/3 of the sugar as “regular” homemade jam or jelly. Traditional jam recipes often call for more cups of sugar than fruit! I also love that you don’t have to cook it (or freeze it for that matter, despite the name), and you can eat it within 30 minutes of canning. Ball makes a set of reusable plastic freezer jam jars (perfect if you are actually going to freeze the jam-safer than glass if the jam expands more than you expect) that comes with directions and a sample of the pectin. And to head off some future emails: freezer jam pectin is vegan, as is regular fruit pectin.
I made jelly for the first time last year, and what we had at first was good, but it went bad. That scares me.
I’m not going to give up because grape jelly is a family tradition, but I have to admit that these freezer jars are very tempting!
Hry, I can’t belive that you are scared of jam when you make all this amazing stuff! The scary thing about jam is the ferocious heat of the boiling mix – it would take your skin off< I'm sure, if you spilt it. Bu raspberry jam, for example, is sooooo much better than the commercial stuff, and has so much pectin in that you are guaranteed a set - you don't even need a thermometer - once a dollop of the mix, which has been dropped onto a saucer and allowed to cool, 'wrinkles' when you run the finger through it, it's ready to jar.
Go on, give it a go this summer.
India
Canning jam is the easiest thing to can!! Seriously. It needs a hot water bath after it’s in the jar and it’s not pressurized so it’s fine. Once they are cool, you check to make sure they are sealed, then you are good to go!
Thanks for the heads-up as I’m not too experienced with making jams and jellies. But yours sounds easy and yummy, so I would definitely try it.
I grew up watching my mom can food, and I honestly have no interest in it. However, seeing that yummy jam makes me tempted to change my mind!
That jam is the coolest colour ever!
I had no idea they even made a pectin for freezer jam – that’s excellent! I never wanted to do the traditional canning but might have to give this a go. Kiwi jam sounds so good.
That sounds so good. Thanks for the heads up about the Freezer Jars too 🙂
I’ve never made jam before but I really want to make this!!
I tried this and it turned out great! I used powdered low sugar pectin and followed those directions as far as how to incorporate the pectin and sugar, but used your sugar measurement, which was about 1/2 of even the low sugar one (?!). It is lovely!
I didn't think you could make jam out of kiwi; I know it doesn't let gelatin set up because of the enzymes in it, just like raw pineapple. This makes me so happy; kiwi are my favorite fruit!!! It makes me wonder though, if kiwi jam works, could you make a raw pineapple freezer jam? Or a pina colada freezer jam??? Thanks for the post; can't wait to try it.
You could. It works because jam is made with pectin, not gelatin.