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Want fresh, homemade jam without complicated ingredients or techniques? This small batch refrigerator jam is your answer! It uses just fruit and sugar, and since it’s pectin-free, it comes together in a flash. Perfect for topping toast, yogurt, or desserts!
Enjoy this delightful small batch jam with various treats. It pairs wonderfully with a slice of freshly-baked French bread, fluffy Butter Swim Biscuits, light and airy Pancakes, or crisp Waffles. Alternatively, you can mix it into creamy yogurt with crunchy Butter Pecan Granola, use it as a sweet drizzle over a moist White Cake, or as a flavorful addition to buttery Thumbprint Cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Jam Recipe
- Ease: Made with just sugar and fruit, the ingredients list couldn’t be simpler.
- Versatility: This jam can be used in a variety of ways, such as on toast, pancakes, waffles, and yogurt.
- Small Batch: Ideal for single servings, minimizing food waste.
- No Special Equipment: No canning or pectin required.
- Taste: A naturally sweet and fruit-forward flavor you won’t get from store-bought jams.
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What Is Refrigerator Jam?
Refrigerator jam is a simplified jam that doesn’t require any canning. It’s designed to be stored in the fridge and consumed within a short period, making it ideal for small households or those new to jam-making.
Ingredients And Yield
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch jam recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Blueberries or Strawberries
- Sugar
Before you start, it’s crucial to taste your selected fruit—be it blueberries or strawberries—to gauge their natural sweetness. Fruits can differ significantly in their sugar content, and a tart batch may require a touch more sugar than indicated in the recipe.
This small batch recipe produces approximately 3/4 cup of either blueberry or strawberry jam, filling one small jar perfectly.
Recipe Variations
Your small batch refrigerator jam is already a hit, but if you’re feeling a little experimental, here are some fun variations to try out. Each one brings something new to the table!
- Mixed Berry Jam: Use a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a multi-berry experience.
- Spiced Jam: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves for a seasonal flair that’s perfect for autumn or winter.
- Tropical Twist: Incorporate mango or pineapple chunks for a tropical flavor profile.
- Citrus Zing: Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to give your jam a refreshing citrus kick.
How To Make Refrigerator Jam
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a small batch of refrigerator jam. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Place the blueberries and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Mash the berries slightly with a potato masher or the bottom of a fork.
- Begin to stir the berries and sugar together as soon as the berries begin to boil.
- Continue to cook and stir occasionally until the jam begins to thicken. The jam cooks quickly and as it cooks, it thickens naturally. You can see exactly what I mean our recipe video below.
- When the mixture reaches a gel consistency, remove the pan from the heat. When the jam has cooled, pour it into a clean glass jar.
Expert Tips For Making Perfect Small Batch Jam
- Stick to Berries Rich in Pectin: While you can use a variety of fruits, berries like blueberries and strawberries that are naturally rich in pectin yield the best results.
- Cook Slowly for Thickness: The combination of fruit and sugar needs a solid 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time to thicken properly. Slow cooking helps evaporate the moisture, aiding in the thickening process.
- Monitor Thickness According to Fruit: Different fruits have varying water content, affecting the time needed to reach the desired thickness. Start assessing your jam’s consistency around the 20-minute mark.
- Uniform Fruit Size Matters: To ensure even cooking, make sure your fruit pieces are of similar size. Chop the fruit into halves or quarters before cooking.
- Soft Texture, Big Flavor: Although jam made without pectin tends to be softer than its store-bought counterpart, its fresh and vibrant flavor more than compensates.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You can make refrigerator jams with just about any kind of fruit so feel free to use what you have available and whichever fruits are in season. You might also consider adding a hefty pinch of fresh herbs like rosemary or mint or grating fresh ginger and adding it to the fruit as it cooks on the stove.
Homemade refrigerator jam lasts about 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
No, this jam gets its thickness from the natural pectin in the fruit.
Absolutely, just keep the fruit-to-sugar ratio the same.
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Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page. For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this easy small batch jam recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Easy Small Batch Refrigerator Jam
Watch How To Make This
Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries (1 pint) or 2 cups chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine the blueberries (or strawberries) and the sugar in a medium saucepan. Mash berries slightly with a potato masher or the bottom of a fork. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- As soon as the berries begin to boil, begin to stir.
- Continue to cook and stir occasionally until jam begins to thicken. During the last few minutes of cook time, stir vigorously so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.When the mixture reaches a gel consistency, remove pan from the heat.
- Pour into a clean glass jar.
Notes
- Stick to Berries Rich in Pectin: While you can use a variety of fruits, berries like blueberries and strawberries that are naturally rich in pectin yield the best results.
- Cook Slowly for Thickness: The combination of fruit and sugar needs a solid 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time to thicken properly. Slow cooking helps evaporate the moisture, aiding in the thickening process.
- Monitor Thickness According to Fruit: Different fruits have varying water content, affecting the time needed to reach the desired thickness. Start assessing your jam’s consistency around the 20-minute mark.
- Uniform Fruit Size Matters: To ensure even cooking, make sure your fruit pieces are of similar size. Chop the fruit into halves or quarters before cooking.
- Soft Texture, Big Flavor: Although jam made without pectin tends to be softer than its store-bought counterpart, its fresh and vibrant flavor more than compensates.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If i put the jam on Chrstmas cookies, do the cookies have to be refrigerated?
No. They do not need to be refrigerated.
I actually made this in the microwave with artificial sugar for my father who’s diabetic. He loved it, you just have to stop and stir, otherwise it will boil all over the place.
I’m so glad your father enjoyed the jam. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback.
Did you change the amount of sweetener?
HELLO, can I make it with figs and i can make several batches at one time? Iris
Iris, I have not made fig jam but I’m fairly certain you can use this recipe to make it. I would add in 1/4 cup of water to the pot to cook along with the figs and sugar.
Absolutely love it! I used frozen blueberries from Michigan.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the jam!
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to your mixture before cooking for an extra fresh taste. This works for any jam.
How would raspberries work in this recipe?
Hi Miriam,
Raspberries would work great.
Joanie
How long does it keep?
The jam keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Joanie
Can I use frozen berries?
Hi Carol,
Yes, you can use frozen fruit. Just thaw the fruit first and drain the excess water. Keep in mind that frozen fruit (that has been thawed) often contains more water than fresh so you might need to add 5 minutes or so of cooking time.
Joanie
I made this jam this past Thursday. I used frozen blueberries so it started extra wet. I did thaw and drain but I think next time I will put them in a colander for at least a few hours or even overnight. The great thing about the much longer cook time was the whole house smelled wonderful!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Wild blackberrys should work as well.
I have concord grapes growing also.
I love to make jam like this!! So many uses for it too 🙂