This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This small batch refrigerator jam is a quick and easy way to enjoy fresh, homemade jam without the need for canning. Made with just fruit and sugar, it naturally thickens as it cooks, creating a sweet, flavorful spread. Perfect for adding to toast, pancakes, yogurt, or desserts.
This small batch jam is perfect for pairing with so many treats! Spread it on a slice of freshly baked French bread, fluffy Butter Swim Biscuits, light Pancakes, or crispy Waffles. You can also stir it into creamy yogurt with crunchy Butter Pecan Granola, drizzle it over a moist White Cake, or use it to fill buttery Thumbprint Cookies for a flavorful twist.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Made with just fruit and sugar, nothing extra needed.
- Versatile Use: Perfect for spreading on toast, pancakes, waffles, or stirring into yogurt.
- Small Batch: Makes just enough to enjoy without worrying about waste.
- No Extra Tools: No canning equipment or pectin required.
- Fresh Flavor: Naturally sweet with a vibrant, fruit-forward taste that’s better than store-bought.
RELATED: 20 Breakfast Recipes For One
Refrigerator jam is a quick and easy jam that doesn’t require canning. It’s stored in the fridge and meant to be enjoyed within a few weeks. Our recipe uses fresh blueberries or strawberries and sugar, naturally thickening as it cooks. It’s a small batch recipe, making about 3/4 cup of jam—perfect for adding a burst of flavor to toast, yogurt, or desserts without any hassle.
Ingredients And Yield
Refer to the recipe box below for the full list of ingredient amounts and detailed instructions. For ideas on using up any leftover ingredients, visit our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Blueberries or Strawberries: Choose fresh, ripe fruit for the best flavor. Got extra blueberries? Use them to make a small blueberry pie or blueberry cobbler. Extra strawberries can be used in a small trifle or strawberry crisp.
- Sugar: Adjust the amount slightly based on the sweetness of your fruit.
Before starting, taste your fruit to determine its natural sweetness. If it’s on the tart side, you may need to add a little extra sugar to balance the flavors.
This recipe makes approximately 3/4 cup of jam—just the right amount to fill a small jar.
Recipe Variations
Take your small batch refrigerator jam to the next level with these easy variations. Each one adds a unique twist to your jam-making!
- Mixed Berry Jam: Combine blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a flavorful blend of berries.
- Spiced Jam: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves for a warm, seasonal touch—perfect for fall and winter.
- Mango or Pineapple Jam: Incorporate mango or pineapple chunks for a sweet, tropical-inspired option.
- Lemon or Orange Zest Jam: Mix in a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to brighten the jam with a citrus flavor.
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.
- Cook the Blueberries: Add the blueberries and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to gently mash the berries.
- Stir the Mixture: Once the berries start boiling, stir the mixture continuously to combine the berries and sugar evenly.
- Cook and Thicken: Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the jam naturally thickens. This process happens quickly. For a visual guide, check out the recipe video below.
- Check for Gel Consistency: When the mixture reaches a gel-like consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Let the jam cool completely, then transfer it to a clean glass jar for storage.
Expert Tips
- Choose Pectin-Rich Berries: Blueberries and strawberries are naturally high in pectin, making them ideal for this recipe.
- Cook Slowly: Allow the fruit and sugar to cook for 20-30 minutes. Cooking low and slow helps the jam thicken as moisture evaporates.
- Adjust for Fruit Water Content: Different fruits contain varying amounts of water. Start checking the jam’s consistency around the 20-minute mark.
- Cut Fruit Evenly: For even cooking, cut fruit into similar-sized pieces, like halves or quarters.
- Expect a Softer Texture: Homemade jam without added pectin will have a softer texture than store-bought, but the fresh, vibrant flavor is well worth it.
RELATED: Apple Recipes For One
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in a clean, airtight jar.
Yes, frozen fruit works well. Thaw it first and drain any excess liquid before cooking.
Yes, taste your fruit first. If it’s tart, you may need to add a bit more sugar to balance the flavor.
You can use almost any fruit to make refrigerator jam, so feel free to choose whatever you have on hand or what’s in season. For added flavor, consider mixing in fresh herbs like rosemary or mint, or grate a little fresh ginger and stir it into the fruit as it cooks.
The jam is ready when it has a gel-like consistency. You can test this by placing a small amount on a cold plate—it should set as it cools.
Continue cooking it longer. The jam will naturally thicken as moisture evaporates during cooking.
Absolutely! Just adjust the cooking time slightly as needed for the larger quantity.
RELATED: 25 Single Serving Summer Recipes
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’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!
Small Batch Refrigerator Jam
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 pint blueberries or chopped strawberries (2 cups)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cook the Fruit: Add the blueberries and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to gently mash the berries.
- Stir the Mixture: Once the berries start boiling, stir the mixture continuously to combine the berries and sugar evenly.
- Cook and Thicken: Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the jam naturally thickens. This process happens quickly.
- Check for Gel Consistency: When the mixture reaches a gel-like consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Let the jam cool completely, then transfer it to a clean glass jar for storage.
Notes
- Choose Pectin-Rich Berries: Blueberries and strawberries are naturally high in pectin, making them ideal for this recipe.
- Cook Slowly: Allow the fruit and sugar to cook for 20-30 minutes. Cooking low and slow helps the jam thicken as moisture evaporates.
- Adjust for Fruit Water Content: Different fruits contain varying amounts of water. Start checking the jam’s consistency around the 20-minute mark.
- Cut Fruit Evenly: For even cooking, cut fruit into similar-sized pieces, like halves or quarters.
- Expect a Softer Texture: Homemade jam without added pectin will have a softer texture than store-bought, but the fresh, vibrant flavor is well worth it.
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.
I love your recipes and all the work that you put into recipes for one and two servings .Thank You!!
My parents used EVERYTHING in the garden.
My mother even made tomato jam. ( peeled the tomatoes, chopped them left the seeds in , added a dash of cinnamon and sugar,,and simmered to the consistency of jam, she wanted,hers had a buttery flavor.) I can never get that flavor. Is it the kind of tomato, she used, the soil the tomatoes they were grown in , or did she slip a pat of butter in ?
Thank you so much for your kind words—I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the recipes! Your mother’s tomato jam sounds amazing! The buttery flavor could come from a few different things: it might be the type of tomato she used, as heirlooms or homegrown varieties often have unique flavors influenced by the soil. It’s also possible she added a small pat of butter, which could add that rich, smooth taste. If you try adding a little butter, I’d love to hear if it brings you closer to that nostalgic flavor!
How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
Homemade refrigerator jam lasts about 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.
How long will it last in the fridge?
Thanks for your question! This info is actually in the FAQ section of the post—refrigerator jam will last about two to three weeks in the fridge. I hope this helps, and enjoy the jam!
I’ve made this type of jam dozens of times, with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apricots (my fave!), well, basically, with whatever the fruit guy on the corner has on sale that’s in good shape.
I appreciate that you use such a small amount of sugar. I do too.
I differ with you in small ways:
When I prepare the fruit, I mash it up slightly with the sugar and leave it to macerate (soak) in the refrigerator for a few hours. This draws out the sugar.
Stone fruits, such as apricots or peaches, get chopped up a bit before it all goes into the fridge. Otherwise, all the fruit gets treated the same.
Before I put the fruit on the stove, I put in a wedge of citrus: lemon, orange, or lime. The point of the citrus is that the pith (the white part) has pectin, which is a thickening agent. You don’t want to use too much because too much will impart bitterness.
I cook over a lower flame than you do, but more than a simmer. I set my timer for 5 minutes, and every 5 minutes, I give the mixture a stir to the bottom of the pot, so that the sugar doesn’t sink and burn and the mixture doesn’t spatter (spattering is dangerous-sugar burns are among the worst burns you can get in the kitchen. Think napalm: fire that sticks.) Watch for spillovers. If the mixture of foams up too much, lower the flame a bit. This process requires some attention, but not constant attention.
As the fruit cooks, it collapses, and the juices get syrupy.
There are many ways to tell when it’s done. I start checking after about 15 minutes (the third time I stir). My test is that I lift the spoon out of the cooking liquid, and when the liquid stops dripping off the spoon and starts dribbling, it is done. Keep cooking until you start seeing the dribble. You will know what I’m talking about when you see it. It will tighten up further as it cools.
Taste for sweetness after it cools. Be cautious with sugar initially. You can add sugar if it isn’t sweet enough, but you can’t remove it if it’s too sweet.
Thank you so much for your detailed feedback and tips! I’m thrilled you enjoy the recipe and love hearing about the variations you’ve tried. Your maceration method and use of citrus for pectin are great ideas. Thanks for sharing your process!
I just tried this with melon. Wow!
If I do this again, I will take a SUPER ripe melon, and dice the fruit (a much finer chop), as melon does not seem to break down the way other fruits do.
Oh! Where do I mascerate? In the 2 quart heavy bottom pot which I use to make the jam.
I LOVE your postings!
Thank you so much, Steve! I’ve never made jam with melon, but it sounds amazing. I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Could this be done in a slow cooker?
I have a 2 1/2 quart cooker.
While I haven’t tried this refrigerator jam recipe in a slow cooker, I suspect the consistency would be different. Traditional jam-making on the stovetop relies on rapid evaporation to thicken the fruit and sugar mixture. A slow cooker’s lower, gentler heat might not achieve the same results.
Diabetic so I will try this with monk fruit instead of sugar. It’s a 1:1 exchange so should be easy. I will let you know how it goes.
Made this with wild raspberries, absolutely delicious
What size jars do I need for this yummy recipe?
I have the really small canning jars and small ones and regular size Mason canning jars.
I would love to use them. Since I don’t can stuff. (arthritis in my hands)
Use a jar that holds roughly half to three-quarters of a cup.
Thank you!
Ideally, I’d like to make this recipe with no sugar, but not sure how that would turn out. I was thinking of at least using half the amount of sugar recommended for this recipe. Do you think that would work? Thank you! ❤️
Hi Susanna, you need sugar to make the jam thicken. You can try using less sugar but the jam will not be as thick.
Great recipe Joanie! I made the jam with strawberries and in the last few minutes I’d cooking down I added some lemon zest. Nice twist of flavor. Can’t wait to try blueberries next!