The Genius Hack That Makes Turning Frozen Berries Into Jam A Breeze

We love food and drinks that are incredibly simple to make but seem more gourmet than they are. A perfect example of this is a fruit-filled jam. This recipe can be made in only a few minutes, using an incredibly short list of ingredients. Homemade jam saves you money and it tastes fresher — and all you need is a bag of berries, some sugar, and a potato masher to get started. 

For this kitchen hack, you'll use a base of frozen berries of your choice, and sugar — cane sugar is standard, but an alternative sugar could also work here with the right substitution ratio. Use a ratio of about 4 cups of berries to 2 cups of sugar; for less sweet and more tart, go for 1 cup of sugar. (But if you're using certain berries that are lower in pectin, like raspberries, you might need to add some pectin to the recipe if you cut back on sugar.) These ingredients can be mixed together and left to sit in the fridge overnight to speed up the cooking process the next day if desired. Or, using frozen berries that have had a few minutes at room temperature to soften is totally fine. 

Next comes the potato masher. The berry sugar mixture can be mashed inside the same pot they'll be cooked in. After mashing to a jam-like consistency, bring the berry and sugar mixture to a boil, stirring frequently for about 10-20 minutes until it starts to have a gel-like consistency. Once cooled, the jam can be stored in the fridge for up to three weeks, or properly canned to make the end product shelf stable. 

Fresh berries go bad so quickly, so using them to make jam is a great way to reduce food waste in the kitchen. Frozen berries are always pre-washed and ready to use, but be sure to rinse the fresh ones before using. The same method applies here — mix the berries with sugar, and squish using a potato masher in the same pot. However, most berries when fresh — with the exception of raspberries — are a bit more difficult to break down, so be prepared to use a bit more hand power. Due to their larger size and firm texture, strawberries should be first chopped up to make jam. The cook time and storage are also the same when using fresh berries. 

Can you use other fresh or frozen fruits? Certainly — just be aware of which are easier to break down with the potato masher. Some more solid fruits, such as apple, nectarine, peach, or apricot, are going to be challenging to mash down with this tool, even if pre-chopped into smaller chunks. Softer textures like kiwi and ripe pear could be broken down with the potato masher for homemade jam.

Don't forget — this jam recipe is super simple, so don't be afraid to jazz it up a bit. Add in lemon juice, cinnamon, or vanilla to amplify the flavor.