Strawberry Jalapeno Freezer Jam

I love strawberry jalapeno jam. It’s not hard to find at flea markets or farmer’s markets, and I always get excited when I find it. But, I had never thought about making it myself! It’s a family tradition to have a day devoted to the strawberry at the beginning of July. During this year’s Strawberry Day, I just happened to have a package of jalapeno peppers in my fridge. This happy coincidence led to five beautiful jars of jam that will live in my freezer for the next year.

Each year, Strawberry Day is celebrated by picking fresh strawberries and making them into delicious freezer jam. No one in the family could quite remember when Strawberry Day started, but we all could remember jelly jars with ’07 sharpied on top. It’s safe to say this is at least a ten year tradition.

My grandma and aunt have used the same recipe for years and this year I modified it slightly to make my jalapeno version. We always use Certo Liquid Pectin to make our jam and we follow the recipe from inside the box. I simply added a quarter cup of crushed jalapenos to get my desired spicy sweet treat.

A few notes:

Because it is freezer jam, this recipe does not require any cooking. SCORE! Simply mix it up, let it set, and put it in your freezer. This stuff basically lasts forever once you freeze it. When you’re ready to use, pull a jar out of the freezer and let it thaw in your fridge, then enjoy!

This jam is best served poured over a block of cream cheese and enjoyed with crackers.

I also love this jam just on toast in the morning or in a PB&J sandwich.

CAUTION:

Jalapeno peppers may not look or smell dangerous, but trust me, THEY ARE! I advise you to wear gloves while cleaning and preparing the peppers. I did not and I regret it! While at first I felt fine, my hands began to burn a couple hours later. Then I took a shower and washed my face (with my burning hands of course) and by the time I got out of the shower, my face was on fire. After a little charcoal mask, my face cooled down, but my hands were in pain all night. Even as I am typing this my knuckles burn slightly. Take this as a lesson, save yourself the pain, and just wear gloves while working with jalapenos.