If you love pineapple you'll love our fresh pineapple freezer jam! Fresh pineapple, sugar, lemon juice and pectin. Easy to make, full of fresh pineapple flavor, and perfect to share with friends! This post contains affiliate links.
You might also like our strawberry freezer jam or peach freezer jam, both made with instant pectin! Couldn't be easier. If you're a fan of lemons, try our homemade lemon curd. You'll want to eat it with a spoon!
Watch our step by step video!
I love making freezer jam. The taste simply can't be beat and it doesn't need to go through a canning process. We love spooning freezer jam over rolls, waffles and pancakes. Have you ever tried adding a spoonful of strawberry freezer jam into a glass of lemonade? Perfection, and such an easy way to make strawberry lemonade like they do at the restaurant. After today you'll know how to make pineapple lemonade too---just add a spoonful of our fresh pineapple freezer jam!
Pineapples are fairly inexpensive where I live. A $2-$3 pineapple will make 3 (12 oz.) jars of jam. Such an easy gift idea in the winter when we're all thinking of warm, tropical destinations. You might also like our pineapple sugar cookies!
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOKED JAM AND FREEZER JAM
Freezer jam must be stored in the freezer or refrigerator (once opened). It does not have a shelf life. They have a softer consistency than canned jams.
Cooked jams taste delicious, but they do not taste like fresh fruit because they’ve gone through the canning process. They have a great shelf life. You can make a batch and have it last a couple of years on the shelf.
I’ve made both many times and always go back to freezer jam. You can make a batch start to finish in about 30 minutes with only a few ingredients and supplies.
Pineapple Freezer Jam
If you're looking for a pineapple freezer jam where you simmer the pineapple over the stove for 30 minutes this post isn't for you. If you want pineapple jam that is made from fresh bits of pineapple, sugar, lemon juice and a bit of pectin you're in the right place.
Pineapple Freezer Jam Ingredients
- 1 pineapple (peeled, cored and diced into tiny pieces)
- 4 cups white sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- ¾ cup water
- 1 box Sure-Jell pectin (original)
(I love my pineapple peeler and corer. It makes pineapple rings!)
Additional Freezer Jam Supplies
- canning jars or containers (I used 12 oz. ¾ pint jars)
- lids (I like the plastic ones)
- immersion blender, food processor, or potato masher
- pineapple peeler/corer (optional, but works great!)
Pectin for Freezer Jam
My favorite pectin is Ball instant pectin, but it isn't easy to find year round. You can usually find it at Target during the spring and summer for $4.99/container. If you try ordering it online from Amazon or Walmart it's usually $12/box. No thanks. Sure-Jell fruit original fruit pectin (yellow box) is readily available and works great. The only difference is that you need quite a bit more sugar to make jam with the original pectin. You also need to mix it with water and let it boil for a minute. Still super easy to use though! Whatever pectin you decide to make, make sure to follow the directions on the box. You won't find a recipe for pineapple jam anywhere so just use the measurements for peach jam. I've found the fruit to sugar ratio to be perfect for pineapple jam when doing that. I couldn't find instant pectin this time around so I grabbed a box of Sure-Jell.
If you want to use less sugar or a sugar substitute you will need to find a pectin specifically designed for that or visit the website of the pectin company to see if they offer recipes with substitutions.
Freezer Jam Containers
I loved these ¾ pint jars (12 oz.) This recipe fills 3 jars with a bit left over. I found them in-store at Walmart for $12/box which is far less than what they charge online. So check out what you local store has or use whatever jars you have on hand. I also like using plastic freezer containers for jam because you don't have to worry about them breaking.
How To Make Pineapple Freezer Jam
First you'll want to prepare your pineapple. Peel and core it then dice it finely.
I mix my diced pineapple with the sugar then pulse with an immersion blender because the sugar draws out the juice making it easier to mash. It just depends on how chunky you'd like your jam. You can also pulse it in a blender or food processor.
Most recipes call for an exact amount of fruit. For this one you can just use a whole pineapple since they are all pretty close in size. If you are making jam with frozen pineapple you'll need about 3 cups of prepared (mashed/diced) fruit.
Add lemon juice to the fruit and sugar mixture then let it sit for about 10 minutes. This gives the sugar a chance to pull more juice from the pineapple.
While the fruit sits, combine pectin and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Pour over fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar.
Immediately pour jam into clean jars (leaving about ½" of space at the top of the jar). Screw on lids. Let jam sit on the counter for 24 hours.
Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. When you're ready to thaw a jar simply place it in the refrigerator to thaw before using. This recipe makes 5-6 cups of jam.
Fresh Pineapple Freezer Jam Printable Recipe and Instructions
Fresh Pineapple Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple peeled, cored, diced (about 3 cups diced fruit)
- 4 cups white sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice fresh or bottled
- 1 box Sure-Jell Original Pectin yellow box
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Peel and core pineapple. Dice into tiny pieces. Add sugar and stir. It will become juicy as the fruit and sugar mix together.
- Pulse mixture with an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher to break down fruit. If you want chunks, mash slightly. If you want it smoother use a blender or immersion blender. Add lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Combine pectin and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over fruit mixture.Stir for 3 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.
- Pour into clean jars and add lids. Let sit on counter for 24 hours (or until set).Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.
Leave a Reply