Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

This is what 16 pounds of strawberries looks like turned into freezer jam:

While my sister was in town, we made some strawberry freezer jam. I have made this for the last three years now, and we always run out before I even get close to a chance at making some more. So I've started early this year and will continue to make it throughout the season. This stuff is {SO} good, has less than half the sugar of other jams, and so very, very easy to make--all thanks to this little ingredient:

You can find it a WinCo for $1.35 or Walmart for $1.54 (Walmart only carried it for a limited time, I think).

So here's how you do it:

You'll need:
4 lbs strawberries
1.5 cups sugar
1 pkg. Ball Freezer Jam pectin
freezer containers or jars

Cut the greens off of your strawberries, then crush them in a large bowl*. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar and pectin. Stir sugar/pectin mix into strawberries. Ladle into freezer containers, leaving about 1/2 inch head space. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to set up, then put in freezer to store.

*Every other time I've done this, I have cut up the strawberries into fourths and crushed by hand with my potato masher. This time, I cut large ones in half (left small ones whole) and used my mini-food processor to crush them. It went SOOO much faster (and it was less tiring). I love that handy little tool!

Tip: Sometimes jam doesn't set up for whatever reason. (Or so I'm told. Using this recipe, it has every single time...I'm tell you: so easy!) If that happens, don't throw it out! Use it for an ice cream topping. Also, whether the jam sets up or not, it is more than just for bread. Here's a few things we do with our homemade strawberry freezer jam:
(To give credit where credit is due, my husband is the brilliant mastermind behind quite a few of these ideas)
-Add it to smoothies
-Add it to diet or protein shakes
-Mix it in with your granola or cereal (Husband likes to do this with Chex)
-Top pancakes and waffles with it before adding syrup. I do this to sneak fruit into my two-year-old's diet.
-Add about 1/2 (maybe a little more) to white or yellow cake mix cookies (I'll post the recipe for those soon!)
-Come to think of it, you could add it to several different cookie or cake mixes
-Water it down and use it for a fruit glaze--especially great for fruit tarts

We have planted raspberries this year, so when harvest rolls around I'll have to try making Raspberry Freezer Jam, too!