Lemon Berry Freezer Jam

Oh my goodness gracious! This recipe was so easy to make. The waiting for the berries to thaw was almost too much! I found it a great way to use berries that were still in my freezer from last summer. (gasp!) This recipe is part of the June 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is Mom2Rose from Michigan. The lemon zest adds a wonderful dimension to this yummy jam. What a great idea for teachers at the end of the school year with a loaf of bread! That's what I am going to do for 2 teachers tomorrow.

Lemon Berry Freezer Jam
1 (1 5/8 oz) package freezer jam pectin - it comes in a pouch not a box
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups measured crushed berries (I used strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry. Any combination would work just fine.)
Zest of 1 large lemon (I finally got to use my zester I bought from Pampered Chef!)

In a medium bowl, combine 4 cups measured crushed berries with pectin, sugar and lemon zest. Stir for 3 minutes. I like to let it sit for about 30 minutes and come back to stir every 5 minutes or so just to make sure the pectin and sugar are well distributed. Serve at once if desired. For longer storage, ladle into clean freezer jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Let stand until thickened - about 30 minutes. Put jars in freezer. Yields 5 8-oz jars.