Last Updated on 17th December 2021 by
How to Make Raspberry Jam
Raspberry jam is a good one to start with if you haven’t made type of jam before. That’s because it is so quick and easy to put together.
There’s a little bit of prep work that goes into making raspberry jam. It is best if you wash the raspberries before you make them into jam. This helps get rid of any bugs or dirt that may be stuck to the raspberries. Then, dry off your raspberries before mixing them together for jam.
Most people will use pectin to thicken the raspberry jam. If you would prefer not to use it and want to know how to make raspberry jam without pectin, there are some other things you can use to thicken the jam. The pectin is a natural thickener and without it your jam will be kind of runny.
The trick for making raspberry jam without pectin is how long you boil the raspberries. You have to boil them to make jam, and the longer you boil them, the thicker the raspberries get.
If you don’t boil them for long enough and you don’t use pectin, the raspberries will turn into a sauce rather than a jam. They won’t be thick enough to spread on bread or crackers.
So, make sure you boil your raspberry jam for longer if you want to make it stick enough for jam but not use any pectin.
How long to boil raspberries for to make jam that has no pectin? The jam should boil for about 25 minutes, until it reaches a temperature of about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a kitchen thermometer to test that and make sure it gets to the right temperature.
How to Make Raspberry Jam with Pectin
Most recipes, however, call for pectin to be added to the raspberry mixture. This helps the jam to thicken quicker and more easily. You are less likely to make a mistake with your jam when you use pectin in the recipe, as it is easier to work with than trying to thicken it through boiling. Here’s a common recipe for how to make raspberry jam.
How to Make Raspberry Jam with Pectin
Ingredients
- 1 kg of raspberries
- 1 kg of jam sugar (which includes pectin)
- Lemon juice from one lemon (about three tablespoons)
Instructions
- You want to start by cleaning in sterilizing your jars where the jam will be stored. Also place a plate into the freezer so that it can chill.
- Take half of your raspberries and place them into a preserving pan and add in your lemon juice. Next, mash the berries to a pulp, and you can use a potato masher to do that.
- Cook the berries for about 5 minutes and then run through a sieve over a bowl. When the juice has drained out, use a wooden spoon to push the pulp through the seeds until all that is left in the sieve are the seeds.
- Drain the juice and pulp into the preserving pan and add in your sugar, stirring gently. Heat on a low heat and add into rest of your raspberries. Cook until the mixture starts to boil.
- Allow it to boil for five minutes and then remove the raspberries from the heat. Put a little bit of the jam onto the chilled plate to test it. As you push your finger through the jam, it should start to wrinkle and should look like jam. If it doesn’t have the right texture or consistency, then it needs to be boiled for longer. You can continue boiling for another 2 minutes and then repeat the test.
- The jam should then be poured into jars and sealed up. It will stay good for a year if you do not open it. After you open the jam, be sure to store it in the refrigerator.
This is my method for how to make seedless raspberry jam, and if you want the seeds left in, then simply skip that part of the process. Some people like the added texture and crunch of seeds in their jam.
This method for how to make raspberry freezer jam gives you a jam that will keep for a long time. You don’t have to add any preservatives to it, and that’s why it is better and healthier to make the jam at home yourself rather than to buy it in the store.
How to Make Raspberry Jam without Sugar
You can make this spread without using sugar, if you like. There are a few alternatives you can use, and while the raspberries are somewhat sweet, they probably are not sweet enough on their own to make for jam without any sugar being added.
Most people will prefer them to be sweetened artificially. What can you use to sweeten them if not sugar, though?
There are a few sweeteners I like to use when I am looking for how to make homemade raspberry jam without the sugar. You can use xylitol, stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, or allulose. You can use any of these sugar substitutes for how to make black raspberry jam or red raspberry jam. They work just fine with the recipe I gave you above and no alterations have to be made.
Be sure to taste test your jam before you can it and store it. You want to be sure that you have the right level of sweetness. If it is not sweet enough, you can add more sweetener to it. It’s better to add in sweetener that you need before it is refrigerated then to wait until after you have chilled jam to work with.
Now that you know how to make red raspberry jam, you see how easy it is. It’s one of the easiest jams to make from scratch. I would recommend making your own jam as often as possible rather than buying it from the store, because this way you get to control the ingredients.
You can determine if any preservatives are put in there and what man-made ingredients are used. You can keep it as healthy as you like. I think it has a better taste without any of the additives in there.
I use jam on bread, bagels, crackers, and in tarts. Your homemade jam will be so delicious that you want to use it on everything.
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
