There is something special about opening a jar of homemade raspberry jam, especially when it is packed with the bright, tart-sweet flavor of fresh berries. This Raspberry Jam recipe keeps things wonderfully simple: just two ingredients, fresh raspberries and granulated sugar, with no added fruit pectin. The result is an old-fashioned jam that lets the fruit take center stage.
The process begins with a useful little trick: warming the sugar in a low oven before adding it to the berries. This helps the sugar dissolve more readily once it meets the hot fruit. Meanwhile, the raspberries are brought to a full boil and mashed as they cook, releasing their juices and natural pectin. After the warmed sugar is stirred in, the mixture boils again until it reaches the gel stage.
Getting the consistency right is the key to homemade jam without commercial pectin. The recipe includes a traditional spoon test: dip a cool metal spoon into the hot mixture, lift it away from the steam, and turn it horizontally. Early in cooking, the jam will drip off like thin syrup. As it thickens, the drops become heavier. The jam is ready when the drops thicken enough to run together before falling from the spoon.
A heavy-bottomed stainless-steel saucepan is a helpful kitchen essential for making jam because it distributes heat evenly and gives the fruit mixture room to boil. Stir constantly during the initial hard boil, and use care around the hot sugar mixture, which can cause serious burns.
This recipe makes approximately four jars and takes about 71 minutes in total, including the time needed to warm the sugar. Follow the recipe’s sterilized-jar and boiling-water processing instructions carefully for safe storage.
Spread your finished raspberry jam over warm toast, English muffins, or homemade biscuits. It is also delicious layered between cake rounds, spooned over yogurt, or served alongside peanut butter on a sandwich. With its concentrated berry flavor and simple ingredient list, this homemade Raspberry Jam is a lovely way to enjoy fresh raspberries long after berry season ends.
Try these other sweet recipes: Luscious Lemon Squares, Easy Chocolate Ice Cream or Salted-Caramel Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
Print
Raspberry Jam
Sweeten up your day with this delicious Raspberry Jam.
- Total Time: :30
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 liter) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (1 liter) fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Place sugar in an ovenproof shallow pan and warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 15 minutes. (Warm sugar dissolves better.)
- Place berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, mashing berries with a potato masher as they heat. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add warm sugar, return to a boil, and boil until mixture will form a gel (see tips, below), about 5 minutes.
- Ladle into sterilized jars and process as directed for Shorter Time Processing Procedure .
- Tip: To make a small boiling-water canner, tie several screw bands together with string or use a small round cake rack in the bottom of a large covered Dutch oven. Be sure the pan is high enough for 2 inches (5 cm) of water to cover the jars when they are sitting on the rack.
Notes
- To determine when the mixture will form a gel, use the spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and away from the steam and turn it horizontally. At the beginning of the cooking process, the liquid will drip off in light, syrupy drops. Try again a minute or two later — the drops will be heavier. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling off the spoon.
- “The intensity of this jam is due to the fact that it has no added fruit pectin,” says Topp. Adding pectin helps the jam jell, but necessitates more sugar, which dilutes the natural flavor of the fruit. Making jam without added pectin requires more careful cooking (see notes about the spoon test, above), but the extra effort pays off in a deliciously old-fashioned, fruity product.
- Prep Time: :10
- Cook Time: :20
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Stovetop