Raspberry jam is easy to make because it requires, essentially, only 2 ingredients:
sugar and
raspberries. Adding a third ingredient,
pectin, will help create a more firm jam that requires less cooking time. I usually opt for the 3 ingredient method.
The naturally occurring
acid in raspberries is such that no additional acid (such as
lemon juice) is required to lower the
ph to a level where it can
preserve the jam and prevent
bacteria growth.
The Three Ingredient Recipe
- 1 kg raspberries (frozen is fine, fresh is better)
- 7 cups of sugar
- 1 package of powdered fruit pectin (57g)
If using fresh fruit, wash them gently in cold water. Drain well using a
colander or
strainer.
Put the fruit into a large
stainless steel pot over a medium high heat, stirring constantly until the fruit is well heated and beginning to liquefy. If your fruit is frozen, cover the pot but remember to stir at least once a minute to prevent the fruit on the bottom from scorching. Once the fruit has thawed, stir constantly until heated through.
Add the pectin and stir well into the mixture. Turn up the heat,
stirring constantly and bring the mixture to a
boil.
Add the sugar one cup at a time, mixing after each. I removed the pot from the heat to do this, but it's not necessary if you're quick (it'll start to boil pretty quickly). Stir until the sugar is completely
dissolved.
Keep the pot over a high heat and stir constantly so the sugar doesn't
burn. Bring the mixture to a
hard boil (which you can't stir down) and keep it boiling for 1 minute. If you don't boil it for 1 minute then the jam may not set as stiff as you might hope for or expect. Remove from heat.
The mixture may foam up a bit while boiling. If the foam doesn't subside on it's own after you remove it from the heat, skim it off and discard before you put the jam into jars. If there's only a bit a foam, don't worry about it.
Ladle the jam into
sterilized
mason jars and seal them as described in the
Pickling node. Process the jars for 10 minutes in a
boiling water bath to kill any bacteria and seal. They should keep for at least a year if sealed properly.
A note about
pectin: There is a difference between the powdered and
liquid forms and they can't be used interchangeably. Liquid pectin would be added to the fruit and sugar mixture
after it has been boiled for 1 minute. Once the liquid pectin has been mixed in, no further cooking is required. This method results is a slightly shorter cooking time since you can mix the fruit and sugar cold, bring to a boil, add the pectin and
be done with it.
The Two Ingredient Recipe
This method is basically the same as above, but without the pectin and the cooking time is increased greatly.
- 2 kg raspberries
- 6 cups of sugar
Mix the berries and sugar in a large stainless steel
pot. Stir constantly, starting over a medium heat and gradually increasing the heat as the mixture liquefies.
Bring the mixture to a boil over a high heat and keep it boiling vigorously for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
Ladle into prepared jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes to sterilize and seal.
Preserving
It's not necessary to seal the jam into jars and
process them in a boiling water bath to seal. The jam will keep in the
refrigerator for a good long time if you store it in sterilized jars. You can also keep jam in the
freezer and thaw it as required over time.