Raspberry Jam

Personally, raspberries are one of my favorite berries. They are sweet, tart, and slightly floral, and their soft, almost fuzzy texture makes them ultra snackable. Whether you grow your own raspberries at home, buy them from a local fruit stand, or pick them up from the grocery store, this sweet summer fruit is perfect on its own, baked into seasonal desserts, or my personal favorite, cooked down into jam. This jam recipe is super simple and quick, and the perfect way to use up any extra berries. Read on for my favorite tips and tricks:

What People Are Saying:
“Love this recipe. Had a glut of my own raspberries I'd grown and didn't want to freeze them so this was perfect and no pressure cooker canning! I have a load more raspberries coming on and a couple habanero peppers, going to add the chilies with the next batch.” -GreenQuill

“Outstanding, very first time I made jam and it turned out great. I used golden raspberries that are very sweet so I included 3/4 cup sugar. Came out perfect” -joe2494

How To Make Raspberry Jam

INGREDIENTS

• Raspberries: I recommend using fresh raspberries here to get the maximum amount of sweet, tart flavor and freshness. However, you can use frozen raspberries if you are making this jam out of season. The recipe will be the same, except the cook time will be a bit longer because the berries will have to thaw in the pot before they can begin to cook. So just have patience and you should be fine!
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar is going to add some extra sweetness here but also plays an important roll in thickening the jam. A mixture of sugar and acid—the lemon juice—helps to bind the pectin that has been released from the cell walls of the raspberries to form a gel that thickens the mixture into jam.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice does a ton here. For one it brightens up the sweetness of the raspberries, but it also adds some extra pectin naturally found in lemons, while the acidity of the juice then helps to activate the binding properties in the pectin and thicken the jam.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then cook, stirring often, until the mixture begins to boil. Once it boils, drop the heat to medium-low and continue to cook at a simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened to the point that swiping a spoon through the mixture leaves a path. This whole process should take about 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the jam to a clean glass jar. Let the jam cool completely before you put the top of the jam, and the refrigerate.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Taste your raspberries before you start cooking. The sweetness of your jam will vary slightly based on the sweetness of your raspberries. If you taste a few and find them to be more sweet than tart, you can actually adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to your liking!
• Add some of your other favorite berries. Who doesn’t love a mixed berry jam? Just make sure their combined weight doesn't exceed 18 oz.

What To Serve With Raspberry Jam

This jam is just as delicious slathered on a slice of homemade bread as it is stirred into yogurt or overnight oats, or layered in our raspberry tiramisu. From breakfast, to snack time, and dessert, there are plenty of uses for this sweet spread.

Storage

Without using a canning process (which I recommend you learn how to do), this jam will stay great in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.