Homemade Raspberry Jam
When I got a good deal on raspberries recently I decided to turn some of them in to jam. That way I can enjoy the taste of summer any time I want. I love the flavor and bright red color.
The recipe is simple. I opted to use pectin this time. You don’t have to use pectin, but these berries were very ripe, so I used pectin for extra insurance that the jam would set up. It also reduces the cooking time, so the color stays a bit brighter. I used fresh berries, but frozen berries could also be used. Just thaw them before crushing.
Raspberry Jam
10 cups raspberries – or enough to produce 5 cups crushed berries
¼ c. lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin- or 6 Tablespoons dry pectin
7 cups sugar
Fill water bath canner with enough water to cover jars by at least an inch. Start heating up the water. Wash 8-9 jelly jars and set aside. Prep the lids and set aside. Rinse and crush berries. Crush enough berries to yield 5 cups. Place berries in a large pot and add the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a rapid boil over medium high heat. Stir to keep the mixture from sticking or burning. Once the mixture comes to a full rolling boil, boil 1 minute longer. Add the sugar and continue stirring until mixture reaches a full, rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Skim off any foam. Sometimes with raspberries, there is a lot of foam. Don’t’ worry, just try to get it all out. I use a metal slotted spoon. Ladle hot jam into jars, leaving ½-¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. Screw on lids until fingertip tight. Place jars in the water bath canner and start timing when water returns to the boil. Process 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars stay in the canner for 5 minutes before removing the jars from the canner. Place jars on a cooling rack of towel on the counter, away from drafts. Once jam has cooled down, check that they have all sealed. Yield 8-9 jars. Note: Sometimes with raspberries there is so much foam to remove. In my most recent batch there was over a cup of foam. I saved it and put it in the fridge. I used it on toast and it tasted great. You can reduce the amount of foam by adding ½ teaspoon of butter when you start cooking the berries. I didn’t use it in case I wanted to share the jam with anyone who doesn’t consume dairy.
