A couple of months ago, based solely on a handful of tweets and a couple of emails, I logged onto Travelocity and bought a plane ticket to Seattle in order to spend some time with a number of people upon whom I’d never before laid eyes. This is a scenario that might give lots of folks pause, but I felt completely at ease, because I was going to be part of the Canvolution.
I landed late on Friday night and a friend of more than ten years picked me up. She took me home with her and tucked me into a wonderfully cushy, comfortable bed. The next morning, she dropped me off in a KFC parking lot, across from the U District farmers market, where I met up with Tea and ogled produce that I could not have (I did buy a wreath of garlic to bring home). The rest of the day went by in a blur of ferry rides, more farmers market shopping (where I ate two incredible figs) and lots and lots of canning, feasting and laughter.
Now, looking back on the hours I spent last weekend with Tea, Viv, Shauna, Laura, Kim, Kimberly, Jeanne and others, I am so totally grateful and delighted that I bought a plane ticket on impulsive.
The only problem I had with my trip out to Seattle was the fact that I couldn’t really bring any of the food we made back with me (I didn’t want to take the risk that the TSA would categorize my homemade jam as a liquid and confiscate it). I did leave the canning party with a couple of jars, but I left them with my parents to bring when the come out for the wedding in a few weeks. So, when I got back home, I was jonesing for a canning project or two. So I canned plums in a honey syrup and made raspberry jam.
This was actually the first batch of raspberry jam I’ve ever made. I’ve always looked at raspberries as being too precious to turn into jam. I believe they are far better eaten out of hand, until your fingers are stained bright red and your belly aches. However, the raspberries were so abundant in the field that I made myself half-sick from overindulgence before I even got home. I couldn’t bear the idea of eating another berry, but the 2 1/2 pounds needed to be used. So jam it was.
I made this batch using weight measures as opposed to cups, because my scale was on the counter and it seemed easier. If you don’t have a scale, I’m under the impression I used approximately 8 cups of fairly well-packed berries. Additionally, unlike my blackberry jam, I did not seed this batch. I look at the seeds in raspberry jam as being part of its charm so I left them in. However, if you’re a seed hater, feel free to seed (check out the instructions in the blackberry jam post).
And, since I like to share, I have one half pint of this amazing, jewel-like jam to giveaway. Leave a comment before Tuesday, September 8th at 11:59 p.m.
Now, recipe time…
Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds of raspberries approximately 8 cups, gently washed
- 1 1/4 pounds of white sugar half of your fruit
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 packet liquid pectin half a box
Instructions
- Bring your canning pot to a boil. Clean and prep your jars. Bring your lids to a simmer.
- Pour the berries into a large, non-reactive pot. Add sugar and stir to combine. Bring up to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, bring the heat to high and let the fruit and sugar boil, stirring frequently.
- After about 15-20 minutes of cooking, when all the berries have broken down and the bubbles look thick and viscous, add the lemon juice and the pectin. Bring to a rapid boil and allow it to boil for about five minutes.
- Fill jars, wipe rims and apply lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes (start time when the water returns to a boil).
- When time is up, remove the jars from the pot and let them cool. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year (although I don't think that it will last that long).
Oh! I should have hooked you up with my friend Kelly who is a foodie and amazing food photographer in Seattle. You guys would get along so well! Check out her newest blog: http://nommynom.com/
i’ve never made raspberry jam, raspberries aren’t as prevalent around where i am. even though i’ve made a huge amount of jam this summer (and am already looking forward to pear season!) i would love to try yours!
oh, yum. would love to win a jar of this jam!
Anytime you have eaten your fill and still have two quarts of uneaten raspberries, I recommend making pie. I use my dad’s recipe, which is actually for Strawberry Triumph Pie, but which works great with raspberries. It is my favorite pie.
http://teawithbuzz.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/strawberry-pie-etc/
BTW, if I win the jam, re-do the randomizer, please. I have a lot of raspberry jam, plus peach-raspberry, plus today I am making plum-raspberry jam. And a pie. Though I would be happy to do a jam-exchange with you sometime this fall…trade you a couple of mine for a couple of yours?
That sounds wonderful.
oh this looks lovely! and it looks like you had a great time 🙂
I love the seeds, they give it a delightful crunchy texture- AND they look beautiful in the jar
I remember a time when my parents garden was more than half filled with raspberry canes and we kids would go out and pick all the ripe berries we could find and devour them all. I also recall our german shepherd loved eating raspberries, too! He’d peel back his lips and pluck the lower berries off with his teeth. Ah, childhood… Alas, I have no such amazing berry patch now and the raspberries I buy do indeed tend to be eaten post haste without ending up in any jams, pies, etc.
Looks amazing and oh so tasty!
This looks delish! I am so glad I found this blog, I’ve been getting into canning the past couple years and love it! I have yet to make some jam…it’s on the list!
I love raspberry jam, and I don’t mind the seeds either. My favourite for raspberry and strawberry jam is freezer jam. It’s uncooked and I find it just has a much fresher, berry flavour. It’s also incredibly simple.
How perfect! I just logged on precisely to look for a raspberry jam recipe, and here it is!! I’m totally with you on eating fresh raspberries, but it sure will be nice to have a remnant of their summery goodness in the cold of winter 🙂
Given the lousy (and yet still expensive) jam I just had on my morning toast, which somehow managed not to taste at all like fruit, it’s going to have to be homemade from here on out . . .
I’ve never had enough fresh raspberries to think of making jam either. But I’ve just planted 10 new raspberry canes and I may be making jam in the next year or two. In the meantime I’d love to try yours.
This jam looks great–love the look of the seeds…
I heart raspberry jam, mouth is watering just looking at the pics!
Mmm… Raspberry jam. Needs goat chees and crackers sounds amazing.
Rasberry jam sounds wonderful, I think I’d prefer to leave the seeds in too!
Maybe my girlfriend’s love for raspberries can finally get her past her texture issue with jams and jellies.
ooh, nice. I loved when my mom would make raspberry jam. It is still my favorite on peanut butter toast in the mornings, and homemade beats store-bought (especially the one jar of seedless I accidentally bought – I’m with you on the seeds!) Sadly, the home raspberry patch dwindled over the last 5 or 6 years, and won’t grow any more. They re-plant sometimes, but the new ones don’t flourish. Perhaps the old plants used up all the nutrients, or perhaps a neighbor put down some kind of pesticide or chemical that hurt the roots, we don’t know. Now there are other plants growing there. Sigh. And just when I’d learned to like plain raspberries! (I always preferred them as jam – or candy flavor – growing up)
Looks like a successful trip
The jam looks fabulous. Seattle is a great place and the people are fabulous! I can’t wait for my trip in October.
Mmmmm, the look of raspberry jam takes me back to when I was a kid. I stayed at my grandmother’s often and she had these HUGE cupboards in the garage with the food she had canned. There was always so much delish jam. The raspberry was right at eye level so it brings back memories. She’d use that parafin to seal off her jams and I remember trying to pop out that wax. It would almost be a game to see who could get it out as whole as possible. Then we’d have that jam on toast or better yet, over ice cream. Oh yumm!
Jam is the reason I always check a bag coming home from Montana. They’ve got pallets of huckleberry jam at the Costco there, which still blows my mind.
I tried to make Strawberry jam and it was a disaster. I would love to try your Rasberry jam.
raspberry jam is my favorite! i just made blueberry -sage for my friend’s wedding tomorrow.
mmmm. looks yummy. we just put up stawberry-limeade concentrate. If I don’t win, would you consider a trade?
We have 1/3 acre of raspberry bushes, and so our family picks and sells during the season. I sold almost 250 half pints of raspberry jam, but with all of that have never tried measuring by weight. I’m curious to see if there is a taste difference.
I love seeds in berry jam! Yours is so pretty.
Raspberry jam and butter on a hot biscuit is one of my favorite things to eat in the world. I did a mixed blueberry and raspberry jam earlier this summer, but it would cost a small fortune to buy enough raspberries to can from the Oak Park farmer’s market.
What an amazing site. Thank you!!!! This jam recipe looks so good….I can’t wait until next year to try it out!
I love raspberry jam!!!! It is my favorite! Thank you 😉
love your website and your jam is beautiful! Keep up the great stories and recipes!
I’d love to see a picture of your pantry. In my idealized imagination its full of jewel colored jars lined up and ready to go.
Yum yum..looks good for the tummy.
I haven’t had raspberry jam in a long time. I’d love to try it again.
Sounds tasty. I’d love to compare it to my mother-in-law’s raspberry jam.
Oooo, it’s so beautiful! Maybe someday I’ll get enough berries in our patch for a batch of jam.
Strawberry has always been my favorite, but my dad loves raspberry jam. I haven’t tried it in a long time!
While raspberries are delectable fresh, they are so worth preserving! I remember my aunt’s raspberry jam as a highlight of my childhood. It’s like a wipe of summer on toast…
Mmm, raspberries.
Raspberry jam was my first foray into the canning world, so it shall always have a soft spot in my heart! I agree, the seeds are a lovely part of it. I always leave them in, even though my family members are split 50/50 as to whether or not they really appreciate the seeds. 😉
I agree- the seeds are definitely part of the charm. I am off to pick raspberries and make jam at the end of this week.
These are beautiful! and I can hardly wait to get some plums and try those plums in honey syrup.
I enjoy looking at your web site. I always get so inspired!
I’m so jealous. Seattle was my home for many years, and it will always be “home” in my heart. Someday, I will return. Your pictures of the farmers’ markets were enough to make me homesick. But, that raspberry jam sure does look lovely!
Raspberry jam was my first attempt at canning. But I’ve never considered removing the seeds and didn’t realize that some would not like them left in. I agree with the other the seeds add to the overall look of the jam.
I have to agree with Fran that an abundance of raspberries calls for pie! I do love raspberry jam too, my mother cans some every year.
I am not afraid of seeds. Oh, this is one thing about the PNW I can’t get out of my mind…the berries!!
Hello! My teen daughter and her friend have been raiding the raspberry canes in the community garden! After they nibble a bit they add to the compost pile. Long summer around here!
Your photos are fabulous! The jam looks amazing.
I’m proud to say that one of the first phrases the baby I take care of learned to say was “Pick berries? Pick rasssss berries?” Your raspberry jam looks beautiful but the honey-plum recipe seems more useful, considering that people are always giving away prune plums by the bagful at this time of year, and I have never known anyone to give away a bagful of precious raspberries.
Beautiful jam! I canned some plums this weekend after reading your post. When I took one of the jars out of the water, I noticed it was leaking some of the plum/sugar juice. The jar seems to have sealed ok, but I am concerned that the sticky liquid getting between the jar and the rubber in the lid would actually mess up the seal? Any thoughts?
Sorry I missed you, Seattle is awesome! Your jam looks great!
Delicious! I agree with you regarding the seeds – I seek them out in any jam.
I wish that my raspberries were ready.
This is my new favorite blog.
I think jams without seeds are lacking in character!
Hi Marisa, I took one of your canning class this summer. Your raspberry jam looked so delicious that I decided to try some this weekend– my very first jam-making project! I’ve read a bunch of conflicting things about sterilizing the jars & I’m a little paranoid to begin with, so I sterilized them in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then boiled them for about 15 minutes after filling them with the jam. Overkill? Anyway, I’m just wondering– if I eat the jam relatively quickly &/or keep it in the fridge, will it be okay? I was thinking of making raspberry bars but I’m nervous I might poison my entire office. Thanks for all of your posts… very inspiring!
Marisa, I also took your preserve class this summer and just tried the rasberry jam recipe. I’m finished and the “jam” is the consistency of water…really runny. I boiled it 15 minutes (not 20) and used liquid pectic (not powder). What am I doing wrong?
Great looking jam, we produce small quantities of homemade jam ourselfs, have you tried wrappings around the top of the jar to give it a homely feel, works a treat for us
this will be my first “for real” canning experiment of my adult life. Although, I helped my mom can every year of my childhood. Thanks for making this accessible and easy
Took your class today at Create a cook in Newtown and was so inspired. I went right from class to buy canning supplies, then to pick your own raspberries, and now just finished making 5 1/2 pints of this jam. (Don’t worry, plenty left to eat out of hand). Thank you so for making canning accessible and exciting.
If I “deseed” the berries (for my son LOL), do I follow the blackberry recipe or this one??
If you’re going to seed the raspberries, you’re better off following the blackberry jam recipe.
made this jam today, not bonding well with the pectin. I read furthur on other sites that ideally you want to use pure cane sugar cant tell from my sugar packaging that I dont have beet sugar?? did also read furthur on food in jars site about how tempature was critical to getting pectin to bond well to fruit and sugar. Like the recipe but i think more information and exacting details would be helpful. Bummed I dropped $20 on a half flat of rasberries not sure what to do with the raspberry sauce 🙁
Marisa, I just want to thank you for this wonderful web site! I’ve just gotten the canning bug this summer and have made this raspberry jam recipe three times – once straight, and twice now halving the raspberries with pears. So far, so good – all have come out to rave reviews. I look forward to making blueberry jam next weekend, along with apricot butter and some chutneys this fall…and maybe some blackberry jam, too. I always thought it would be much more difficult, but your recipes make it easy for this interested cook. I also want to get one of the small batch pots you talked about in one of your urban posts – looks great!
Thanks again!
hellooo 🙂
had loved looking through your blog and all the loads of recipes!
was wondering if you’ve ever tried honey or know if i could substitute for the sugar??
I have a number of honey sweetened recipes on the site. Check out the recipe index! https://foodinjars.com/recipe-index/
My mom wants to make this today, but she’s never used liquid pectin. Can she use powdered? Ias always, thanks for your help!
Yes. Here’s how to do it. https://foodinjars.com/2013/07/canning-101-how-to-substitute-pectin/
Is the yield three half pints or three and a half pints?
The yield is 3 half pint jars. A total of 24 ounces of finished product.
Always love your recipes and insights. We got 12 half pints from doubling the recipe but it didn’t set up well. Still tastes delicious but runny. Last time we made raspberry jam (different recipe and not liquid pectin) you could turn the jar over and it wouldn’t move, I wonder what was the problem this time. Followed the recipe to the letter and pectin was new. Maybe it didn’t boil long enough?
The trouble is in the doubling. https://foodinjars.com/2011/01/canning-101-why-you-shouldnt-double-batches-of-jam/
I have made this recipe for many years. After a few months my beautiful jam loses it pleasing color. Is there any trick to maintaining the color of jam? I keep it in a cool, dark place, away from sunlight.
This is a relatively low sugar raspberry jam recipe. If you want the color to hold longer, consider a recipe that uses 1 part fruit and 1 part sugar. That will extend the life of the vibrant hue.