Raspberry Freezer Jam

  • By Bethany
  • /

I am so, so excited to be sharing one of my all time FAVORITE recipes today. I grew up eating this raspberry freezer jam and my husband BEGS me to make it every year. If you try it, you’ll never go back. This jam is so fresh and delicious! I love that we can pull out a little bit of summer from the freezer all winter long in the form of raspberry freezer jam!

My aunt Merlene has two rows of raspberry plants that produced a TON of berries this year. I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy these berries! My husband is an AMAZING berry picker so he helped me harvest a bunch with the promise I’d make them into this delicious jam.

While jam making may be more of an adult recipe, here are some ways your young kids can be involved in the preserving process! I’d recommend an adult does all the measuring since it needs to be precise, and also handles the pectin, since that is boiled on the stove (definitely not safe for toddlers!).

The process for making this jam is the EXACT SAME as my easy blackberry freezer jam recipe, except you don’t have to strain out the seeds… making this even EASIER 🙂 Raspberry seeds are much softer and less fibrous than blackberry so having all the seeds in there is no deterrent, so I don’t feel straining them out is necessary one bit.

TODDLERS CAN

Pick raspberries

Mash up the raspberries…

Taste the raspberries!

Mix the sugar into the mashed berries

Eat raspberry jam on toast, bread, or by the spoonful 😉

 

YOU WILL NEED

1 package of SureJell pectin (the yellow box)

6 cups of ripe raspberries (mashed down to 3 cups of mashed raspberries… sometimes you need a little less or more than 6 cups of berries)

5 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

Enough sanitized freezer-safe containers for 7-8 cups of jam (these could be mason jars or tupperwares, each big enough to hold 1-2 cups)

2 large bowls, solid measuring cups, liquid measuring tools, a ladle, a spoon, a potato masher, a small pot/saucepan

 

LET’S GET STARTED!

Prep your containers. Throw them in the dishwasher (lids included) and they are ready to go.

Mash your berries!

Measure out 3 cups of mashed raspberries.

Add the berries to a large bowl that has 5 1/4 cups sugar (no skimping!)

Mix the 3 cups of mashed berries with the sugar in the large bowl. Let it sit, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

The next steps I don’t have images for… but they are exactly the same as my blackberry freezer jam so refer to that post if you need a reference.

  • Dump your pectin into a small saucepan. Add 3/4 cup water, stir. Bring to a boil, and allow it to boil, stirring CONSTANTLY, for 1 minute.

  • Pour the boiled pectin into the sugar/raspberry mixture. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until the sugar granules are dissolved (no longer grainy). It might start to congeal, that’s good! It’s starting to set up.

  • Ladle into your containers, leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top for when it expands a little in the freezer. Clean off the top and sides if there are spills. Put on the lid and let it sit for 24 hours or until set.

  • Freeze! or put one container directly into the fridge for instant use. It lasts for a year in the freezer, and 3 weeks in the fridge… but it never lasts for that long at our house!

Give me a shout out if you try making this jam!! Did you love it? How did it go? As soon as I’ve made my first batch I can’t wait to mix up some waffles and smother it with my raspberry jam – it’s heaven for breakfast – or dinner! 😉 Happy jamming!

 

Print

Homemade Raspberry Freezer Jam


Ingredients

  • 6 cups ripe raspberries (3 cups mashed)
  • 5 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 pkg Sure Jell pectin (from the yellow box)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 large bowls, solid measuring cups, liquid measuring tools, a ladle, a spoon, a potato masher, a small pot/saucepan

Instructions

  1. Sanitize your containers, including the lids. Run them through the dishwasher and they are ready to go!

  2. Mash your raspberries!

  3. Measure out 3 cups of mashed raspberries. Mix with exactly 5 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Pour SureJell pectin into a small saucepan. Mix with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Once it is boiling allow it to boil for 1 minute. 

  5. Remove from heat immediately. Dump pectin liquid into the large bowl with the raspberries and sugar. Stir for 3 minutes or until sugar granules are dissolved (no longer grainy).

  6. Ladle mixture into containers, leaving a 1/2 inch of space at the top for expansion in the fridge. Clean up any spills around the top and sides. Put on the lids.

  7. Let sit at room temperature without disturbing for 24 hours or until set. Put in the freezer until you're ready to eat it - store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. In the freezer it will last for 1 year.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from the SureJell pectin insert


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