Raspberry jam is one of the fastest preserves a person could make. Canning has a terrible reputation as being time-consuming- this recipe proves that canning can be quick, easy, and is a simple extension of the cooking process. Raspberry jam is a delight to give as gifts, easy to pick at U-pick farms, and delicious preserved in mason jars.
If you’ve happened upon this recipe, and realize it is a canning recipe, don’t click away. You can make the recipe below and eat it fresh, or better yet, let me teach you how to can- it’s so fun and easy! I have a free Canning Basics Course you can join right here!
I’ve timed myself several times making this recipe, as we have a gorgeous U-Pick very near my home, and I can go from berries in a basket to the stove OFF, jars sealed, and me walking out the door in 20 minutes (Read my post about the 5 Reasons to Visit a U-Pick here!). I’m not exaggerating. Once you start this recipe, be ready: It goes quickly!
True, I don’t have to search for my canning equipment (I know that can be a time suck for any activity) and this isn’t my first rodeo, but a newbie could easily complete this recipe in 30 minutes (Read my post on the Best Canning Equipment for a Beginner here or download the free equipment checklist below to get started!).
Not only is raspberry jam really fast in a water bath process, but it is also 15 minutes faster in a steam canner. Read more about these terrific, time savers here.
Raspberry Jam is Ideal for Beginners
because raspberries are naturally high in the acid that prohibits the growth of spoilers inside the jar after the jar is sealed.
Watch this video for more about why this is the fastest canning recipe to make!
The worst thing that could happen when making this jam is that it turns out a little thin. Thin jam is syrup, Wildflowers, and that is still a success in my book.
A note about pectin: Pectin is the plant version of cartilage in animals. It gives shape and stiffness to your jam and jelly (and we use the animal version as gelatin to make Jell-O, etc). I like to use store bought pectin to thicken my jams, and I typically use the powdered 1.75-ounce boxes because they are easy to halve (the liquid packs are hard to use just part of and are a bit messy) and they are inexpensive and found readily in grocery stores. Liquid pectin is nice because it mixes up nicely with your jam and there’s no threat of lumps but I’ve never had my powdered pectin lump up- when you sprinkle it in, be ready to whisk with vigor, as you mean it, for a few minutes.
If you’d like to skip the store-bought pectin (powdered or liquid) this might be a good jam to try it with because pectin hasn’t any bearing on the canned good’s safety (safety first, Wildflowers!) and raspberry seeds have a significant amount of natural pectin in them. The longer the raspberry jam is cooked (probably on lower heat and more slowly than the following Fast Raspberry Jam directions indicate), the more jam-stiffening natural pectin will be released from the seeds and the stiffer your jam will naturally be. As a comparison, strawberry jam won’t ever stiffen up quite the way raspberry will, naturally anyway, partially because raspberries have more seeds.
Fast Raspberry Jam Recipe
Download the free recipe printable here!
Yields 4 cups jam– you’ll need 16 tiny 4-ounce jars (so great for gifting or for a bridal shower!) 8 half-pint jars
Prepare your steam canner (I use this kind and love it)
3.5 pounds Raspberries (about 7 cups)
2/3 cup bottled lemon juice
1 1/2 cup sugar
Combine ingredients above in a preserving pan on medium heat while mashing with a potato masher or wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Be mindful that this is FAST raspberry jam- I’m not just saying that. This recipe can go from start to finish in under 20 minutes so be ready!
Whisk in a 1.75-ounce box of powdered pectin with vigor, and boil 1-2 minutes longer.
Jam can be eaten once it is cooled at this point, but to preserve it in canning jars, follow the following steps and if you’d like to learn more about canning, sign up for the FREE Canning Basics course beneath the recipe!
Ladle into hot jars (from the rack of your steam canner or from the boiling water pot) one at a time, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Apply lids and rings and process for 10 minutes at sea level, and add 5 minutes for every 1000 feet you live above sea level.
Learn how to can with me in my FREE Canning Basics Course here in a few easy email lessons!
This jam is a great one for gifting or sharing at a shower (bridal or baby). I made a tower of raspberry jam for a friend’s bridal shower and we arranged them in a cupcake tower. ADORABLE, right?! Grab these tags from Etsy and you are set!
Share your Love Into Jars, Wildflowers and grab the adorable Love Into Jars Baseball Tees right here!
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