Tips and Advice - Canning and Preserving Food

This homemade raspberry jam is yummy, but very precious, as you make it in small batches. The recipe makes 4 half pint jelly jars. You can even make it in the smaller 4 oz half jelly jar size to give as small sampler gifts. You could double it, but raspberries need to be processed VERY soon after picking so don't wait too long. Your friends will clamor for more, but savor it as a special treat. Mine were fresh wild berries picked from the North Georgia mountains in bear country.

Small batches of Homemade Raspberry Jam

4 cups of red raspberries
3 cups of white sugar *
1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice *

Step 1 Preparing the Jars for Raspberry Jam

Get the jars and lids sterilizing in the dishwasher which is fine for the jars. Be sure to let it go through the rinse cycle to get rid of any soap!  It's also a good time to start heating up the water in the canner and the small pan of water to boil the lids.
At this point where you are ready to start making your recipe, go ahead and get the water-bath canner water started heating. Let it get up to a boil and then turn it off if you are not yet ready for it. Keep the lid on it to retain heat and steam evaporation.

Lids:  Put the lids into a pan of boiling water for at least several minutes. This helps soften the sealing compound of the lid. This is why the little lid lifter with the magnet is cool, because they get very hot. I have also found it good to layer my lids in an alternating fashion in the pan, so they don't stick to each other.

Step 2 Make your own homemade Raspberry Jam

In a medium size pot on the stove, gently crush the raspberries with a masher. Add the sugar and let stand for an hour.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice. Boil rapidly stirring often as to not it burn or stick, for 15-20 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Test for set if you like. I am fine with mine being more soft.

Step 3 Bottle and Process the Raspberry Jam

Remove from heat. Pour the raspberry jam into the hot sterilized jars, leaving a ¼ inch head space. Make sure the rims of the jars are clean.  Put a lid on and hand tighten the ring around them.  Put them in the canner and keep them cover with at least 1 inch of water and boiling.

Process your homemade Raspberry Jam in a simple boiling water bath for 10 minutes, if you are at sea level and up to 1,000 feet.  Add 5 minutes extra per 2,000+ feet. After carefully lift the heavy jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them on a towel in a draft-free place overnight  Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it with-in a week or so.
You can then remove the rings if you like the day after. I have found that it's a good idea to take the rings off, as in case there is a problem you will catch it quicker, plus the rings last longer as they might otherwise rust in place.
Make sure you label and date them. Use within 12 months.

* NOTE:

yes, you can experiment with other sweeteners later. Always try to me a recipe according to directions first, and then play around with it and make it your own. This also goes for the lemon juice. We are dealing with a known quality based on its strength.

Photo of fresh wild raspberries, copyright  Michael Gokey 2009