Small Batch Raspberry Jam (no pectin)

Small batch raspberry jam is quick and easy to make, tastes amazingly fresh, is very different from preserves. 

You can adjust this recipe to use up whatever amount of berries you have on hand. A scant 3 cups of fruit will fill 2 jam jars (2 x 250 ml) or 1pint jar (500ml) The berries cook down as they set.

This jam needs no pectin and there is no need to hot water bath the jam. After it cools, you put it straight into the fridge or freezer.

It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare the jars and cook the jam. Easy peasy and hardly any clean up either.

Small batch jams are perfect for those of you who are like me – looking for quick, simple, less sugary and more fresh tasting.

This jam will be a bit less stiff than pectin jams, is a little bit runnier. Tastes so good, you will wonder why you haven’t been doing this all along. I know that is what I was thinking!

To gel (set up) a no pectin jam, you need these three things…

1. To cook for a longer amount of time, in this case, about 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Lemon juice. With low pectin fruits like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, use more lemon juice, for medium pectin fruits, some lemon, and for high pectin fruits, no lemon needed.
3. About 60% as much sugar as you have berries.

I had 2 cups of raspberries, so used just over 1 cup of sugar. You can add more sugar if you want sweeter, but not less.

Skim off the foam as it boils, plus remove some of the seeds if you want less seedy jam. 

Ingredients & How To

• 2 cups of raspberries
• 1 heaping cup of sugar
• 1/2 medium sized lemon

Put the berries into the pot, add sugar and squeeze in the lemon juice. I used one whole lemon as it was on the smaller size. 

Turn up the temp to a high heat and bring to a boil. Cook on high for the first 5 minutes, stirring often. Skim off any foam and discard or add a dollop of butter. My mom always skimmed, so that is what I do.

Lower to a medium heat and cook jam for an additional 20 minutes, stirring regularly. For looser jam, cook 5 minutes less (I like looser : )

To check the set of the jam, drop some jam onto a chilled plate. If it sets up nicely to your liking, does not run all over the plate, it is ready.

Let the jam cool for 10 minutes, pour or scoop into clean mason jars, leaving 1 cm of headspace. Place in fridge where they will store for 3 – 4 weeks, or place in the freezer for up to 6 months.

*Optional – use a sieve to remove some of the seeds. I just wanted to reduce the amount of seeds, so I scooped them into a sieve, mashed them about a bit, then discarded the seeds. If you want to get rid of all the seeds, pour the jam into a sieve over top of a new pot, mash it through till you only have seeds left in the sieve.

I like to boil my jars for a bit, to make sure they are sterile, if the jar has been sitting on the shelf for a while. If it is straight from the dishwasher, I don’t bother. Even though the jam is not going in the pantry, I want to make sure the jars are super clean.

Enjoy your lovely, quick and easy, homemade jam on toast or on ice cream : ) … or make raspberry dessert bars! These Raspberry Sourdough Crumble Bars are a huge hit with hubs and the coffee ladies.