Raspberry Jam

Growing up my mum always made jam in summer.

We would go down to the local berry farms and pick all the berries and then come home and help mum create the most amazing raspberry, strawberry and blackberry jams. You name it my mum would make it.

We would then use the jams to make jam tarts or thumb print cookies, give it as a small gift to friends and family and lather it on our toast for months on end.

As this was the first year in a while I haven't spent Christmas Eve with my family (they decided to go to the coast instead) I decided to pull out mums old recipes and give some of her jams a crack.

I decided that I would make two, one strawberry and one raspberry jam. The raspberry jam I ended up keeping to have on my toast and the strawberry jam I used to make little jam tarts.

Unfortunately I do not have a berry farm close by, and needing quite a large volume of berries decided it may be a little too expensive for my first attempt to spend the $6 a punnet on fresh berries when I knew I wanted to make a relatively large batch of each jam and wasn't even sure if they would set or not.

So I opted to use frozen berries this time, and surprisingly both jams turned out beautifully, the jams were full of flavour and set perfectly.

There are a couple of different ways to set jam, some people use pectin other people just use lemons. Following mums lead, I used lemons to set both my jams.

As for the amount of sugar, you can amend the sugar content depending how sweet or tarte you prefer your jam. Just be mindful that the sugar acts as the preservative in the jam, so reducing the sugar content may lessen the storage time. Best to keep it in the fridge just incase.

It is also extremely important to make sure you sterilise your jars and lids prior to placing your jam inside. I personally sterilised my jars and lids in a large pot filled with boiling water.

For other ways to sterilise your jars check out the below post!

How to Property Sterilise Preserving Jars

Today I am sharing with you my mums small batch raspberry jam recipe

Recipe

Ingredients

500g Raspberries (Fresh or Frozen)

438g Sugar

1 Lemon

Recipe

1. Sterilise your jars and lids, either in the oven or in a pot with boiling water. To sterilise the jars, wash jars and metal lids in hot, soapy water until spotless. Place jars and lids on a baking tray that allows some space between them. Heat in the oven for 25 minutes. Alternatively, place lids in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes. Place on a clean rack to dry.

2. If using fresh raspberries, go through the fruit and remove stalks, leaves and bad raspberries.

3. Squeeze juice of half a lemon into a small bowl. Reserve the juiced half.

4. Place the raspberries in your largest heavy-based pan. My mum always used the large heavy based soup pot, so this is what I have used today. Make sure it is spotless.

5. Add sugar and lemon juice, place on high heat and start stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon. Ensure the mixture never stays in contact with the pan's bottom or edges too long. Do not burn the jam. The fruit will break down and release its juice. The sugar will dissolve. Add the juiced lemon half.

6. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Keep jam at a rolling boiling but not so overheated that it foams out of the pan. Then remove the lemon half.

7. After about 15 minutes you'll notice the jam starts to smell a little cooked, and that it resists your wooden spoon as the liquid evaporates.

8. Watch how the jam behaves on the edge of your wooden spoon. Early on, it will run cleanly off. As it gets to the perfect setting point the mix will roll down slowly, form little dollops and look a bit jellified. If so, it's done.

9. Carefully ladle the jam into the jars to fill just past shoulders. Screw on lids. Wipe cooled jars clean.

You will notice that when the jam cools the lid on the jars will pop indicating an airtight seal.

This recipe can be upscaled, just be sure that you keep the same ratio for each ingredient.

Raspberry jam can be stored in a cool dry place for up to 6 months, once opened store in the fridge and use within a month. I like to air on the side of caution so will be keeping my jam jars in the fridge to be safe.

Happy preserving!