Easy Raspberry Jam is a back-to-basics recipe that lets the natural flavor of raspberries shine. If you've ever wondered how to make homemade raspberry jam without pectin, this easy small-batch method is all that you need. Gather fresh raspberries, sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and you're all set. No fancy tools or canning required!
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves Easy Raspberry Jam
First time making jam? This is a great, easy-to-make homemade raspberry jam for beginners.
No canning needed. Easy storage in the freezer for up to a year. Perfect for gifting! Share a jar along with a container of Homemade Honey Butter or a little bag of Spiced Walnuts.
It makes a small batch of jam and is a great way to use up a few cups of fresh raspberries.
🍋 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Fresh Raspberries: One of the best things about making homemade jam with raspberries is that there's no peeling or pitting needed. Just rinse them off, and you are ready. Plus, since this is a small batch jam recipe, you only need 4 cups of berries. If you have extra berries, make a delicious Fresh Fruit Tart with Shortbread Crust or Croissant Bread Pudding!
Sugar: This adds sweetness to the fresh raspberries, but during the cooking process, it also helps the natural pectin in the fruit bond and create a gel. Sugar is an important ingredient; it helps give homemade jam its familiar, spreadable texture.
Lemon Juice: The fresh lemon juice adds natural pectin to the jam, which helps it thicken, while also adding a little bright tartness to the jam.
Salt: There's just a tiny amount of salt in this recipe, but it helps enhance the flavor of the raspberries.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredient list, including the measurements.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
This easy homemade raspberry jam thickens beautifully without added pectin, just simple ingredients and a few time-tested techniques. My mom has been making this recipe for years, it's as tried and true as her beloved Old-Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!
Step 1: Rinse the berries, then place them in a 2 or 3-quart saucepan on the stove. Use a fork or potato masher to gently mash some of the berries to release some of their liquid.
Step 2: Turn the heat to high and bring the raspberries to a boil.
Step 3: Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and continue simmering for 10-15 minutes, until the sugar reaches the soft-ball stage. This ensures the raspberry mixture will have the consistency of jam. (Be assured. It's easy to do this. Scroll down for details on how to know when the jam is done.)
Step 4: Pour the jam mixture into a large glass measuring cup with a spout. Let set and cool for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Pour the raspberry jam into clean jars. This makes about 2 ½ cups of jam.
Step 6: Let the jam cool for at least 10 minutes. Then place a lid on the container, label and either refrigerate or freeze the jars.
⭐ Pro Tip
This raspberry jam recipe is a freezer jam, which means it's not shelf-stable and should be stored in the fridge or freezer, not at room temperature.
But if you're curious about traditional canning, there's a great resource that walks you through it step by step. Head over to the National Center for Home Food Preservation for helpful tips, techniques and trusted guidelines for water bath canning and much more.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes! This is a great way to continue making homemade jam throughout the year. Just thaw the raspberries and drain them slightly before using.
Lemon juice is an important ingredient to include. It provides natural pectin and helps the jam thicken.
The "cold plate test" works great! It's a reliable way to check if your jam is done. Scroll down for the details under How to Know if Your Jam is Done Cooking.
Yes. After boiling the crushed berries, but before adding the sugar, lemon juice and salt, press the berries through a sieve, food mill or strainer.
Return the strained berry mixture to the pan, add the sugar, lemon juice and salt, and continue with the recipe as written.
🍓Substitutions
You can swap the raspberries for the same amount of:
- blackberries
- boysenberries
- strawberries
- blueberries
Or consider making a "mixed berry" jam and using a combination of any of the above, equal to 4 cups.
Berry jam is great to have on hand with so many serving options. Serve it with freshly baked basic biscuits, no-knead potato rolls, a cheese board, a charcuterie board or on the side with Handheld Charcuterie Cups.
♨️ How to Know if Your Jam is Done Cooking
It's important to cook the jam long enough for the sugar to reach what's known as the "soft-ball" stage. This gives jam its spreadable consistency.
Below are two methods to check that the jam has cooked long enough. Use whichever method is most convenient for you.
Candy Thermometer Test: The soft-ball temperature of sugar will vary depending on the altitude where you live; 220°F is the temperature needed at sea level. Reduce the temperature by 2° for every thousand feet above sea level.
For example, I live in Boise, Idaho, where the elevation is 2,700 feet, and my jam reaches the soft ball stage at about 215°F.
Cold Plate Test: Set a small plate in the freezer for a few minutes. Remove a spoonful of the jam mixture from the heat. Pour a small amount of the boiling jam onto the cold plate and set the plate back in the freezer for a minute or two. If the liquid has become like a syrup (similar to the consistency of pancake syrup) and it shows areas of being jelled, it's done.
If it's still liquid and runny, it needs to boil for a few more minutes. Examples below:
Cold Plate Test 1: This jam is not ready. There is no syrupy gel around the crushed raspberries and the liquid is running off the cold plate.
Cold Plate Test 2: This jam is ready! There are jelled portions of jam around the berries and the liquid has become sticky and has the consistency of syrup.
⭐ Pro Tip
This recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of jam. I like using small 4-ounce jars for storing it.
They're the perfect size for tucking into the fridge or freezer, and even better for gifting to friends and neighbors. Use glass jars or any freezer-safe container you have on hand, whatever works best for you!
👩🏻🍳 How to Store Easy Raspberry Jam
Refrigerator Storage: This raspberry jam keeps beautifully in the fridge. Just spoon it into clean jars or containers, pop on a lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. (Need it to last longer? Check out the freezer option below!)
Freezer Storage: The jam can be frozen for up to 1 year. When you are ready to enjoy or share it, thaw the jars or containers overnight in the refrigerator.
🍽 More Summer Recipes
Easy Raspberry Jam is the kind of recipe that just feels like summer in a jar. Here are a few more of my favorite recipes for summertime (or any time)!
If you make Easy Raspberry Jam, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Jennifer Grabruck says
The recipe was easy to follow and turned out great! I'm excited to share the jam with family and friends for the holidays!
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Wonderful! Thank you for the five-star rating, Jennifer and for coming back and leaving such a nice comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed the jam.
Kristen says
Just made my second batch, my family loved this so much. This recipe made about two jars with of jam and we went through it pretty quickly. Appreciated the ease of making this jam without having to go through all of the extra canning steps.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Kristen! I'm glad your family enjoyed the raspberry jam. Yay! Thank you for coming back and leaving such a nice comment.
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
(From Melinda) I hope you enjoy this delicious and super easy homemade raspberry jam recipe. My favorite part about it is you make a small batch! It's a great way to enjoy fresh raspberries.