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Raspberry Freezer Jam
Fresh raspberries, vanilla, and lemon provide the perfect combination of sweet and tart in this raspberry freezer jam that can be enjoyed year-round!
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This homemade raspberry freezer jam is a bright, delicious way to add summer flavors to your breakfast or brunch table. Just a few simple ingredients, including fresh raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar, and you can enjoy the tastiest homemade jam year-round.
Raspberry Freezer Jam Ingredients
This raspberry freezer jam is a burst of fresh raspberry flavor, balanced with just the right amount of sweetness from granulated sugar and a touch of tartness from lemon juice.
This jam captures the essence of ripe raspberries and is perfect for adding fruity goodness to your favorite dishes.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup of fresh raspberries, mashed
- 1½ cups of granulated sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon (1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 (1.75-ounce) box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin
- ¾ cup of water
- 3 half-pint jars
PRO TIP:
If you want to make a low sugar or no-sugar version of this freezer raspberry jam, you will need to get specific pectin for this. Don’t just reduce the sugar as the recipe won’t work.
Substitutions And Additions
LEMON: This easy recipe uses fresh lemon to get the best flavor, but if you only have lemon juice from concentrate on hand, you can use that too.
RASPBERRIES: You can use frozen raspberries but make sure they are ones that don’t come coated in any sugar or sweetener, or this will affect the balance of the recipe.
How To Make This Raspberry Freezer Jam Recipe
Let’s walk through the easy steps to making this fresh, fruity jam.
STEP ONE: Mash the raspberries and measure exactly 1 cup of the fruit – keep it exact!
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
If you don’t like seeds in your jam, it is easy to remove them. Once you have mashed the raspberries, put them through a fine metal strainer which will remove the seeds. Make sure you still get 1 cup of raspberries after straining and add more if needed to ensure you have the right ratio.
STEP TWO: Place the raspberries in a mixing bowl and add sugar, stirring until combined.
STEP THREE: Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
STEP FOUR: While the raspberry mixture is resting, prepare the pectin. Combine the pectin with water in a small saucepan and whisk together over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
STEP FIVE: Once boiling, set the timer for one minute and cook, stirring constantly. Don’t cook for more than one minute.
STEP SIX: Add the pectin to the raspberry jam mixture and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
STEP SEVEN: Add the jam to clean and dry jam jars until there is ½ inch of space at the top of each jar.
STEP EIGHT: Seal the jars tightly and leave them at room temperature for 24 hours before either refrigerating or freezing.
PRO TIP:
Be sure to let the jam cool completely before chilling.
How To Serve
Serve this no-fail, super easy raspberry freezer jam any time of the day. Spread it on your morning toast and English muffins, or add it to a piece of crusty bread with cream cheese.
Try it on our 2 ingredient bagels or buttermilk biscuits. It would even be yummy on our no-yeast dinner rolls.
Scoop it on top of waffles or pancakes along with whipped cream or on top of a bowl of plain yogurt. You could also have it for dessert drizzled on top of ice cream with our hot fudge sauce.
If you find you have raspberries left after making the jam, why not try some homemade raspberry lemonade as well? Or you could put the raspberries to use with other berries in a classic berry upside down cake.
MORE RASPBERRY RECIPES
Storage
We’ve got a few handy tips for storing this delightful jam so that you can enjoy it later.
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE: It is definitely best to only leave homemade freezer jam at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the pectin to set.
After this, you need to pop it in the fridge or freezer, or bacteria could start to grow.
IN THE FRIDGE: Once the jam reaches room temperature, you can store it in the fridge. It will keep for up to four weeks.
If you put it in the fridge but then decide to freeze it, do it within a day or two.
IN THE FREEZER: Alternatively, when it is cooled, place the jars in the freezer.
Make sure the batch of freezer jam is completely cooled; otherwise, the change of temperature that comes from putting it in the freezer could cause the glass to crack.
Once there, it will keep for up to 12 months.
If you love delicious homemade jam, then this easy raspberry freezer jam recipe will be perfect. The raspberry preserves perfectly due to the pectin and the colder temperatures, and you can have a jar ready anytime you want for up to a whole year – if it lasts that long!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is freezer jam?
Freezer jam is different from traditional jam because the fruit is either uncooked or only simmered a little and doesn’t require the jars to be fully sterilized before filling.
Can my glass jars be stored in the freezer?
Your glass jars can be stored in the freezer. Just make sure that you don’t expose them to extreme temperature changes. For example, make sure that you don’t take your frozen jar and put it in hot water. This will cause your glass jar to crack. This is also one reason why you want your freshly made jam to sit at room temperature for 24 hours and not put your hot jam in the freezer right away.
Can you use frozen berries to make this homemade raspberry jam?
You can use frozen berries instead of fresh berries to make this easy raspberry jam recipe as long as you make sure that they have not been coated with sugar or sweetener. Use an equal amount of frozen fruit for fresh fruit.
Do you have to process freezer jam in a hot water bath?
As long as the jam is kept in the refrigerator or freezer, you do not need to process it in a hot water bath or with any special canning equipment.
Where can I find pectin at the grocery store?
You can usually find pectin in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Strawberry Freezer Jam
- Cherry Cobbler Muffins
- Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Baked Brie with Jam
Raspberry Freezer Jam
Fresh raspberries, vanilla, and lemon provide the perfect combination of sweet and tart in this raspberry freezer jam that can be enjoyed year-round!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 3 half pint jars
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, mashed
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1.75 ounces Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin
- ¾ cup water
- 3 half-pint jars
Instructions
- Mash fresh raspberries and measure out exactly 1 cup of the mashed fruit.
- Place raspberries in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Stir until well combined.
- Stir in lemon juice and vanilla and let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the raspberry mixture is resting, prepare pectin.
- Combine pectin and water in a small pan and whisk together over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, while stirring frequently.
- Once boiling, set timer for 1 minute and cook, stirring constantly. Do not cook pectin for more than 1 minute.
- Add pectin to raspberry mixture and stir until all the sugar has been dissolved.
- Once the sugar has been dissolved, you are ready to place into jars. Make sure jars are clean and dry before storing jam.
- Fill jars until jam reaches ½ inch from the top.
- Seal jars tightly with a lid and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours before placing in the freezer or refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- If you want to make a low sugar or no-sugar version of this freezer raspberry jam, you will need to get specific pectin for this. Don’t just reduce the sugar as the recipe won’t work.
- If you don’t like seeds in your jam, it is easy to remove them. Once you have mashed the raspberries, put them through a fine metal strainer which will remove the seeds. Make sure you still get 1 cup of raspberries after straining and add more if needed to ensure you have the right ratio.
- Be sure to let the jam cool completely before chilling.
Nutrition
Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 102g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
jay platte says
perfect for PB and J! so delicious!!
Sarah says
I’m going to be making this for my Christmas baskets as gifts this year – how far in advanced can I make this jam and what would be the best way to store it until I give them to my family?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Sarah – you can make it as soon as you’d like. Allow to set at room temp for 24 hours and then put in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to gift. It should be put back in the fridge or freezer after gifting. Enjoy!
Nel says
Wondering if I can put in plastic Tupperware freezer containers instead of glass jars?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Nel! I never have tried that personally, so I can’t speak for sure the best way to do it.. I did Google quickly and it sounds like you could.
Bobette says
Can you use other fruits? If so what ones.
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Bobette – this recipe is specific to raspberries. I know that you can do the same with strawberries or other fruits, but I think the amounts would need to be adjusted slightly. I haven’t personally tested out other fruits with this, so I can’t say for sure what adjustments you should make!
Cheryl Walker says
Can you use Splenda in place of sugar to make this jam?
Layne Kangas says
I have never tried that, so I am not sure how it would turn out! Let me know if you test it!
Linda says
Hi.. Iโve used the Splenda.. with great results.. hope you tried it!!
Layne Kangas says
Woo hoo, great news!
Mia says
Hi, I picked up beautiful box of raspberries today. My question is why the vanilla extract and is it necessary. Will theyโre be a strong taste of vanilla with it being a tablespoon.
Secondly, my grocery had packets of freezer jam pectin (less than half the sugar of freezer jams with regular pectin) stated on the packet. And itโs 45 grams.
Will this work?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Mia – it will not taste overwhelmingly like vanilla – it’s delicious! For the pectin, I would assume that would work fine. 45 grams is about 5 grams less than the packet (1.75 ounces) that we use in our recipe.
Brenda Carlson says
Do you have to wait 24 hrs before you can eat it? I’m making it tonight and want to have it for breakfast in the morning.
Layne Kangas says
I always have so I am not sure how it will be if you have it early!
janet andrews says
wonder if l can switch strawberries for rasberries
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Janet – here’s our recipe for raspberry freezer jam, enjoy!
Jeannette Shields says
Thank you for this easy but yummy recipe! Thank you also for the tip about not decreasing the amount of sugar if you (I) want because I would have done exactly that!!
Nikki says
Would you have a recipe for freezer “Grape Jam”… The only one I have is pressure cooker?????
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Nikki – I’m sorry, we don’t have grape!