This Raspberry Freezer Jam recipe extends the enjoyment of the summertime raspberry season, with a much fresher, brighter flavor than store-bought jam. It’s also crazy quick and easy to make, with only 3 ingredients plus water!
Summer’s raspberry season is all too short – and this homemade Raspberry Freezer Jam recipe is a wonderful way to preserve those berries and save some of the goodness for later. In our house, jams and sauces with fresh fruit are commonplace – some other favorites include tart Rhubarb Sauce, Strawbery Sauce, and fragrant Peach Freezer Jam, just to name a few!
Why This Jam Is a Family Favorite
When our raspberry patch is kickin’ out buckets of fresh berries, more than we can possibly eat, you can bet that we are making jam. Homemade fresh raspberry jam is one of the most wonderful things, with the freshest, brightest berry flavor. If you’ve never had it before, let me tell you: you’re in for a treat! Here’s why we love it:
- Beautiful, sweet, raspberries. We never tire of raspberries. Eaten simply one by one, preserved in jam, frozen in sorbet, swirled on a brownie in my favorite raspberry buttercream, or baked into coffee cake, scones, or cheesecake…we are truly raspberry lovers.
- No canning needed – the easiest jam to make. Freezer jam is a much quicker and easier way to make homemade jam, without the intimidation factor of canning’s boiling water process. It’s so easy to make, that our daughters have been mostly doing it all on their own since they were in their early teens! Rather than storing at room temperature in the pantry, freezer jam is stored in the freezer – and it keeps well for an entire year that way.
- Versatile + customizable. From breakfast to dessert, there are endless ways to use this raspberry freezer jam, and there are also a lot of opportunities to customize the flavor. For a little mixed berry flavor, Raspberry Blackberry Freezer Jam is a favorite. I share more ideas later in this post.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions. Yes, you only need 3 ingredients (plus water) to make this raspberry freezer jam!
- Raspberries – Crush the berries, then measure them. About 6 cups of whole berries will equal the 3 cups of crushed berries you’ll need for the recipe, but this can vary depending on the size of berries you’re starting with.
- Sugar – Freezer jams rely on a good amount of granulated sugar, but please don’t try to use less. The sugar isn’t just for sweetness in a jam; it also helps it set.
- Water – This is mixed with the pectin to create a thickening agent to mix into the crushed berries.
- Pectin – I’ve always used SURE-JELL Original Premium Fruit Pectin, in the yellow box!
How to Make Raspberry Freezer Jam
I share some additional tips in the Notes section of the recipe card at the bottom of the post, so be sure to read those before you get started.
- Combine the berries and sugar. After crushing and measuring the berries (see the ingredient notes above), stir in the sugar and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This brings out the natural sweet juices of the berries.
- Boil the pectin and water. Stir together the water and pectin, then bring this mixture to a boil while stirring. Let it boil for a minute, then remove from the heat.
- Add the pectin and water to the fruit. Stir the hot pectin mixture into the bowl with the berries until the sugar dissolves.
- Transfer to jars. Divide the raspberry jam mixture into clean jars, leaving a half inch of head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel to keep the lids from sticking, then screw them on.
- Cool and store. Let the jam stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then refrigerate or freeze.
Variations
You know me. I like to tinker with recipes and variations. As long as you’re not changing the overall ratios of the recipe, it will still set nicely. Here are some variations we’ve tried over the years.
- Give it some heat. One of our favorite variations, we like to add 1/4 cup of minced jalapeño pepper to give this jam a mild heat factor. This works especially lovely as an appetizer, served with crackers and cream cheese or goat cheese. Also try brushing the jam onto chicken breasts a couple minutes before taking them off the grill. So good!
- Add vanilla. Slice open a vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the berry and sugar mixture, or stir in vanilla bean paste. The vanilla complements the raspberry flavor very nicely.
- Stir in some cardamom. Another subtle flavor addition is ground cardamom, which has a cozy, citrusy note to it. Start by adding just 1/4 teaspoon, as it’s a strong-flavored spice. Taste after stirring the pectin mixture into the fruit and add more cardamom if desired.
Our Favorite Ways to Use Raspberry Jam
For breakfast, slather some raspberry freezer jam onto toasted English Muffin Bread or spoon it over Cottage Cheese Pancakes or Yeasted Waffles. We also enjoy layering it with Greek yogurt and Homemade Almond Coconut Granola for breakfast parfaits. And it’s delicious for dessert, spooned over Lemon Pound Cake with a dollop of homemade whipped cream!
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store jars of raspberry freezer jam in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Freezer: Frozen, this jam will last up to a year. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before using. Once thawed, it will last another month in the fridge.
More Homemade Jam Recipes
Raspberry Freezer Jam
Yield: 8 cups
This Raspberry Freezer Jam is the easiest you'll ever make—no canning needed! It's a delicious way to extend the life of your berries.
Print
Ingredients
- 3 cups crushed ripe red raspberries (you will need about 6 cups whole raspberries to equal 3 cups crushed)
- 5¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 box (1.75-ounce) SURE-JELL Original Premium Fruit Pectin (in the yellow box)
Instructions
- Before you start, be sure to read my Notes at the bottom of this recipe card.
- To prepare crushed raspberries, place berries in a large bowl and crush them with a rigid pastry blender or potato masher. My goal is to have mostly crushed berries, with some small bits of fruit. Measure exactly 3 cups of crushed berries into a separate large bowl.
- Measure exactly 5¼ cups sugar; add to the crushed raspberries. Stir to combine well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
- In a small saucepan, stir together pectin and ¾ cup water. Pectin may start out lumpy. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Stir hot pectin mixture into berry mixture. Then stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. If a few sugar crystals remain, that's ok.
- Immediately fill containers with the hot jam, leaving ½″ headspace at top for expansion during freezing. I like to use a ladle and a canning funnel for easier filling. With a damp paper towel, wipe the rims of the containers clean. Then screw on lids.
- Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Then store in the refrigerate for up to 1 month. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.
Notes
Before you start:
- Gather eight 1-cup to 2-cup size freezer-safe containers with tight-fitting lids. If you will be refrigerating the jam, go ahead and use glass canning jars. Wash them with hot water and dish soap. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
- Use perfectly ripe, sweet raspberries for the best flavor and set. Inferior fruit (both under-ripe and over-ripe) will produce inferior jam.
- Measure ingredients exactly. Altering recipes or ingredients could cause a set failure.
- This recipe calls for a lot of sugar, as most freezer jams do, but do not alter the amount and do not use a sugar substitute. If you want to use less sugar, look for Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes in the pink box, and follow the package instructions.
- Know that the finished product will not be as firm as a processed jam. It will be more loose, with a very spreadable consistency.
- Because this jam is not cooked, it must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep best for about a month in the refrigerator, so store your jam in smaller containers that will be used up faster. Keep one jar in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer for later.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 2tablespoons Calories: 72kcal Carbohydrates: 18g Protein: 0.1g Fat: 0.1g Saturated Fat: 0.003g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g Sodium: 2mg Potassium: 17mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 17g Vitamin A: 4IU Vitamin C: 3mg Calcium: 3mg Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
Awesome served with cream cheese and crackers with a sprig of rosemary on top. I give this as Christmas gifts.
Could I substitute strawberries for the raspberries? Would it be an even swap?
This sounds amazing! Did you just use the flesh of the pepper or did you use the seeds and membrane also?
I did try it without seeds using the Sure Jell less-sugar pectin recipe and it turned out amazing! Your ratio of raspberries to jalapenos was perfect — neither flavor dominates and they harmonize together! Since the Sure Jell less-sugar recipe uses 4 cups of berries instead of 3 cups, I calculated your ratio and came up with 4 cups berries and 1/3 cup jalapenos. And I also did a small batch using the seedless raspberry recipe I normally use with Ball freezer jam pectin and it tasted too sugary and had an almost granular texture. I didn’t know Sure Jell pectin could be use for freezer jam, so I learned two important things from your recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Have you tried this raspberry jalapeno recipe without raspberry seeds? Would the recipe be the same? I have read that some of the natural pectin in raspberries is in the fruit next to the seeds, so it seems to me that draining the raspberry juice (or as I call it, “pure raspberry goodness”) means less naturally occurring pectin.
Hi Vicki – no, I have not tried making this seedless. I happen to really like raspberry seeds! :)
Saving this recipe! I have about 5 different recipes for jalapeño jelly–from straight up jalapeño to cranberry jalapeño! I even made my first batch of strawberry jalapeño this spring. Cant wait to try your version! Makes an awesome hostess gift! By the way, I once read a post by Marisa at foodinjars where she said that she puts this kind or any smidge of jam she has lurking in her fridge on a grilled cheese. Let me tell you…it is amazing! My fave is marmalade on a grilled brie sandwich with apple. But I think some of yours would also be amazing!
Love the little kick in this freezer jam!
Raspberries are in short supply here, could I use frozen???
I have a bunch of little really, really hot peppers in my garden – think they would taste ok? Defintely could not use the same ratio of jalapenos vs these little guys as they are way hotter i think.
Yes, I’m sure they would work great. You’ll just have to adjust to your level of heat comfort!
Looks delicious. Do you suppose it would be good with blackberries or even blueberries?
Definitely. I like the blackberry idea!
Jalapenos… mmmmmm. This sounds so delish, I can’t stand it! Love the combo of raspberries with jalapenos. And, love the fact that it’s quick and easy. :)
Thanks, Lauren! :)