This easy raspberry jam is as simple as it gets; just 3 ingredients and about 20 minutes to a sticky, sweet, raspberry spread you’ll want to use in or on everything. This vibrant, ruby-red jam is loaded with flavour and colour from real raspberries – no additives.
What’s more, making raspberry jam from scratch means you can make it to a consistency you like – spoonable and soft or thick and spreadable. Perfect for cakes, pastries or generously slathered on toast, this homemade jam is almost effortless. It’s just lovely in this Raspberry Sponge Cake.
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❤️ Why you’ll love it
- Just 3 simple ingredients
- Ready in around 20 minutes
- Fresh or frozen raspberries – make it any time of year
- Naturally bright red – no artificial colours
- You control the thickness and texture
- Perfect for baking, desserts or breakfast
Ingredients & substitutions
With just 3 ingredients, this raspberry jam recipe is delicious, quick and easy.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
- Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe. If using frozen, they’ll likely create more liquid so the jam will take a little longer to thicken up. Avoid underripe raspberries – they will add a bitter flavour to your jam.
- Sugar: Jam contains a lot of sugar. I don’t get into sugar substitutes and don’t recommend reducing the sugar, unless you’re happier with a runnier consistency and less flavour. This easy jam does not contain added pectin so the sugar assists with thickness.
- Lemon juice: A little acidity from freshly squeezed lemon juice does two things, adding balance to the sweetness and activating the pectin naturally found in raspberries. Don’t use bottled lemon juice.
Pectin is a natural, soluble fibre found in fruits and vegetables. It is often added to jam to help jam set thicker. This recipe uses only the pectin found in the raspberries themselves (a low-pectin fruit) and lemon juice. While lemons are high in pectin, most of that pectin is found in the skin and seeds, however the acidity from lemon juice helps to activate the pectin in the raspberries.
All that to say, this homemade raspberry jam does not rely on any added pectin, just that found naturally in the fruits used. I also don’t use jam sugar.
How to make raspberry jam
Making raspberry jam from scratch is so incredibly simple. Everything is added to a saucepan over heat and cooked until thick and sweet.
Jump to the recipe card for full quantities and instructions.
1. Combine the ingredients
Add the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Let it come to a boil and use a metal spoon to skim away any foam that forms. Removing this foam gives your jam more clarity, bold colour, and prevents it looking cloudy.
2. Let it thicken
Let it bubble away and thicken for 10-12 minutes.
3. Test consistency
Once it’s looking fairly thick, place a small spoonful onto a plate that’s been chilling in the freezer. Within one minute it will be cool enough to check what the final consistency will be. You want it to be soft but still sit up on the plate, not just spread out or run.
Storage
Room temperature
This raspberry jam recipe, as written, is not made for long storage or storage at room temperature.
You can extend it’s shelf-life to many months by making sure to sterilise the jars (wash in hot soapy water, rinse then dry in an oven preheated to 120C /250F) and keeping them hot in the oven while you make the jam. Pour the jam into the hot jars and seal immediately with a tight-fitting lid.
Refrigerator
Store the jam in an airtight container or jar for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Freezer
To prolong the shelf-life of homemade raspberry jam, you can freeze it for up to 6 months. If you do this in large ice cube trays, you can just thaw it as needed.
FAQs
No. Use the raspberries straight from the freezer.
This raspberry jam has not been created with a water bath and is best used quickly.
Once you’ve made jam from scratch, it’s hard to go back. It’s delicious, easy and has so many uses.
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Ingredients
- 300 g raspberries fresh or frozen
- 200 g white granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Heavy based medium saucepan
Instructions
- Place a small dish in the freezer for testing consistency later.
- Place the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir as it heats to dissolve the sugar.
- Let it come to a low bubble and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes, stirring from time to time so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Use a spoon to skim away any foam that develops over the top.
- After about 8 minutes, test the jam by place a small spoonful onto the cold plate and let it sit for 1 minute. It should basically hold it’s shape and be thick but spreadable. If not, cook a little longer and test again, making sure to always use a cold dish.Tip: Don’t worry if you take it over and make it too thick, you can just add a little boiling water and stir it in then let it cool before checking again.
- Transfer the jam to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge. Use within 2-3 weeks.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Nutritional information shown is per cup.
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2 Comments on “Easy Raspberry Jam (No Pectin)”
Great recipe. It turned out sweet and sour, just right. I used it as a cupcake filling
I’m so happy you love it, Yuyulia but would love to know what would get it that extra star?