Less Sugar Cooked Raspberry Jam Recipe

Homemade Low-Sugar Raspberry Jam

Is there anything better than raspberry jam? No. The answer is no. This Less Sugar Cooked Raspberry Jam Recipe is sure to make your PB&J do a happy dance all the way to your belly! If you love raspberries like I do, check out these delicious raspberry desserts next.

My aunt has an incredible raspberry patch that grows along a small stream at her house. It produces gallons and gallons of raspberries a year. She has always generously given lots of them to my mother, so I grew up eating delicious raspberry freezer jam and got addicted. Now I’m a bit of a jam snob.

Meanwhile, while I was growing up eating lots of delicious raspberry freezer jam, my husband was growing up 3 hours north of me, eating lots of raspberry cooked jam. His family lived near Bear Lake, which is famous for delicious raspberries, and his mom always picked or purchased flats of them each summer to make loads of cooked raspberry jam.

Love Berries? Try these Awesome Desserts:

• Brown Butter Raspberry Pie
• Homemade Danish Dessert
• Fresh Raspberry Lemon Tart Bars
• Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake
• Raspberry Shortcake Dessert
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Now that we’re married, I make both types to keep the nostalgia alive for both of us. I like freezer just a little bit better because it tastes so fresh, but this Less Sugar Cooked Raspberry Jam is a VERY close second. It’s awesome and with less sugar. Not only is it a little better for you, but without the extra sugar, the taste of the raspberries really comes shining through.

One of the reasons I love having cooked jam on hand–besides being my husband’s hero–is that it doesn’t take up freezer space, and is great for food storage.

When I first saw the No Sugar/Less Sugar packages of pectin, I thought, “Ew. These probably have a nasty aftertaste and use sugar substitutes.” I wasn’t entirely wrong. They do offer the option of using sugar substitutes, but they also have recipes for using less regular sugar. That is what I do, and we LOVE IT!

How to Make Less Sugar Cooked Raspberry Jam

• Prepare the lids by placing them in a small pan on the stove and covering them with an inch of water. Wait to turn the burner on as instructed in Step 7.
• Next, measure the sugar into a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Measurements need to be EXACT when making jam.
• Crush berries in a blender or with a potato smasher until completely crushed. Measure them 1 cup at a time into a large saucepan (at least a 4-quart) until you have measured all 5 cups.
• Next, add 2 tsp lemon juice and stir.
• Add 1/4 cup of the sugar from the bowl you pre-measured, and also add the pectin package. Stir well.
• Turn the burner on to medium-high and stir continuously until the fruit mixture comes to a full boil. (A full boil is when boiling doesn’t stop when you stir it.)
• Once the fruit mixture is boiling, now turn on the burner for the lids to bring the water to a boil. You want them to be hot and ready as soon as you pour the jam in and wipe the tops of the jars.
• Next, stir in the remaining pre-measured sugar to the fruit mixture and add the 1 tsp butter or margarine. Bring back to a full boil. Boil for exactly 1 min. 
• When the full minute of boiling is over, remove from heat and pour into prepared jars.
• As soon as you get the jam into the prepared jars, have a clean, wet cloth ready to wipe the rims of the jars to make sure no sugar or jam is on them at all. Clean rims help guarantee that your bottles will seal.
• Next, use a fork or small tong to get the hot lid out of the small saucepan and place it on the clean rim. Quickly add the ring and screw it on tightly. If you need to move the jar from where it is, use a canning tong to carry it very carefully by the rim to a flat space. (I use my counter with a clean towel on it.)
• Let the jam sit there for at least 18-24 hours untouched or until it seals and is completely cool. Do not touch the top to see if it is sealed for at least 12 hours. You should hear a pop sound within 2 hours of the jam being in the jar. That sound means the jar has sealed.
• If for some reason your jars do not seal by following this method, you will need to process them. I have never not had one seal.

Sometimes people get discouraged at the idea of making cooked jam because they think they’ll have to process it. Well, take it from me, who took it from my mother-in-law, who has made cooked jam at least 100,000 times in her day. (Did I mention my husband is 1 of 10?) You do not have to process the jam. If you get it into the jars quickly while it is still really hot and get the lid and rim on securely, it will seal on its own. Yes, folks, on its own…no getting out all the crazy canning stuff. HALLELUJAH!

I do it this way all the time now. 

Alright. Let’s get you started, whether you are a jam pro or this is your first time. You will love how simple this jam is to make, and you will especially love eating it and feeding it to your family, knowing it has less sugar than other jams.

Tips for Making Cooked Raspberry Jam

• Measurements need to be EXACT when making jam.
• Make sure to prepare the lids by placing them in a small pan on the stove and covering them with an inch of water. I turn the burner on for the lids when I add the sugar to the boiling fruit mixture. Then the lids will be hot and ready when the jam is finished.
• I have my timer preset to 1 minute, so all I have to do is press start when the fruit-sugar mixture comes to a boil.
• Have a clean, wet cloth ready to wipe the rims of the jars to make sure no sugar or jam is on them at all. Clean rims help guarantee that your bottles will seal.
• After you have placed the lids on and screwed the rings on, do not touch the top to see if it is sealed for at least 12 hours. You should hear a pop sound within 2 hours of the jam being in the jar. That sound means the jar has sealed.
• Remember, if a jar does not seal and you don’t want to process it, you can just keep it in your fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Chef’s Tools for Less Sugar Raspberry Jam:

• Sure-Jell No Sugar Needed Pectin
• Canning Jars
• Potato Masher
• Canning Funnels
• Measuring Cups
• Canning Kit

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5.0 from 3 reviews

Less Sugar Cooked Raspberry Jam Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Delicious Raspberry Jam, which tastes fresh and delicious. This recipe uses less sugar than typical Raspberry Jam Recipes but does not compromise on flavor.

Author: SureJell Recipe in the Less or No Sugar Package

Recipe type: Jam/Condiment

Serves: 7-8 cups

Ingredients

• 10 cups of raspberries (This will make 5 cups once you crush them.)
• 1 box Sure-Jell No Sugar Needed Pectin (It is in a pink box. See picture above.)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp butter or margarine
• 2-quart jars or 4 pint jars, clean and prepared
• Lids and rings for jars (Lids need to be heated before placing on top of filled jars.)
• Clean wet cloth (for wiping the rims of the jars)

Instructions

1. Prepare the lids by placing them in a small pan on the stove and covering them with an inch of water. Wait to turn the burner on as instructed in Step 7.
2. Next, measure the sugar into a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Measurements need to be EXACT when making jam.
3. Crush berries in a blender or with a potato smasher until completely crushed. Measure them 1 cup at a time into a large saucepan (at least a 4-quart) until you have measured all 5 cups.
4. Next, add 2 tsp lemon juice and stir.
5. Add ¼ cup of the sugar from the bowl you pre-measured, and also add the pectin package. Stir well.
6. Turn the burner on to medium-high and stir continuously until the fruit mixture comes to a full boil. (A full boil is when boiling doesn't stop when you stir it.)
7. Once the fruit mixture is boiling, now turn on the burner for the lids to bring the water to a boil. You want them to be hot and ready as soon as you pour the jam in and wipe the tops of the jars.
8. Next, stir in the remaining pre-measured sugar to the fruit mixture and add the 1 tsp butter or margarine. Bring back to a full boil. Boil for exactly 1 min. (I have my timer preset, so all I have to do is press start.)
9. When the full minute of boiling is over, remove from heat and pour into prepared jars.
10. As soon as you get the jam into the prepared jars, have a clean, wet cloth ready to wipe the rims of the jars to make sure no sugar or jam is on them at all. Clean rims help guarantee that your bottles will seal.
11. Next, use a fork or small tong to get the hot lid out of the small saucepan and place it on the clean rim. Quickly add the ring and screw it on tightly. If you need to move the jar from where it is, use a canning tong to carry it very carefully by the rim to a flat space. (I use my counter with a clean towel on it.)
12. Let the jam sit there for at least 18-24 hours untouched or until it seals and is completely cool. Do not touch the top to see if it is sealed for at least 12 hours. You should hear a popping sound within 2 hours of the jam being in the jar. That sound means the jar has sealed.
13. If for some reason your jars do not seal by following this method, you will need to process them. I have never not had one seal.
14. Also, remember, if a jar does not seal and you don't want to process it, you can just keep it in your fridge for up to 4 weeks.

3.5.3251

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Other Raspberry Jam Recipes

• Low Sugar Raspberry Jam

• Homemade Raspberry Jam Recipe (Low-Sugar)

• Low Sugar Raspberry Jam Recipe (Seedless Raspberry Jam Tips)