Raspberry Jam without Pectin

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This homemade raspberry jam is so delicious! These detailed step-by-step instructions will teach you how to make and can your own raspberry jam without pectin. It’s so easy!

Homemade raspberry jam without pectin in jars

Homemade jam is one of life’s simple pleasures. Slathered on a slice of fresh-baked bread or on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit jam is such a treat. 

When strawberries and raspberries are plentiful in the summer, jam-making always comes to mind. I love this easy recipe for raspberry jam without pectin. It has such a delicious sweet and tart combination.

I use ripe peaches and a bit of honey to brighten the flavor, but raspberries are definitely the star of this recipe.

Use this jam to make raspberry jam bars for a delicious dessert or snack.

Raspberry Jam without Pectin

This raspberry jam without pectin is an easy summer recipe.
Print Recipe
Raspberry jam in jars
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Canning Time:20 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds red raspberries
  • 2 ripe peaches peeled
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup honey or to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse the berries and discard any that are bruised. Place the berries in a large pot with a heavy bottom.
  • Submerge the peaches in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water and submerge them in cold water. Cut each peach in half, and then it should be very easy to remove the skin. Chop the peaches and place them in the pot with the berries.
  • Add the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of honey.
  • Cook over medium heat, partially covered, for 20 minutes. The mixture will become very watery early on, and it will thicken as you cook it.
  • After the first 20 minutes, mash the fruit with a potato masher.
  • Simmer uncovered for another 30-40 minutes, stirring regularly. Taste the jam and see if it seems too tart. If it does, add another 1/4 cup of honey. If it still seems too tart, add another 1/4 cup of honey for a total of one cup of honey.
  • After a total of 50 to 60 minutes on the stove, you will notice that the jam looks nice and thick. You can test if it’s done by taking a teaspoonful of jam and dropping it back into the pot. If the jam runs right off the spoon, it’s not quite done. If it's a bit sluggish running off the spoon, it’s done.
  • To can this recipe, sterilize four half-pint jars, lids, bands, and a spoon by running them through the dish washer and timing them to be done when you’re ready for them. You’ll probably only need three jars, but it’s good to have an extra one ready just in case. The lids should be sterilized in hot but not boiling water (180 degrees) if you don’t use the dishwasher to sterilize them.
  • While the jam is cooking, boil a big pot of water with a canning rack at the bottom of the pot. The water needs to cover the jars by at least an inch.
  • With the sterilized spoon, scoop the jam into the hot jars without touching the inside of the jars with your finger. You don’t want to introduce any bacteria to the jam’s environment. A wide canning funnel facilitates this process.
  • Leave 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jars and put the lids on top of each jar. Don’t touch the bottom of the lid.
  • Loosely screw on the bands until they are just connected. You need to leave them loose so they process correctly.
  • Carefully place the jars in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat after 10 minutes and leave the jars in the water for 5 more minutes.
  • Take the jars out and place them on the counter. Within seconds, you should hear a little “pop” coming from each jar. This is the sign that they have sealed properly.

Notes

Note: When canning jam, it’s important to get the right combination of fruit acidity and sugar for the safety of the final product. Raspberry is a high-acid fruit with its own natural pectin, and honey is a natural form of sugar. I use a little lemon juice just to be safe because lemon juice helps to kill bacteria. You can freeze your jam rather than canning it if you want to be extra safe.

Approximate Nutrition Info

Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 48
Calories: 67kcal
Cost: $.40 per serving

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Raspberry Jam without Added Pectin Price Breakdown

This batch of jam raspberry jam costs $9.48 to make, or $3.16 per half-pint jar. If you grow your own berries, it only costs $1.16 per jar. This is an amazing price for an artisan-quality, real food, homemade batch of raspberry jam. I couldn’t find a store-bought version of raspberry jam that didn’t have sugar or pectin, but this quantity of Stonewall Kitchen raspberry jam would cost $15.90.

Homemade raspberry jam is one of life's simple pleasures. This recipe post shares detailed step-by-step instructions about how to make and can your own raspberry jam without added pectin.

Note: This post was first published in 2012, and it was updated in 2024.

18 Comments

  1. Do you have an estimate for about how many CUPS of raspberries this uses? I pick my own raspberries, so I”m not sure what quantity to use in this recipe.

  2. I love making jam! I usually use Pomona’s Pectin because it’s all natural and doesn’t require much sugar (1/4-1/2 cup depending on the fruit). Also, I don’t have to boil it very long. I’ve tried all kinds of methods – pectin, no pectin, homemade pectin, etc. and I always keep coming back to the Pomona’s. I love it!

  3. What a great idea. I’ve been looking for ways to can the bushels of blackberries and blueberries we have growing wild on our property. So far I’ve put it off since I refuse to use so much sugar. I’m thinking maybe something like this would work with them as well since they have a decent acid level as well. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Thanks for your comment, Leah. You are very lucky to have so many wild berries on your property. I hope this method works for you – a mixed berry jam would be delicious!

  4. Between the raspberries and lemon juice being so high acid, and the long cooking time, I’m sure this jam will be perfectly safe. I love the color! I sometimes use the book, “Stocking Up” from the Rodale Food Center when I’m looking for recipes with little or no sugar for canning.

    1. I agree that it would be hard for bacteria to get into this jam. Thank you so much for the book recommendation! I look forward to seeing their recipes.

    1. I’m new to canning, but I think this would work well with strawberries. Blueberries are so sweet that I would love to find a recipe that uses no (or almost no) sweetener for them.

  5. I like the idea of adding the peaches and the honey. I bet it was delicious. I suppose if anyone was worried about the food chemistry at all, they could freeze it as a freezer jam.

    1. You’re right about freezing it. I’m sure it would also be good in the fridge for several weeks, and I don’t imagine it would last longer than that in my house.

  6. What a great idea to add peaches! I’m looking forward to canning this year – and especially making jam! Love this recipe!

    1. Thanks, Stephanie! I look forward to seeing what kind of jam you make. I just dog-eared about a dozen recipes from a canning cookbook I took out of the library. We’ll see how many I actually get around to making.

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