Scottish raspberry jam, made with locally grown raspberries. Nothing beats homemade jam, great spread on freshly baked scones or fantastic layered with pastry and almond on a Bakewell Tart!
Before you start get your equipment ready and set up. You will need a jam pan or a large stock pot for boiling the jam.
Sterilise jars
Sterilise your jars and lids (ensure lid is separate to jar). My preferred method is to put them through a cycle in my dishwasher, unloading them while still hot onto an ovenproof tray. Place them in an oven at 170C/150CFan until needed.
Place a saucer in the freezer for testing the jam later.
Make the raspberry jam
Gently wash the raspberries and place them in a large stock pot. Juice the lemon and add to the raspberries and place them on the hob over a medium heat. [Raspberries are not naturally high in pectin so lemon juice is added to the jam to help it set. See further note on sugar in the recipe post.]
Once the raspberries come to a simmer they will soften and the juices will start to run. Add the sugar to the fruit and gently stir through until dissolved. Once the fruit has softened mash the fruit down to the consistency that you like to eat. Some people like a smoother jam, others prefer to leave some of the fruits whole, it is entirely personal choice.
Now increase the heat and bring to the boil to get a good rolling boil. This is really important as a rolling boil is required to get the jelly to the right temperature for setting. Try not to stir the liquid as stirring will only reduce the temperature. As you are heating the liquid skim off an scum that may appear, whilst doing you no harm it doesn't look good once set. You want to achieve a nice clear jam.
Testing the set of the jam
Here comes the difficult bit, knowing when to take the jam off the heat. There are a number of tests, if using a jam thermometer the setting point for jam is around 104.5C/220F. Use a jam thermometer to let you know when the jam is ready.
When ready to test the jam take the pan off the heat until you test the set. This will stop the jam from cooking too much while you test.
It is then worth doing the wrinkle test. If you placed a plate in the freezer before you started making jam, take it out when you think it is almost ready to set. Spoon some jam onto the cold plate, pop it back in the freezer for a minute or two, then take it back out and push the jam with my finger to see if it wrinkles. If it does then the jam is ready.
If you want a really firm set the wrinkle will stay in place after you have removed your finger. [This is the most difficult part of the process and it is something that becomes easier over time as your begin to know what to look for.]
If you think that the jam is a little runny and loose, return the pan to the heat and get it back on a rolling boil for another 10 minutes and test again.
When ready to pot up, remove the pan from the heat, skim off any remaining scum and set the pan aside for 10 minutes to cool a little. By allowing the jam to sit, the fruit will settle a little and this results in better distribution of fruit when you come to pot up the jam.
Now pot the jam into the sterilised jars. Take care as the liquid is very hot, use a jam funnel over the top of the jars to get the jam cleanly into the jars and avoid spillage. Next place a wax paper disc on top as it prevents the jam drying out and also stops any mould from forming. Seal tightly with a screw on lid and set aside to cool. Once cool label the jam and store in a cool, dry place. The jam should keep for at least year stored like this.
Notes
Sealed and stored in a cool, dry cupboard this jam will store for 1 year.
Nutrition Facts
Scottish Raspberry Jam
Amount Per Serving
Calories 549Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 189mg5%
Carbohydrates 140g47%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 130g144%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 41IU1%
Vitamin C 33mg40%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •