The raspberry bush is a much-loved shrub for its delicious little red fruits: raspberries. And what a delight for the taste buds, for young and seasoned gardeners alike, to enjoy them fresh straight from the garden. Raspberries are perfect for making many desserts, such as pies, cakes, coulis, compote, sorbet, and even a delicious jam to spread. Follow our step-by-step recipe to make delicious homemade raspberry jam.

raspberry jam

When, How, and Where to Harvest Raspberries?

When to harvest?

The raspberry harvest period varies depending on the variety. For non-repeating raspberry bushes, picking takes place from June until early August. For repeating varieties, a second harvest occurs in September and October. Note that for a young raspberry bush planted in the current year, you usually have to wait until the following summer for the first harvest.

How to harvest raspberries?

Always pick fruits that have not been treated. Harvesting is very easy and done by hand. Only pick fully ripe raspberries and leave the others on the plant. Simply pull the small fruit downward. If it's ripe, it will detach easily, leaving a small white cone on the branch.

Raspberries do not all ripen at the same time, and their shelf life is very short. It's not always easy to gather enough fruit at once to make jam. You can freeze them gradually as you pick them.

Tip: To preserve the taste and texture of raspberries, refrigerate them for an hour before freezing.

picking raspberries

Which raspberry variety to choose?

Easy to grow, raspberry bushes are increasingly popular in our gardens. There are repeating and non-repeating varieties, with red, golden, and even black fruits. Here’s a small selection of our favourites:

→ Discover all our raspberry varieties here.

red and yellow raspberry bush

On the left, the 'Magnific Delbard' raspberry and on the right, the 'Fall Gold' raspberry

Raspberry Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg of garden raspberries, untreated.
  • 1 kg of jam sugar, granulated sugar, or white sugar.
  • Optional:
    • 5 cl of lemon juice or one organic lemon
    • 1 packet of vanilla sugar or one vanilla pod

Cooking time:

20 minutes

Recipe:

Preliminary step: remember to sterilise your jars before starting.

  • 1/ Pour your fruits into a large saucepan, stockpot, or jam pan. No need to rinse them, as you might damage them.
  • 2/ Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.

raspberry jam recipe

  • 3/ Place your pan on the heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using sugar with pectin, reduce cooking time to 8 minutes.
  • 4/ If foam forms on the surface, skim it off with a slotted spoon.
  • 5/ To check if your mixture has thickened, spoon a small amount onto a plate and refrigerate for 2 minutes. Tilt the plate. If the jam is still too runny, return to the heat for another 5 minutes. Repeat until the jam flows slowly.
  • 6/ Immediately ladle the hot jam into sterilised jars. Fill them to the top, then screw on the lids. Invert the jars onto a cloth and let them cool.

raspberry jam recipe

  • 7/ Store your jars in a dark place at a stable temperature.
  • 8/ Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.

My tips:

  • If you don’t like large fruit pieces, blend your jam a few minutes before the end of cooking. However, raspberry jam is usually very smooth and doesn’t need blending if you stick to the 20-minute cooking time.
  • To remove the small seeds, pass the fruit through a food mill before starting. Then follow the recipe steps to make raspberry jelly.

Recipe idea: You can add redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries, and a few pitted cherries to make a delicious mixed berry jam. I also recommend the raspberry-rhubarb combination—a delight!

raspberry jam recipe

The Benefits of Raspberries

Raspberries apparently contain fibre, vitamins E and C, iron, and minerals.

Further Reading: