How To Make Low Sugar Raspberry Freezer Jam

How To Make Low Sugar Raspberry Freezer Jam – This raspberry freezer jam recipe is easier than you think. Made with just 4 ingredients and no canning required!

Remember how everyone in 2020 got into baking bread? I got into making freezer jam–raspberry, strawberry, peach amaretto, spiced pear, you name it.

I’d always been intimidated, but the extra time at home (and an abundance of comfort carbs) inspired me to finally give it a try. I HAD BEEN MISSING OUT!

Freezer jam has the best flavor and is WAY EASIER THAN YOU THINK! It’s the EASIEST homemade raspberry jam to make, Unlike traditional jam, you don’t need any fancy equipment other than jars–there’s no canning or hot water baths or pressure canning to worry about!

Even if you’ve never made a batch of jam before, you can make our freezer jam recipe.

This bright, easy raspberry freezer jam recipe is as simple as can be, and I’m here to take the mystery (and fear!) out of making your own homemade jam.

Here’s what you need to make our low sugar raspberry freezer jam…(don’t worry, it still has all the sweet, fresh fruit flavor you’re looking for!)

Here’s What You Need To Make Homemade Raspberry Freezer Jam:

• Fresh Or Frozen Raspberries. You can use either fresh raspberries OR frozen raspberries to make raspberry freezer jam, which means it’s easy to make a batch all year long. The big thing to keep in mind is that your jam will only taste as good as your berries, so do a little taste check to make sure the ones you bought taste great before making jam.
• Sugar. It’s going to seem like a lot of sugar for a low sugar raspberry jam recipe, but TRUST ME. The sugar is there for flavor, yes, but more importantly, it’s essential to the consistency. You cannot reduce the sugar in this recipe or it will not set up properly. (To put it in perspective, traditional raspberry freezer jam uses 5-6 cups of sugar compared to our 3 1/2 cups in this reduced sugar raspberry jam recipe.)
• Low-Sugar Pectin. I always use Sure Jell Low Sugar or No Sugar Recipe Pectin (currently sold in the PINK BOX). Make sure the pectin you’re buying is for low sugar or no sugar recipes or it won’t work properly with this recipe.
• Water. Lastly is some water. You’ll only need 1 cup of water for this jam recipe, to help dissolve the sugar and pectin.
• Jars & Lids! Then, you just need something to put it in. You can use plastic jars or glass jars, so long as they’re freezer-safe. We like 4 oz. jars and 8 oz. jars, as they’re about the amount of jam we can get through in a week. If you’ve got a larger family or want to make some as a gift, feel free to use larger or smaller jars!

Freezer Jam Tips & Tricks To Know Before You Start:

Freezer jam isn’t difficult but it IS precise. If this is your first time making freezer jam, be sure to read through all the instructions first so you’re ready to dive in and move quickly once you get started. Here are the most important things to keep in mind when making raspberry freezer jam:

1. MEASURE CAREFULLY! Again, no reducing or playing with the amounts of ingredients. Use exactly the amounts of fruit, sugar, pectin, and water in the recipe.
2. USE THE RIGHT PECTIN. You want low sugar pectin for this recipe. We like the pink box Sure Jell pectin.
3. USE CLEAN JARS. Since we’re not canning, you don’t need to be quite as fussy about all the sterilization processes, but you DO need to use squeaky clean jars and lids. Feel free to use glass or plastic jars, just get them as clean and dry as possible before using.
4. HAVE EVERYTHING MEASURED & PREPPED. Once you get started, things move rather quickly, so it’ll work smoothly and easily if you have everything ready to go. Measure all the ingredients and have your jars and lids close by so you can easily add ingredients and transfer the jam to jars as quickly as possible.
5. WATCH THE CLOCK. Now is NOT the time to multitask! The pectin, sugar, and water boil for ONE minute, and you stir the raspberries into the pectin mixture for ONE minute. After that, you need to get the jam into jars as quickly as you can, so keep an eye on your pot and an eye on a watch or timer.
6. LET IT REST. You’ll need to let the jam set at room temperature for 24 hours before transferring it to the freezer. (This is safe, as long as you’ve used clean jars!)

How To Make Raspberry Freezer Jam, Step By Step:

1. Clean & Dry Your Jars. Before you start, make sure your jars and lids are very clean and completely dry. Set them close to your work station so you can easily fill them when the jam is done.
2. Prep Your Station. Gather a ladle or spoon and a funnel, if using, to help you pour the finished jam into jars. Set them next to the clean jars, along with a damp washcloth to help you clean up any messes.
3. Mash & Measure The Raspberries. Next, use a potato masher (best) or fork to crush berries in a large bowl. I find raspberry freezer jam sets up best when I don’t have any large clumps or chunks, so you want the mixture fairly uniform. Measure the mashed fruit to make sure you have EXACTLY 4 cups. (No more, no less.)
4. Measure Remaining Ingredients. Then, measure exactly 3 1/2 cups sugar, set aside one box of pectin for low-sugar and no-sugar recipes, and exactly 1 cup of water.
5. Boil Sugar & Pectin Mixture. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, pectin, and water. Whisk constantly over medium-high heat to bring to a boil. Boil exactly 1 minute once the mixture is truly boiling (bubbles all across the surface, not just some here or there).
6. Remove From Heat & Stir In Fruit. After 1 minute of boiling, remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the mashed raspberry mixture. Whisk or stir for 1 minute to combine completely.
7. Pour Into Jars & Cover. As quickly as you can, spoon or pour the jam into your clean jars, leaving 1/2-1 inch of room at the top of each jar to allow for expansion in the freezer. Wipe up any spills around the rim or sides, then cover tightly with a lid. Repeat until all the jam is in jars.
8. Let Jam Rest 24 Hours At Room Temperature. Allow the jars to sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set up. After 24 hours, you’ll be able to tell if your jam set properly. It shouldn’t slosh if you tilt the jar side to side. Instead, it should move slowly when tilted or not at all.
9. Freeze Jam. Transfer the jars to the freezer and freeze up to 1 year. Thaw jars in the refrigerator when you’re ready to use. Open jam should be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

ENJOY IT! Try this homemade freezer raspberry jam on toast, biscuits, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, yogurt, oatmeal, English muffins, trifle, cake, desserts, and more!

FAQ For The Best Raspberry Freezer Jam:

How Long Does Freezer Jam Last? Raspberry freezer jam will stay fresh in the fridge up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer up to 1 year.

Can I Use Something Besides Pectin? Not for this recipe. You must use pectin for low sugar, less sugar, or no sugar recipes–no substitutes! I recommend Sure Jell pink box pectin. Similarly, you can’t reduce the amount of sugar or use other sweetener here without impacting the recipe.

What Kind Of Jars Work For Freezer Jam? You can literally use any size or shape jar! It just needs to be freezer safe. Half pint jars (8 oz.) or 4 oz. jars work best for us. We love these glass jars or these plastic jars, but we’ve used all different sizes, shapes, and brands over the years. Make sure to save 1/2-1 inch of room at the tops of each jar to allow for expansion in the freezer.

Do You Store Freezer Jam At Room Temperature? Freezer jam is NOT shelf stable. After the initial 24 hours at room temperature to set, freezer jam must be frozen or refrigerated to stay food safe.

Can You Make Freezer Jam With Frozen Fruit? I almost always do! Frozen fruit is picked at its peak and flash frozen, which helps them retain their flavor and their nutrients. You just need to thaw the fruit before making freezer jam.

Why Didn’t My Freezer Jam Set Up? The two most common reasons are that you either didn’t measure carefully (the fruit, sugar, water, and pectin must all be exact) or didn’t boil the pectin mixture long enough. You can still use un-set freezer jam as more of a fruit sauce on oatmeal, ice cream. cheesecake, etc., or most packages of pectin have troubleshooting directions in their instructions. (Sure Jell has you boil additional pectin, water, and sugar, to mix in)

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