Raspberry Jam Gifts Recipes

RASPBERRY JAM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil so that it overlaps the sides and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder. Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, a few minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Place ⅔ of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, using an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. (If you don't have an offset spatula, lightly wet your fingers and press the dough into an even layer.) Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won't stick to the foil. Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won't cover the entire surface; that's okay. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
• Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into 16 bars. Cover the bars with foil and store at room temperature for up to two days.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let the cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the bars from the container and let them come to room temperature.

RASPBERRY JAM WITHOUT PECTIN

Steps:

• Bring raspberries to a boil in a very large pot. Cook for 4 minutes. Add sugar and lemon juice; stir well. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for another 4 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and pour jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch of space at the top. Seal and transfer jars into a boiling water bath. Make sure jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water; let sit for 5 minutes. Lift jars and let them cool in a draft-free place without touching, 8 hours to overnight.

HOMEMADE RASPBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Before you start, sterilise your jars (see tip below) and put a plate in the freezer to chill. Tip half the raspberries into a preserving pan and add the lemon juice. Mash the berries to a pulp over the heat with a potato masher, then leave to cook for 5 mins. Tip the cooked berries into a sieve over a bowl, then once all of the juice has drained off, firmly work the pulp through the sieve with a wooden spoon until you are left with just the seeds.
• Tip the juice and pulp back into the preserving pan and stir in the sugar. Heat gently, then add the remaining whole raspberries. Bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and drop a little jam onto the chilled plate. Now push your finger through it - it should wrinkle and look like jam. If it doesn't, boil for 2 mins, then test again.
• The top of the jam may look like it has sediment on it, but I find that if you stir it well as it cools, a little of this disappears. Pour into the jars and seal. It will keep unopened for a year, although the lovely bright colour will darken a little. Once open, keep in the fridge.

ALICE'S RASPBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine raspberries and sugar. Let stand until the berries start rendering their juice, about 15 minutes.
• Place a small plate in the freezer to use later to test the consistency of the jam. Prepare two 1-pint canning jars and self-sealing lids in boiling water, following manufacturer's instructions.
• Bring the saucepan of berries to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture will bubble up, rising high up the sides of the saucepan. Skim off any light-colored foam as it collects on the edges. Soon the jam will boil down again, forming smaller, thicker bubbles. At this point, start testing the consistency by putting small spoonfuls of the jam on the cold plate. This will cool off the jam sample quickly so you can tell what the finished texture will be like. When the jam has cooked to the thickness you want, stir in lemon juice. Turn off the heat, and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars, allowing at least 1/4 inch of headroom. Clean the lip of the jars with a clean, damp towel, and seal with the lids, following manufacturer's instructions. The jam will keep for about 1 year.

RASPBERRY JAM GIFTS

Steps:

• Place a few small plates in the freezer. Stir berries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a large heavy stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and mashing lightly with a potato masher. Skim foam from surface. Cook, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it has the consistency of very loose jelly, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove a plate from freezer; drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes; nudge edge of jam with a finger. It should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads, return it to a boil, testing every minute, until done.
• Strain about half of the jam; discard seeds. Return strained jam to pot. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon hot jam into hot sterilized jars; cover immediately with sterilized lids.