Learning how to preserve raspberries is easier than you might think, and they are incredibly delicious! You can use the canned raspberries to top your oatmeal, rice pudding, or ice cream, add them to desserts, or just enjoy them as they are.
Preserving raspberries is easy and delicious. These canned raspberries are so good that you'll want to go foraging or buy fresh raspberries from the farmer's market every year just to make a few jars.
I love canning! Every summer and autumn, I make countless jars of preserved cherries, canned apricots, canned rhubarb, peaches, gooseberries, plums, or pears. Or whatever I happen to get my hands on... I also make berry sauces, many jams, and jellies, syrups of all kinds.
And then come the savory preserves, like green tomato pickles, sweet zucchini pickles, preserved horseradish, and many others.
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Ingredients
Fresh raspberries: The amounts are totally up to you. If you have access to large quantities of raspberries, it is great, you can make as many jars as you can store. Make a Raspberry Roulade or Rhubarb Raspberry Jam with fresh berries, too.
If canning more raspberries than indicated in the recipe, calculate the needed amounts of water and sugar accordingly.
Granulated sugar: You can add less sugar if you want the preserves to be less sweet. I don't recommend adding more sugar; they are sweet enough as they are, and you still want to taste the raspberries, not only the sweetness.
Equipment
Canning jars and lids: The size of the jars is not very important either. The jars you can see in the pictures have a capacity of 1 ½ cups/ 350 ml. Fill them with raspberries as indicated and pour over the syrup to cover them.
The indicated amounts are perfect for the jars I have, but if you notice that you have too little liquid, you can always make a little more syrup to make sure that the berries are properly covered. It only takes minutes to make extra syrup.
A canner or a large pot
Kitchen mitts
Jar lifter (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab)
How to preserve raspberries?
- Step #1: Wash the berries very well and let them drain in a sieve. Remove any spoiled ones. Clean the jars very thoroughly (See Recipe FAQs).
- Step #2: Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble once or twice and remove it from the heat. Let the sugar water cool for 5 minutes.
- Step #3: Fill the jars with berries, leaving about 1 inch/ 2 cm headspace.
- Step #4: Pour the liquid over the raspberries in the jars, covering them completely. Seal with the lids and can the jars.
How to can raspberries in a canner?
Use the water bath canner according to its instructions. They might differ from my instructions.
- Step #1: Fill a canner about half full with water. Bring to a boil.
- Step #2: Lower the jars into the water one at a time with a jar lifter, or use the canning rack of the canner to lower all the jars into the water at once. Make sure the water covers the jars by 1 to 2 inches/ 2 ½ to 5 cm. If there is not enough water in the pot, add some boiling water as needed.
- Step #3: Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your jars and the recipe instructions.
- Step #4: Let cool for 5 minutes in the pot. Remove with jar lifters and wearing mitts and let cool completely on folded kitchen towels or cutting boards.
How to can raspberries without a canner?
If you don't have a canner, you can use a large pot that's big enough to hold the jars and cover them completely with water.
- Step #1: Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot. Place the jars on the towel, making sure that they don't touch each other. Cover with hot water.
- Step #2: Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and can the jars for 15 minutes.
- Step #3: Very carefully remove the jars from the pot. You will have to wear mitts and work very carefully; there is a lot of scalding hot water involved. Using a jar lifter would be best.
- Step #4: Place the jars on folded kitchen towels or on a cutting board on the counter and let cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
Check that all the jars are sealed. Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks.
Store in a dark, cool place; they will be fine for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.
Soft, sweet, and incredibly aromatic canned raspberries.
And a delicious juice or light syrup that you can pour on top of desserts.
According to the latest information, sterilizing jars that will be canned in a pressure canner or a boiling water canner for at least 10 minutes is not necessary. Please read this article on sterilizing jars from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (the link opens in a new tab).
How to eat them?
Enjoy the preserved raspberries as they are.
Pour them on top of oatmeal, semolina, rice pudding, or ice cream. Pour them over pancakes, creme fraiche crepes, or German waffles.
Make desserts, add the berries to cake fillings, or use the juice to moisten cake bases before filling.
How to Preserve Raspberries (Canning Raspberries)
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh raspberries 500 g
- 2¼ cups water 500 ml
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
Instructions
- Wash the raspberries. Pick any spoiled ones and discard them. 1 lb fresh raspberries/ 500 g
- Clean the jars and the lids very thoroughly (Note 1).
- Sugar syrup: Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Once it comes to a boil, let bubble once or twice and remove it from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. 2¼ cups water/ 500 ml + 1 cup granulated sugar/ 200 g
- Fill jars: Fill the raspberries into the jars, leaving about 1 inch/ 2 cm headspace. Pour the liquid over the raspberries, covering them completely. Wipe the rim with a clean, wet paper towel. Seal with the lids. Can the raspberries.
Can with a canner:
- Read the instructions of the water bath canner before starting; they might differ from the following instructions. Always use the canner according to its instructions.
- Fill a canner about half full with water. Bring to a boil and lower the jars into the water one at a time with a jar lifter or use the canning rack of the canner to lower all the jars into the water at once. The water should cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches/ 2½ to 5 cm. If not enough, add boiling water as needed.
- Can the raspberry jars: Bring to a boil, cover, and boil for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pot. Remove with mitts and a jar lifter and let cool completely on folded kitchen towels or cutting boards.
Can without a canner:
- Use a large pot that will allow the jars to stand in it and be completely covered with water. Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot. Place the jars on the towel, making sure that they don't touch each other. Cover with hot water.
- Can raspberries: Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and can the jars for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the jars. Remove the jars from the pot using a jar lifter and mitts. Place the jars on folded kitchen towels or on a cutting board on the counter and let cool completely.
Storage:
- Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks.
- Store the sealed ones in a dark, cool place. The preserved raspberries will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year. Once you open a jar, keep it in the fridge, and consume it as soon as possible.
Laura says
Do you know if you could use allulose in place of the sugar to can these? I’ve seen others substitute it in other canning recipes, but not sure if it would affect the texture or taste with raspberries
Adina says
I am sorry, Laura. I don't know what allulose is.
Margaret says
How long do you have to leave the fruit/ full jars before ready to use ,or are they ready once cool would 3-4days be sufficient
Adina says
A few day days should be fine.
Lee Ann Brost says
Do you completely cover the jars. I always thought only up to 2/3 of the jar?
Adina says
Yes, I cover them.