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raspberry jam {tutorial + printable labels}

    I’ve been wanting to make homemade jam for a few years, but was intimidated by the intense process of preparing the jars, boiling the liquid, timing everything just right.

    But last weekend my Aunt Laura eased my fears and clued me in to the quick and easy way to make berry jam : freezer jam. Since raspberries are perfectly in season, I decided to give it a try.  If you have never made jam before, let me encourage you : it is super easy.

    freezer jam

    Here’s what you’ll need:

    freezer jam ingredients

    :: 6 cups of fresh raspberries {about 5 6oz baskets}

    :: 5 1/4 cups sugar

    :: 3/4 cup water

    :: 1 box of Sure Jell Fruit Pectin

    ::8 half pint mason jars

    The actual recipe I used is right here, but I’ll walk you though the steps below.

    STEP ONE: rinse jars in boiling water and dry thoroughly

    rinse jars

    STEP TWO: measure 6 cups of ripe raspberries and mash

    mash raspberries

    raspberries are mushed

    STEP THREE: strain seeds

    strain the seeds

    I didn’t have much patience for the straining process, so I gave up after a few sieve-fulls, but you can remove as many seeds as you wish.

    STEP FOUR: add sugar to berries

    add sugar

    stir in sugar

    It is a lot of sugar, but from what I read, the sugar acts as a preservative for the berries so you can’t skimp. If you’d like a sugar free version, Sure Jell sells a no-sugar-needed pectin.

    While the sugar is dissolving in the berries :

    STEP FIVE: add the fruit pectin to water and bring to a boil

    sure jell

    Stir constantly and allow to boil for one minute.

    boil

    STEP SIX: Add pectin to berry mixture and stir for three minutes

    add pectin to raspberries

    STEP SEVEN: pour jam into prepared jars and seal tightly

    pour into jars

    Allow the jam to sit out for 24 hours, then it is ready to eat. You can store an opened container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks and in the freezer for one year.

    jars of raspberry jam

    I had a fun time decorating my jars of jam using scraps of fabric, bakers twine {from here}, flax colored yarn, houndstooth & dotted papers from my printable paper collection, and a faux raspberry from the craft store.

    What special gifts these will make {maybe with some fisher scone mix? Yum}.

    jam collage

    I created two different labels that you are welcome to download and print:

    raspberry jam full label raspberry-jam-round

    And just in case you are making strawberry jam, here are labels for that:

    strawberry jam full label strawberry jam round

    archive-free-access

    Just to show you behind the scenes while I’m doing craft projects, here is what my office looked like while I was embellishing my jam jars. What a mess!

    what a mess

    81 thoughts on “raspberry jam {tutorial + printable labels}”

    1. Hi There! LOVE your labels! I was wondering if you would be able to send me some that say Cherry Jelly? I am using the strawberry and raspberry labels, and would love to have them all match. Thank you!

    2. Pingback: Mason Jar Labels: 100+ Free Printable Files to Download

    3. Hi there! Love your labels, but can’t download them for some reason…any suggestions? I made strawberry-rhubarb jam most recently…(I’ll have to write ‘rhubarb’ in!)

      Thanks!
      Julie

    4. question: did the glass jars do ok in the freezer? I just made raspberry freezer jam for the first time and my MIL and another friend said to you plastic. The jars are SO much cuter. Thanks for any feedback!! :)

      ps love your site <3 just moved to WA from so Cali and love having something fun to read, do during the transition.

    5. I make seedless berry jams all the time, and also hated the de-seeding process, until I got smart and placed all my fresh berries in the blender and whizzed them, then poured the berry juice thru a wire sieve. The juice went right through but the seeds all stayed in the sieve! Just look at the seeds your berries contain and gauge your sieve size accordingly. For blackberries, i can use a pretty good sized mesh as the seeds are so big usually. Try it next time and see what you think. This trick allowed me to take the fancy and expensive food mill I bought for the task back to the store!

    6. Hello, I was looking at this recipe for later use, and on the first picture, you have a jar of the raspberry jam with some string, a raspberry embellishment, and a label. I was wondering where you found this gorgeous raspberry embellishment that you put on the outside of that jar. Thank you!

      1. I bought it years ago at a craft store. They always have a section near the floral/ribbon with these floral picks – I grab a few for gift toppers or other embellishments.

    7. Can you tell me where to get the flag label at? It’s the long skinny one with the little raspberry on it? I’m actually doing strawberry jam as party favors for a bridal shower. Thanks sheri

    8. I want to make these as a thank you gift for my friends. What kind of paper do you print it on? Just regular paper? And how do you get it to stick on the jar? Glue?

    9. Oops! Just realized you’re making freezer jam, so you don’t need to worry about popping! Sorry about that! If you ever do try making that kind, though, it’s not much more work than this, and the popping noise is adorable! :)

    10. So glad you’re spreading the love of canning! I got into it a couple years ago and fell madly in love! To make sure your jam is safe, listen for the “pop” noise as they seal. If the jam is hot enough, they should do it on their own. Any that don’t pop just need to be stored in the fridge and eaten in a couple weeks. That shouldn’t be too taxing, considering how gorgeous and yummy your jam looks! :)

      Thanks for the labels. They are darling! Can you tell me what font you used for the “Homemade” part on the circle labels? I’ve been searching for a font or stamp like that for months for a scrapbook page I’m doing. It’s driving me crazy!

    11. FYI: The raspberry jam circle label page is missing. Just thought I would let you know. Love your labels. I made jams for Christmas last year and they were a BIG hit. Thanks for the creative labels.
      S. Caulder

    12. I LOVE your round labels….they are too cute!! Just made my first batch of strawberry cranberry jam and would love to use your labels. Is is possible to customize the download that you posted?

      You are very creative….thank you!

    13. Love this! I’ve been looking for an idea for jam/labels for my Mom’s bridal shower next April. I’m having a tea party and wanted to give out homemade jam as favors. This is perfect! Thank you!

    14. I love your labels! I have some blackberry jam that I wish to give as Christmas gifts. Is there any way of downloading some Blackberry Jam labels?

    15. This is such an easy recipe! And the step-by-step instructions are great. My girls and I tried it this morning. What a great time we had. Thank you very much for posting this tutorial. It is almost as good as having you with me in the kitchen.

    16. Like you, I’ve never attempted making jam because it seemed too complicated. But this recipe sounds easy, and what great Christmas gifts homemade raspberry jam would make!! I think I’ll give it a try. If all turns out well, I’ll have to post the results on my blog and give you credit for getting me over the “fear” of making jam. Thanks for the inspiration, the recipe and the adorable packaging ideas.

    17. My mom and aunts get together every year and make blackberry jam. It is AMAZING. Someday, when we actually have bushes of something, I’d like to make my own. :)

    18. I like to think I’m a decent cook. But have also intimated to try making jam. But I’m feeling more optimisic now! But what I loved most about this post is all of your craft stuff strewn about on the floor. I feel better now about my messy craft room floor!

    19. Thanks for this! I’ve always been scared of the canning process too. I’m also so relieved that my workspace isn’t the only one that looks this way!!

    20. Emily! I love that you let us use the labels! That is the first thing I noticed. I too gave up on making jam, but think I need to give it another try. It was great to see you guys last weekend!

    21. I’ve been making freezer jam for years and it’s so easy! I used Pomona Pectin this year which has no perservatives and allows you to use far less sugar. I picked 30 lbs of berries and made jam and it came out great. Thanks for the cute labels!

    22. I love making freezer jam, such a great idea to post the tutorial! I make blueberry freezer jam every summer and have posted the recipe on my blog in the past. Raspberry is my favorite, but it’s an expensive jam to make! My parents grow their own raspberries because they eat through a jar of raspberry jam a week and it has to last all year long :) Thanks for the gorgeous labels!!

    23. Loved seeing your studio floor, mine looks much the same – and far too often lately. I’m heading home to clean it up so I can make a new mess. Love raspberry freezer jam.

    24. hi emily, real simple magazine has a “secretly simple blueberry jam” recipe this month on page 183 that is made without canning equipment or pectin… i havent tried it yet but it may be worth checking out too… (of course their jars do not have your fabulous labels)!

    25. Thanks for the cute labels! I LOVE freezer jam, just made strawberry last week. I agree with Bri above, Pomona’s Universal Pectin is awesome. You can use WAY LESS sugar and any type, honey etc. You usually have to buy it at a health food, natural food store rather than a regular grocery store though.

    26. Ah! So cute!! Thanks for the labels! I go to my Grandmas and pick her berries and make her recipe. Its almost exactly like this one. She always used a food mill to get out the extra seeds. Much easier than pressing them through a sieve.

    27. Yay! So glad you love making jam! Next year you should do strawberry too, love the wrapping! This is off the subject of the jam, but what do you do with your limes you use to decorate with in your hurricane globe? I see them in your last picture here?

    28. love this tutorial! You said that an opened jar can be kept inthe freezer for up to a year. Do you know how long they will keep unopened at room temperature. I’d love to make some delicious summer berries into jams and give them as gifts for Christmas but not sure if homemade jam will keep that long?? Love the labels too!!

      1. These ones won’t stay at room temperature because the jars are not fully sealed. Just make sure when you give them as a gift that you specify that they need to go in the freezer until ready to use.

    29. Hi Emily! Thank you for the labels :) I have made freezer jam for years, but have never had cute labels to go with…… You’re the BEST!! I’m so glad you tried the raspberry, I think you’ll love it. If you’re up for it you should also try blackberry too with our fresh WA blackberries in August. Delicious!! Strawberry, Raspberry & Blackberry are our staples. xo, kelly

    30. How darling! What great gifts this would make! What font did you use for the words “Raspberry Jam”? I really like it.

    31. so cute!! I keep passing the berry stands and telling myself that I need to do it this year despite the crazy mess I always make. thanks for the labels…more motivation to get myself a new printer that works!! :)

    32. I tried to make strawberry jam last summer and failed miserably. I am dying to succeed this year so thanks for the detailed instructions! :-) These would make perfect gifts!!!

    33. I’m happy to see that I’m not the only messy crafter! The jars turned out beautiful….thank you so much for sharing the recipe, the process and the labels!

    34. Congrats on making your first jam!! When you try it again (and you probably will, it’s addicting) try a batch with Pomona Pectin. A super canner friend of mine introduced me to it a couple years ago and I will never go back to regular pectin. This stuff is amazing. You can use apple juice, stevia, agave, etc to sweeten the jam. Plus, you only need a cup or so for an entire batch. Much better than sugar that can be more easily measured by the pound! Enjoy that jam and thanks for the printables, they’re lovely.

      1. I printed the long labels on full sheet sticker paper {you can get it at any office supply store}. You could also use double sided tape or glue dots {which I used to affix the patterned paper}.

    35. Lovely! What a wonderful accomplishment. And your labels are just the pizzazz needed for THE most special gift!! BTW…the red and white polka dot band with the round label are my favorite. Thanks sharing your labels….you are sooooo kind.

    36. Oh thank you so so much!!!! I made strawberry freezer jam a few weeks ago and I LOVE these labels!! I don’t think I have commented before but I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! Thanks again. :)

    37. oh my. not only is it a lovely tutorial that I PIN’d on my DIY Board but it even has the labels to print. You are FABULOUS! thank you! xo

    38. Thank you so much for showing the craft mess! I always think I am not very good at crafts when I survey my own chaos in the midst of a project! I love the jars, and I LOVE knowing that I am in good company!

    39. Wow! I think I could do this! With all that sugar I am sure it taste yummy! They are packaged so cute, who cares what it taste like! Hehe! Thanks for sharing!

      Stop by for a visit, I just posted some yummy smores on stick!

    40. Thank you so much for sharing this! I too have been wanting to make jam, but hadn’t looked into it enough to know it’s that easy! I will be making some this week!! And I love how you decorated your jars.

    41. Those have got to be the cutest jam jars I’ve ever seen! I’m sure they taste great too!

      Thanks for sharing your crafting mess. Somehow, I always envision everyone else having zero mess when they make things. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one. :)

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