Raspberry Chocolate Jam ~ Simple Gifts

If you’re looking for something simple to share or give as a gift for the holidays, you’ve come to the right place. Simple doesn’t have to mean less and in this Raspberry Chocolate Jam it means so much more! Just a few ingredients and a little time and you will have a gift worth giving year round.

You will notice this recipe does not call for commercial pectin or gelatin. The cranberries in this recipe provide just enough natural pectin to give this jam a perfect consistency for use as either a jam or sauce.

Raspberry Chocolate Jam

4 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed

1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 half-pint (8 ounce) canning jars with lids

Cook raspberries, cranberries, lemon juice and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until fruit is hot and begins to break down (about 10 minutes). Crush the fruit with the back of a large spoon. Take off the heat and let cool a little.

Strain the fruit through a large sieve into a bowl, pushing with the back of your spoon to get all the liquid out. Periodically scrape the fruit/gel stuff off bottom outside of the sieve.

Place the “scrapings” in the bowl with the liquid to get all the thicker juices (these contain the natural pectin you’ll need to thicken the jam with). You may skip this step if you like the seeds and pulp in your jam.

Stir the granulated sugar and cocoa powder together, making sure any cocoa clumps are broken up.

Place the raspberry cranberry liquid back into the saucepan and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder.  Bring to gentle boil over medium high heat. Let boil for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring with a long wooden spoon or spatula.

Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to sterilized jars. Fill the jars, leaving 1/4 space from the top. Wipe inside rim of jars with a clean paper towel.

Top jars with sterilized lids and tighten just to fingertip tightness. If you tighten too tight, air can’t escape and you won’t get a good seal.

Then either:

• Immediately process jars in a hot water canning bath following instructions here: National Center for Home Preservation
• Let cool completely, then store jars in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• Let cool completely, then store jars in the freezer for up to one year.

If you plan on gifting your jars, go for the canning method. It isn’t difficult and you really need no special equipment. I use my large lidded stockpot for my hot water canner. I place my steam basket or a heavy clean washcloth in the bottom before boiling the water, to prevent the jars from moving around (which risks cracking).

You can easily sterilize jars and lids either by running them through the dishwasher or placing them in the boiling water of the canner prior to canning your jam. If you don’t have canning tongs, use heat proof kitchen tongs with a good grip to lower and remove jars from the hot canner.

This jam makes a beautifully sweet spread for bread; filling for doughnuts, profiteroles, cookies and cake; and a topping/stir-in for ice cream, yogurt and whipped cream.  Eaten simply with just a spoon, it is SpoonGood!

A simple gift, chock full of flavor and good wishes for family and friends!