fresh raspberries in open hands

Raspberry-Habanero Jam

 

Raspberry-Habanero Jam is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.
This recipe was created by Allison Carroll Duffy for Pomona’s Pectin.Allison says: This jam is great at breakfast on toast if you’re looking for a little kick-start to your day. It’s also really delicious paired with a sharp cheddar, on crackers, or with a crusty baguette. I have to say, though, that my most favorite way to enjoy this jam is on top of vanilla ice cream. The hot and spicy, tangy sweetness of the jam complements the cool creaminess of ice cream beautifully.

Notes

Strawberries, Kiwi, Currants, Gooseberries, Sour Blackberries, Sour Cherries, Sour Plums, and Pineapple can be used in place of the raspberries. 
Servings 5 cups

Ingredients

  • pounds raspberries about two level quarts
  • 4 Tablespoons yellow bell pepper seeded, finely-diced
  • 4 Tablespoons habanero pepper seeded, finely-diced
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice bottled
  • teaspoons calcium water see step #1
  • cups sugar
  • teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener

Instructions

  • Before you begin, prepare calcium water.
    To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.
    Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
  • Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.
  • Combine the diced yellow pepper, the diced habanero pepper, and 1 cup of water in a sauce pan. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer, still covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Working over the sink or a large bowl, carefully transfer the pepper mixture into a fine-mesh strainer to drain the water from the peppers. Discard the water and set the cooked peppers aside.
  • Gently pick through fresh raspberries to remove any leaves, stems, or damaged parts. Rinse the berries only if necessary.
  • Place the raspberries in a mixing bowl and mash them lightly. A potato masher works well for this. Add the cooked peppers to the raspberries, and mix to combine.
  • Measure out 4 cups of the raspberry-pepper mixture (If you have extra, simply use it for something else.) Pour the measured amount of the mixture into a large sauce pan. Add lemon juice and calcium water, then stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.
  • Raspberries in sauce pan on stove8. Bring the raspberry-pepper mixture up to rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return jam to a boil, then remove from heat.
  • Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).
  • Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
  • Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.
  • Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then confirm that jars have sealed. Enjoy your preserves! Or store properly for later use.

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15 Responses

  1. Jenni Perez
    | Reply

    Hi there !
    Can I substitute peaches (frozen) for raspberries in this recipe?
    Thank you !

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Jenni,

      Yes you sure can! You will just need to increase the lemon juice on this recipe to 2/3 cup. The peaches will also need to be thawed before they are mashed and measured.

  2. D Duncan
    | Reply

    I would like to combine rosemary with the habaneros for a Strawberry or Blackberry Rosemary Habanero jam. Can that be safely done?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      It sure can! You can either add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary to your 4 cups batch or you can add some springs of fresh rosemary and steep it/cook it with your jam; you will just need to remove the springs before canning.

  3. Mary
    | Reply

    Could you use pears instead of the raspberries or combination of the two, and if so, would you alter any of the other ingredients, thanks

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! You may replace it entirely or do 50/50 pear-raspberry. We would suggest adding 1/2 cup lemon juice vs. 1/3 cup, just for safe measure.

      Happy jamming!

  4. Doug
    | Reply

    Thanks for the recipes; I’ve used many of them with great success. On this one, I’m assuming it’s OK to vary type and proportion of hot pepper to taste – correct? Is the total quantity of pepper (8 Tablespoons) the critical number to stick with?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Thanks so much Doug! Yes, you can absolutely interchange which peppers you prefer (even seeds or no seeds), but the over all measurement needs to stay the same.

    • Doug
      | Reply

      Thanks for the quick response, Shelby. I just did a first, small experiment, making a partial recipe. Used 100% jalapeño for the peppers, seeds included. I cut down the sugar a bit; closer to the proportion for the standard Pomona’s raspberry jam recipe (3/4 cup minimum for 4 cups fruit) – OK to make that change I think. Result: spectacular combo of sweet and heat! I like moderate heat and it suits my palate well.

  5. Cindy
    | Reply

    Do you have to pre cook fresh peppers? Prior comment on frozen peppers you stated ok to just add to raspberries. Why do I have to add extra 1/2tsp pectin for seedless raspberries? Can I double recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You do not have to precook the peppers, if you would like them to be a bit more firm.

      The additional pectin is needed anytime you remove the seeds since the seeds carry natural pectin themselves.

      You sure can double the recipe!

  6. Carol
    | Reply

    I am excited to try your product and recipes! If I want to make this with jalapeño and seedless, do you have suggestions?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Carol,

      Yay! You can absolutely replace the habaneros with jalapeños, they will be a direct substitution. If you are wanting the raspberries to be seedless, that is just fine. The finished measurement will still need to be 4 cups of mashed-seedless raspberries. You will also need to increase the pectin by 1/2 teaspoon.

      Happy jamming!

  7. Heather Donley
    | Reply

    I love all your jams so thank you for many wonderful recipes. I have a question about the raspberry habanero jam. I diced the habaneros and froze them for future batches. Do I still need to boil and drain the peppers or can I add them directly to the raspberries? I was wondering if the boiling step was simply to soften the peppers and if yes, they are plenty soft when they come out of the freezer and thaw. Thanks for your help!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Heather,
      Putting them straight into the raspberries should be just fine! Happy jamming 😊

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