Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

If you’ve never made homemade jam before, this is a great place to start. Not only is it super easy to pull together, but you can use any combo of fruit you want, plus it’s a great way to use up some berries that are on their last leg in your fridge.

This version is a sweet and spicy raspberry jalapeno jam, and I threw some strawberries into the mix as well since I had some hanging around. There’s no pre-packaged pectin needed for this recipe and instead just a few simple ingredients and about 20 minutes of cooking time for the perfect jam!

How to Make Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

The one piece of special equipment needed for this recipe is a food scale- you want to make sure you have right about 1 pound of fruit. Different types of fruit will weigh different amounts, so it can be difficult to use cup measurements here. That said, if you’re using a similar fruit mix to me, you’re looking at just about 3 cups of chopped fruit.

Raspberries will break down as they cook so you don’t need to chop them up first. For this recipe, I recommend chopping up the jalapenos and strawberries into small chunks so they can become evenly distributed throughout the mixture as it cooks.

In a medium saucepan, stir everything together. It will look like the fruit is coated in a thick paste, but the fruit will release liquid as it cooks.

Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes. At this stage, you may notice some white-ish foam forming on the top of the jam. You can optionally skim off some of the foam if you want the jam to look more clear once it’s cooked. This step is not necessary though, and it won’t affect the flavor of your jam.

Continue cooking the mixture until it has noticeably thickened and reduced, about another 10 minutes. It should still be bubbling, but the bubbles will look slower and thicker once the mixture reduces. This is the point where you want to test the thickness of the jam on your cold plates. Here’s an example of what the mixture looks like when it’s not reduced enough, and what to look for when it’s ready.

You want to let a dollop of the jam cool on your cold plate, and then run your finger through it. If it holds the shape, it’s ready to take off the heat.

Pour the jam into a jar and store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy! I love the sweet and spicy combo of these flavors, and it’s really lovely on biscuits or served with cheese.

Tips & Tricks for Making Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

Here are my tips to help you make the perfect raspberry jalapeno jam:

• Can I use another mixture of fruit? Yes, you can use any mixture you prefer here as long as you have 1 pound of fruit for your jam.
• Do I have to chop everything up? The mixture only cooks for about 20 minutes, and depending on the fruit you’re using, this may not be enough time for it to fully break down. I recommend cutting it into small chunks unless you’re working with something very soft.
• Should I skim the foam off the top of the jam? This step is optional. If you do not skim the foam off, the jam will look a little bit cloudy once it’s completely cooled, but the flavor is not impacted at all.
• How does the jam thicken if there’s no pectin? We’re relying on natural pectin in this case, along with allowing the mixture to reduce. There’s natural pectin found in fresh lemon juice, so do not omit it from this recipe!
• What if my jam isn’t thickening? In some altitudes and humidity levels, the cook time may vary for your jam to fully reduce and thicken. Keep cooking it while stirring, testing every five minutes or so and your jam will eventually reduce to the correct consistency!
• Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe? Yes, you can reduce the sugar, but it contributes to the thickening of the jam as well as the flavor. I would recommend only cutting out about 1/4 cup of sugar at most, and you may find that the mixture takes a bit longer to thicken.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

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Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

Servings 10 oz jam

Ingredients

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1-2 large jalapenos
• 8-10 fresh strawberries
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbs. lemon juice
• 1 tbs. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Place two small plates into your freezer. If you’re working with large pieces of fruit, you may want to slice it into somewhat uniform pieces before cooking. Weigh your fruit, starting by adding in all of the raspberries, then the chopped jalapeno. Then add in enough chopped strawberries to give you 1 pound of fruit total- for me this was about 8 strawberries chopped up. In a medium saucepan, stir together the fruit, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Optionally, you can mash the mixture slightly with a potato masher, but it’s not necessary!
2. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes. At this stage, you may notice some white foam forming at the top of the bubbling fruit mixture as the fruit releases liquid. Optionally, you can use a metal spoon to gently skim the foam off the top. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes, or until the mixture looks reduced and thickened.
3. Take a plate from the freezer, and dollop a bit of the jam onto the cold plate. Leave it for a minute, and then if you can drag your finger through the dollop without the jam falling in on itself and filling in the spot you swiped away, your jam is ready! Carefully pour the hot jam into a 12 oz mason jar and refrigerate- it will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!