Skagit Food Preservation: Raspberries

Freezing

• Sort, wash, and thoroughly drain.
• Place raspberries in moisture/vapor-proof freezer containers or freezer-weight plastic bags. Leave ½ inch of headspace for expansion during freezing.
• Berries can also be frozen individually on a tray, then packed into containers once frozen.
• Additional options for freezing berries include packed with sugar, or in a sugar syrup. To freeze with sugar carefully mix sugar into berries, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pack into containers leaving ½ inch headspace.
• Pack into moisture/vapor-proof freezer containers or freezer-weight plastic bags. Label, seal and freeze.

Tip: Frozen berries or puree may be used later to make fruit spreads, juice or in baking.

Drying

Fruit Leathers

Raspberries are not recommended for drying because of their high seed content and slow drying time; however, raspberries make excellent fruit leathers.

To Make Raspberry Fruit Leathers:

• Purée berries, strain seeds, sweeten to taste as desired and pour on a fruit leather drying sheet or drying tray covered with plastic wrap.
• Place in a dehydrator or warm oven (140° F.) and dry until leathery with no moisture pockets.
• Cool thoroughly. Roll or cut into bite-size pieces. Package fruit leathers in moisture/vapor proof containers. Label. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

Boiling Water Canning

Raspberries can be processed in the boiling water canner, but because they are so fragile, canning does not result in a quality product.

Canned Raspberries

An average of 12 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; 8 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.

Wash and sort. Pack berries in hot jars (shake gently to get full pack). Cover with boiling sugar syrup, fruit juice or water to 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Adjust two-piece lids and process in boiling water canner according to directions below.

Once processing is complete, turn off heat, remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars. Let cool at room temperature, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals. Wipe jars, remove rings, label, and store in a cool, dry place.

Boiling Water Canning

Raspberries can be made into a variety of fruit spreads, either alone or in combination with other fruits. Recipes for jams, jellies and preserves can be found in commercial pectin packages. Options are available for full sugar, low sugar and freezer jam products. Recipes using pectin have been carefully formulated and should be followed exactly. Cooked fruit spreads must be processed in a boiling water canner for storage at room temperature.

Raspberry Syrup

Select 6½ cups of fresh or frozen berries. Wash, and crush in a saucepan. To prepare juice, heat fruit to boiling, then reduce heat simmer until soft (5 to 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a colander and drain until cool enough to handle. Strain collected juice through a double layer of cheesecloth or jelly bag. Discard the dry pulp.

The yield of pressed juice should be about 4½ to 5 cups. Combine juice with 6¾ cups of sugar in a large saucepan, bring to boil, and simmer for 1 minute. For thicker syrup, increase cooking time.

To make a syrup with whole fruit pieces, save 1 or 2 cups of the fresh or frozen fruit. Add fruit when adding sugar, and simmer as directed for syrup.

Remove from heat, skim off foam, and fill into hot half[1]pint or pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean damp paper towel. Apply two-piece lids and process in boiling water canner according to directions below.

Once processing is complete, turn off heat, remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars. Let cool at room temperature, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours and check for seals. Wipe jars, remove rings, label, and store in a cool, dry place.