How About Raspberry Jam (or Sauce) Then?

Fine.  If we can’t make ethanol, and infusing vodka just seems… like a bad idea… maybe some delicious raspberry sauce (and/or jam) is a better idea.

The only difference between the sauce and the jam is how thick it is.  I was more or less neutral about it, and so I didn’t add any pectin (which raspberries have in their seeds), but if you wanted to guarantee yourself thick, spreadable jam consistency, you could add an envelope of pectin to this, or you could try just boiling it a couple of minutes longer until it thickened on its own.

The “recipe” goes something like this:

• 5 c. mashed raspberries
• 4 c. sugar
• 1 T. lemon juice (optional)
• 8 half-pint jars and lids

1. Get the jars into a canning pot and bring them to a boil to sterilize.
2. Pick the mice and twigs out of the raspberries and mash them up with a potato masher.
   

   Mash Mash Mash

3. Add to a non-reactive pot (like stainless or ceramic coated) and bring to a boil.  It should be boiling enough that you can’t “stir it down”.
   

   Boil Boil Boil

4. Stir in the sugar (and lemon juice, if you’re in to that kind of thing).
   

   Stir, Stir, Stir

5. Bring the whole thing back to a boil for about two minutes.
   Now, if you want nicely set jam, you can add pectin and boil according to directions.  It should set as advertised, assuming the pectin is fresh.
   Your other option is to keep boiling for another couple of minutes and test it for doneness by putting a small blob on a cold plate to see if it gels.
   I wasn’t too worked up about it (the raspberry sauce is very fine on vanilla ice cream), and so I just boiled this batch for a couple of minutes and que sera sera.
6. Now, without scalding yourself horribly with hot raspberry lava, fill the jars to within 1/2″ or so of the top, put on the lids, and tighten finger tight.  Carefully place them into the canner covered by about 2″ of water.
7. Process in the covered canner boiling water bath for about 10 minutes.
   

   Uh, Process, Process, Process

8. Again without horribly disfiguring yourself to the degree possible, take the jars out and let them cool on a couple of layers of towel on the counter.  You probably know the old thing about how if they seal, the center of the lid will suck down tight.  If not, and it still can be pushed in and pop out, it’s not sealed.  Just store that one in the fridge or freezer and eat it first.
   

   Cool, Cool, Cool

That’s about it.  Wifey and I poured some over vanilla ice cream (strictly as a test) and it was dee-luxe.

Enjoy.