Boozy & Spiced Seedless Raspberry Jam for Grown-Ups

June 27, 2025 Master Canner

We’ve all had raspberry jam before. Sweet. Safe. Predictable. But this? This is the seedless raspberry jam you bring out when people think they’ve tried them all…

Feel free to skip straight to the recipe, or hang out a bit for some handy tips, ingredient recommendations, and tricks to make this jam truly exceptional. Promise, no grandma stories here!

Jump to Recipe

This is for the People that are Hard to Impress…

You know the type. They dab the classic raspberry preserves on their toast and sigh, “Meh, it’s just a raspberry jam.” Fair is fair. So, we set out to make a seedless raspberry jam that actually excites people. We wanted to create something that didn’t taste like every other raspberry preserve out there. Full disclaimer – we love classic raspberry jam. But, this time we didn’t want safe and sweet – we wanted unusual. Simply put, we wanted a jam that would make people say, “Wait – what’s in this?”

And that’s how our seedless raspberry jam recipe was created. This one has got port wine. It’s got cracked black pepper and a dash of timut pepper – a citrusy, tongue-tingling spice from Nepal that turns every spoonful of jam into a tiny surprise. And just to keep things interesting, we cut the sugar down and strained out the seeds. With all due respect to all Nanas out there, this is not your grandma’s raspberry jam (unless your grandma liked her preserves seedless, with a splash of booze and a spicy finish).

Why Port + Pepper + Raspberry Works

Raspberries have this deep, wine-like richness to them already. So we figured, why not lean into that with a splash of actual port wine? It’s not enough to make your jam boozy, just enough to add body and warmth.

Next, we added two types of peppers. Cracked black pepper adds very gentle heat and edge. But the real wild card here is timut (timur) pepper! It is bright, citrusy, with a numbing zing that somehow makes raspberries taste even more like raspberries. If that sounds strange, well… it kind of is. But it works.

How to Clean Raspberries Before Making Jam

There’s this belief that you don’t need to wash raspberries before you use them. Who knows where that urban legend came from, but you most definitely need to wash your raspberries before putting them into jams. However, because raspberries are delicate, you also need to take great care when you clean them. So, instead of soaking them (which can cause mush), place berries in a colander and rinse gently under cool running water. Then, let them drain. Only wash them right before making jam to avoid spoilage.

How to Remove Seeds from Raspberry Jam

If you’re wondering how to make raspberry jam without seeds, it’s simpler than you think. After mashing the raspberries, push the pulp through a fine mesh sieve or a food mill using a spatula or spoon. This will remove the seeds while keeping all the raspberry juices and the good pulp. And that is the real secret to achieving success with this seedless raspberry jam recipe. If you do it right, you will have a raspberry jam with a glossy, smooth texture, perfect for toast or a cake filling. This type of jam is also known as butter.

Yes, you will get much less jam if you go seedless, but you will have a much nicer spoonful of jam without all the seeds getting in between your teeth.

Why Add Lemon Juice to Raspberry Jam

Wondering why we add lemon juice to this raspberry jam canning recipe? It’s not just for the tart balance. Lemon juice lowers the pH, which is essential for safe canning and helps the pectin set.

Just to be clear, it is critical for making the reduced sugar jam shelf stable, so don’t skip it!

Additionally, it also enhances the natural brightness of the raspberries, balancing out the port’s richness and the complexity of the peppers.

How We Reduced Sugar and Still Kept this Jam Shelf Stable

When it comes to canning jam, shelf stability depends on the right balance of sugar, acid, and heat processing. Traditional jam recipes rely heavily on sugar for preservation – usually a ratio of about 1:1 (fruit to sugar) by weight. That’s a lot of sugar.

In fact, most conventional jams aim for about 60% sugar by weight in the final product to ensure shelf stability and microbial safety. The absolute minimum generally accepted for home safe preservation is 40% sugar content. Fall below that, and you’re in risky territory – unless you’re paying close attention to acid element of the jam.

In this raspberry jam recipe, we’ve reduced the added sugar nearly in half compared to traditional jam. But because we remove the seeds and briefly cook the fruit before straining, the natural sugars become more concentrated and the overall weight of the fruit is reduced. Meaning, you need less sugar to preserve it. Simply put, the final sugar percentage of our preserve stays high – even with less sugar added.

Additionally, we’re using Pomona’s pectin, which is specifically formulated to gel and preserve with much lower sugar content.

We also add lemon juice to maintain proper acidity and use our favorite atmospheric steam canner to process the jars. As long as you follow the instructions (and adjust for altitude), this jam is safe to store on your shelves.

Let’s Talk Pectin

This is a recipe for a raspberry jam with pectin. We use regular powdered pectin—the kind that comes in a box—and follow the directions for soft-set jams. Specifically, this recipe is designed to work with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It is a concentrated product that allows you to control the sugar and texture.

Here’s what we’ve learned the hard way about various pectins: Most other boxed pectin brands are diluted with sugar. That means you have to use the entire packet to get the same setting power as just from one teaspoon of Pomona’s pectin.

We don’t recommend using liquid pectin for this recipe. But if that’s all you have, make sure you read instructions as the timing of adding the liquid pectin to the jam will likely be different.

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Pomona – we just genuinely love their pectin. For your convenience, we’ve included an Amazon link where you can purchase Pomona. If you choose to buy through this link, we may earn a small Amazon affiliate reward. Don’t worry – it doesn’t affect the price you pay.

Tips for Seedless Raspberry Jam Success

Use good port. Don’t pour in the cooking stuff. A small amount of drinkable port makes a big difference. If possible, go for white port. It has a lot of brightness and lightness to it.

Go easy on the pepper, especially timut. While the quality of the preserve won’t change from more of these pepper types going in, it’s flavor certainty will. Remember, a little goes a long way.

Use Pomona’s if you have it. It’s the best pectin for reduced sugar jams, and gives you the freedom to play with flavors without worrying about set.

Label it. You don’t want your cousin mistaking this for kid-friendly PB&J filler. But then, maybe you do 😆

How to Make Spiced Raspberry Jam – Step-by-Step

we start making seedless raspberry jam recipe by crashing raspberries mixed with sugar — start by crashing raspberries mixed with sugar

you should have plenty of raspberry juice in the pot once maceration is done — start by crashing raspberries mixed with sugar

Spiced Raspberry Jam

Looking for an unusual raspberry jam? Our seedless raspberry jam recipe combines rich port wine, cracked black pepper, and citrusy timut pepper for a preserve that’s bold, sophisticated, and just the right amount of wild. It’s a raspberry jam with pectin and reduced sugar – so you still get a beautiful set without the sugar overload.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Idle Cook 3

Yield: 4 x half-pint (8 oz. = 250 ml.) mason jars

Discover exclusive offers on kitchen tools and products on Amazon

Ingredients

3 lbs. raspberries fresh or thawed from frozen – 1400g
1 1/3 lbs. sugar – 680 g
1/3 cup lemon juice – 78 ml.
½ cup preferably white port wine in the absence of such ruby port will do – 120 ml.
¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
¾ teaspoon pectin powder Pomona’s

Instructions

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the raspberries with most of the sugar, reserving ½ cup to be mixed with a Pomona pectin.
*If using pectin other Pomona’s, follow package instructions for adding pectin to your jams.
Gently mash the berries with sugar – just enough to help the sugar draw out juices from the berries.
Set the berries aside to macerate for a minimum of 3 hours but preferably overnight. If leaving overnight, keep the macerating berries in the cold place, like your fridge.
Maceration is done when you have plenty of juices in the pot.
Bring the pot with the macerated berries to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes then remove the berries from the heat.
Once done, push the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or food mill to remove the seeds. Catch the flowing juices and scrape the pulp into the pot.
Stir in lemon juice, port wine, cracked black and timut peppers.
Bring the raspberry mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Skim off impurities – that’s the white foam that forms on the surface of the jam. Cook for 15 minutes
In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the pectin powder into the sugar.
Slowly stir in the sugar-pectin mix into the cooking raspberry jam. Stir constantly and bring the jam to a full boil that can’t be stirred down.
Boil hard for 5 minutes. Do a chilled plate test. If it’s ready remove from the heat If not, boil 2 and up to 5 more minutes.
Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings finger-tight. Process in a canner

Not sure how to sterilize canning jars? Find the answer about “dos and don’ts” of canning jars sterilization.

Processing time guidelines for hot water bath or atmospheric steam canners

Style of Pack: Hot

	Process Time at Elevations of:
Jar Size	0 – 1,000 ft	1,001 – 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
1/2 Pint (8 oz, ~250 ml)	5 min	10 min	15 min

Preserve Type Jam

Cuisine Unique recipe

We love Weck Jars. Here is a link to get them from amazon.ca
https://amzn.to/4i0sbK7

We can’t wait to learn how this preserve recipe worked out for you. Leave us a comment below, like us on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Blue Sky. And remember, sharing is caring!

FAQ

What’s the “Chilled Plate” Test?

Chilled plate test is often used by the jam makers to determine if the boiling jam will set to their desired firmness once it cools to a room temperature. This is how to do the test. First, place a small plate into a fridge and let it chill for 5-10 minutes. Once done, place a small spoonful of jam on a chilled plate and let it sit for 1 minute. Tilt the plate. If the jam wrinkles and holds its shape, it’s ready.

How Spicy is This Raspberry Jam?

Good question. Despite the cracked black pepper and timut, this jam isn’t “hot” in a traditional sense. Instead, it’s gently warm with a bit of a zing. The black pepper gives a low, slow heat, while timut pepper adds citrusy sparkle and a slight tongue-tingle. It’s more of a flavor enhancer than a firestarter—just enough spice to wake up the raspberries without overpowering them.

Can I scale up this jam recipe?

You can scale this jam up easily as soon as you are proportionally scaling up the ingredients. We recommend not to scale above 9 lbs. of berries ingredients. Make sure to use a pot large enough to contain all ingredients

What to Eat Raspberry Jam With

Wondering what to eat raspberry jam with? This rogue jam goes way beyond toast:

For starters, smear it on a croissant and feel very French
For the grown-ups, pair with sharp cheddar or soft goat cheese
For the creative chef, glaze a roasting duck breast with it.
For the backers, it is perfect as a French macaron cookie filling
Also, use this seedless raspberry jam as a cake filling between chocolate or almond sponge
It’s also a great jam to gift. Just don’t be surprised if people ask for it again next year. Or every month.

Got more questions? Don’t be shy. Leave us a comment or contact us.