Raspberry Juice

5 from 1 vote

Canning raspberry juice preserves the flavor of a summer patch in a shelf-stable jar you can drink straight, mix into lemonade, or turn into jelly months later. A short simmer, a slow drip through a jelly bag, and a quick water bath are all it takes.

Prep Time2

Cook Time15

Canning Time15

Total Time2 30

Course: juice

Cuisine: American

Keyword: raspberry canning recipes

Servings: servings, makes 2 pints

Equipment

Ingredients

14 cups raspberries about 3 1/2 quarts, or 3 1/2 pounds, fresh or frozen
1 cup water
sugar optional, 1 to 2 Tbsp per cup of juice

Instructions

Prepare a water bath canner, along with jars and lids.
Rinse the raspberries and discard any stems, leaves, or spoiled fruit.
Add the raspberries and water to a large stainless steel pot and crush with a potato masher. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat, cover loosely, and boil gently 5 to 10 minutes, stirring and crushing occasionally, just until the berries have softened and fallen apart.
Transfer the hot fruit to a dampened jelly bag, or a colander lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth, set over a deep bowl. Let drip undisturbed at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not squeeze the bag if you want clear juice.
Optional, for clearer juice: refrigerate the strained juice overnight to let sediment settle, then carefully pour off the clear juice and discard the sediment.
Pour the juice into a clean saucepan. Add the sugar, if using, and stir to dissolve. Heat the juice to 190°F over medium-high heat and hold it there for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Do not boil.
Ladle the hot juice into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, center the lids, and apply the bands fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for half pints, pints, or quarts, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
Turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool undisturbed 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals.

Notes

Yield: Plan on 3 to 3 1/2 cups of raspberries for every cup of juice. This batch starts with about 3 1/2 quarts of berries and yields roughly 4 cups of juice, filling 2 pints or 4 half-pints. Yield varies with the variety and how ripe and juicy the fruit is, and frozen berries give up more juice than fresh.

Water: Use only enough water to prevent scorching, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup for every 4 cups of berries. Any more dilutes the finished juice.

Sugar: Sugar is optional and added for taste, not preservation. For average sweetness, use 1 to 2 tablespoons per cup of juice. Canning unsweetened keeps the jar useful for jelly, syrup, and cooking later.

Acid: Raspberries are high in acid and need no added lemon juice or citric acid to be safely water bath canned.

Scaling: There is no ratio to hold, so this recipe scales in either direction. Measure the juice you get and fill however many jars it fills. The processing time stays the same regardless of batch size.

Storage: Properly canned and sealed jars keep at room temperature for 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening and use within about a week. Without canning, the juice keeps about a week in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer, leaving 1 inch of headspace for freezing.

Altitude Adjustments: 0 to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes. 1,001 to 6,000 feet, 20 minutes. Above 6,000 feet, 25 minutes.

Nutrition