Canned Raspberry Syrup Recipe

Making this easy canned raspberry syrup recipe is a great way to use fresh or frozen berries. You can even use canned raspberries. Get the simple ingredients and directions for this delicious topping. You can use it for so many things, such as a raspberry pancake syrup or a topping for homemade blueberry cobbler (especially great if you are looking for a patriotic recipe and pair it with vanilla ice cream). Read on for the steps for how to make raspberry syrup the easy way!

Avoid Berry Buildup by Making Canned Raspberry  Syrup

It’s the time of year when I look at the bags of berries in the big freezer in my garage and say, “Yikes! I need to get busy!” Some of you may be familiar with my yearly quest to make good use of our previous year’s berry supply before the current year’s harvest. I call it “Avoiding Berry Buildup”, and it helps me keep the freezer from becoming a disaster zone. There are many reasons why I am so fond of this recipe for raspberry syrup. It’s one of the best raspberry canning recipes because it uses a large quantity of berries and it goes well with a variety of foods. Also, the ingredients are very simple. This recipe only calls for four of them. Are you suffering from Berry Buildup? Easy canned raspberry syrup to the rescue!

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The Canned Raspberry Syrup Recipe Backstory

Previously, I’ve shared the recipe for easy canned blueberry syrup with readers.  One of the best things about that recipe is that it does not require the use of cornstarch for thickening. I had tried canned berry syrup recipes that included cornstarch, and the results were not that great. The syrup became too thick, did not store well on a pantry shelf, and the flavor was lacking. How can I thicken syrup or sauce without cornstarch? In the case of the blueberry syrup, using an immersion blender to break up the blueberries helps to thicken the syrup. With raspberries, there would be no need to use the immersion blender. I would need to separate the seeds, though. Would I be able to get the same great results using my no-cornstarch strategy if I used raspberries instead of blueberries? I decided to test it out. How do you make berry syrup from scratch? Find out just how easy it is to make this recipe for raspberry syrup!

Developing the Canned Raspberry Syrup Recipe

Over the years, I’ve made a lot of raspberry preserves. The natural pectin in raspberries, combined with sugar and lemon juice, then cooked in small batches created a delicious fruit spread. The consistency is not as thick as jam, but the mixture does thicken without added pectin, which is easy on the pocketbook. Plus, the flavor of the fresh lemon juice with the raspberries is amazing. I wanted to create a recipe that would be just as simple, but without the seeds. In order to do this, I needed to purchase one important piece of equipment: a fine-mesh sieve. I already had a wire strainer that I used for juicing lemons, but the mesh was not woven closely enough together. I found a great, inexpensive set and got to work.

Other Equipment

Of course, you do not have to can this raspberry syrup. If you reduce the quantity, you may just want to store the syrup in the refrigerator. The full recipe makes about six half-pints, so here is the equipment you need to assemble beforehand. You will need:

A large mixing bowl

6 half-pint canning jars, lids and bands

A large boiling water bath canner

A small metal saucepan with lid (for heating the jar lids)

A medium-sized saucepan to collect the syrup when seeds are removed

A large, non-reactive stockpot (for mixing the syrup)

1 set of canning tools (optional, but these sure have made canning easier)

Preparation

Set six canning bands (some call them rings) aside, near where you will be filling the jars.

Place the six glass jars in the water bath canner. The water should cover the jars by at least an inch. When you are ready to start cooking the syrup (see below), turn the heat to medium-high.

Place six jar lids in the small saucepan with enough water to cover the lids. When you are ready to start cooking the syrup (see below), cover the pan and heat the water on low. I’ve always been told not to let the water come to a boil. Now it’s time to make the raspberry syrup!

Ingredients for the Canned Raspberry Syrup Recipe

8 cups fresh, frozen, or canned raspberries

6 cups sugar (you can add less sugar, but your syrup will not be as thick and may be tart)

2/3 cups lemon juice (juice from about 3 lemons and fresh is definitely best)

1 cup water (for thicker syrup, add less water)

Directions for the Easy Canned Raspberry Syrup Recipe

Rinse and drain the raspberries. In a large mixing bowl, combine the raspberries, lemon juice, water, and sugar. (Quick tip: To get the most out of your fresh lemons, use a zester to collect the lemon zest before slicing lemons in half for juicing. I freeze the lemon zest in a small container for use in other recipes.)

Let the bowl sit at room temperature for at least two hours. I sometimes let the berries sit all day. This helps the sugar to dissolve.

When you are ready to start making the syrup, put the jars in the canner to heat and begin heating the lids in a pan of water on the stove. Scrape the raspberry mixture into a large stockpot or skillet and begin heating over medium-high heat. How do you thicken berry syrup? The secret to the success of this recipe is cooking the raspberry mixture over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for six minutes.

Separating the Seeds

How do you extract juice from raspberries? Now that the raspberries have been cooked, most of the seeds have separated from the berries and will be floating on top of the mixture. To separate the seeds from the liquid syrup with no mess, have the fine-mesh sieve placed over a medium saucepan. Pour the hot syrup into the sieve. Press the seeds with a wooden spoon and move them around to make sure the holes in the mesh are not blocked. The liquid will drain into the saucepan. I usually spend 3-5 minutes pushing the raspberry seeds around in the sieve to collect as much liquid as possible in the saucepan.

Let the syrup continue dripping into the saucepan while you get the hot jars in place. When the dripping has stopped, set the mushy seed mixture aside. Note: This seed separation works even if you are just trying to extract juice from raspberries for raspberry juice. Can I juice raspberries? Yes. The key is heating the berries to separate the seeds, whether you add sugar or not.

Filling the Jars

Using tongs, if you have them, lift hot jars out of hot water. I usually place mine in the sink. Next to the sink, I place my trusty wooden breadboard. You can use a cutting board or something similar to protect your counter. Put the saucepan of hot syrup on the board and place it next to the jars. Ladle hot syrup into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Once all jars are filled, wipe jar rims. Place lids on jars and place bands on jars. Adjust until they are fingertip tight.

Processing the Filled Jars

Place jars (using a jar-lifter, if you have one) in the hot water bath in the canner. Water should cover the jars by at least one inch. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. When processing is done, remove the jars (again using a jar-lifter, if you have one) and place them on a towel to absorb the drips and to cool.

Checking the Seal

If all has gone as it should, you should hear the jars seal as they cool. When they are cool, press the center of each lid. They should not flex. Label and store the jars in a cool, dry place. The quality is best if used within 18 months. Refrigerate any jars once opened. Yum!

Black Raspberry Syrup Recipe

To make black raspberry syrup, simply substitute the red raspberries for black raspberries in this canned fruit syrup recipe. The color will be different, of course, but the canned syrup made with black raspberries will taste similar to the canned syrup made with red raspberries.

Is it Raspberry Syrup or Sauce?

This recipe is more of a raspberry syrup than a sauce, because of the sugar content and thickness. If you would like to make a raspberry sauce, you could reduce the amount of sugar and skip the canning process. How do you thicken a berry sauce? Go through the same heating process in this easy canned raspberry syrup recipe. You could even reduce the recipe and make it in a small batch to refrigerate. How long does homemade fruit syrup or sauce last in the refrigerator? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website, high-acid foods such as fruit juice can be stored in the refrigerator for five to seven days.

What Can You Do with the Leftover Raspberry Seed Mixture?

When you complete the seed-separation process, you will be left with a thick, mushy, yet pleasantly fragrant, seed mixture. I was going to toss this to our chickens, but someone in my family wanted to save it and put it on toast. According to this person (who is my favorite taste-tester), the concoction was pretty good. If you don’t mind a lot of seeds, you could try this as well. It might also make a good topping for ice cream.

Reducing the Raspberry Syrup Recipe

If you need to make just a small quantity of raspberry syrup for a dessert and don’t want to process the syrup in a canner, here’s what to do. Just reduce every ingredient by half or even by three-quarters. You could decide if you wanted to add the water or not. So you could use 4 cups of berries to 3 cups of sugar and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. You could even just use 2 cups of berries, 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, and 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Just follow the directions and let the raspberry syrup cool a bit before serving.

 

How Would You Use This Recipe for Raspberry Syrup?

This recipe for raspberry syrup would be delicious on top of pancakes, waffles, and other baked goods. You could use this canned raspberry syrup mixed into coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Have you ever baked pears? This raspberry syrup would be delicious on a baked pear. Love the combination of raspberry and chocolate? Try this canned raspberry syrup on top of the best chocolate dessert ever, Death by Chocolate. The possibilities are numerous.

Other Canning Ideas

Homemade canned goods make excellent gifts for the holidays or for gift baskets any time of the year. If you are a fan of home canning, you might want to try making canned blackberry syrup. If you like canned jam, you could make some orange rhubarb, pineapple rhubarb, seedless raspberry, or raspberry blueberry jam. Looking for a way to use an abundant apple harvest? Make some delicious canned beets or canned applesauce. Got pickling cucumbers? Try making some quick dill pickles. There are many possibilities!

Are You Now Craving Homemade Raspberry Syrup?

Homemade raspberry syrup is delicious on so many things. If you decide to try this recipe, I’d love to know your favorite way to use raspberry syrup, whether as raspberry syrup for pancakes or as a topping for a favorite dessert. It’s always nice to have a plan when it comes to meals. If you’re looking for a way to get more organized with your meal-planning efforts, I’ve got something for you. Free, editable meal planners! The templates can be used over and over, as often as you need them. You can make as many duplicates as you like, and you’ll be able to save old meal plans for future reference. I hope it simplifies things for you.

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Have a fabulous day, and have fun making this easy canned recipe for raspberry syrup!