First there was the berry picking basket, and then there were the abundant wild raspberries available for picking in my town.

After eating a great number of fresh, tart raspberries and dehydrating another good quantitiy, I decided to try my hand at making the rest into jam. At this point, only about a pound were left. So this recipe made a grand total of one jar, but more diligence could produce others.

You could modify this by adding other berries to it. I chose to just use what was readily available around town.

This is only my second canning experience, so please feel free to educate me in the comments. :-)

Step 1: Materials and Supplies

What you will need for this recipe. Multiply quantities if you want to make more:

About one pound of berries
Two packets (or two teaspoons) of Stevia powder
One tbsp orange juice
Low/no-sugar pectin
Canning jars with lids
Pots for heating lids, jars, jam, and canning
Other canning tools, like lid magnet, jar lifter, canning basket, funnel

Step 2: Preparation

Make sure all jars and lids are cleaned with hot, soapy water, and that the lids all fit the jars well, with no dents that would interfere with sealing.

Fill up a couple of pots with water. Bring a small pot to boil, then turn off the heat. Add the lids to one, and let them sit in the hot water.

Meanwhile, put the jars in a larger pot. Heat the water and the jars up together, to prevent breakage. Preheating the jars means they won't break when you add the hot jam.

I used the same large stock pot for heating the jars, and later canning the jam.

Incidentally, I found this pot at the thrift store. It was missing a lid, but I had a silicone lid (purchased separately) that fit it.

Step 3: Prepare the Raspberries

I rinsed the raspberries in a strainer to make sure they were all good. Then I mashed the raspberries with a potato masher, first with about half, then adding the rest, so they mashed up well.

After that, I added about a tablespoon of orange juice and the two packets of Stevia. This took the edge off the tartness.

If you are fussy about seeds, you can strain them out too.

Step 4: Cook the Jam

Put the raspberry mix in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. While you are stirring and it is heating, slowly add one tablespoon of pectin.

Once it reaches a rolling boil, let the mixture boil for a minute, then turn the heat off.

Step 5: Preserving

Remove the jars from the water, and pour the jam into the jars. Check for bubbles. Put the lid on finger-tight.

Add jars to canning basket. There should be 1-2 inches of water above the jar(s). Bring to boil and cover, boiling for ten minutes.

Turn off heat, remove pot lid and let sit for five minutes.

Remove jar from pot and let sit for 24 hours. The lid should be indented, showing it has sealed. If it doesn't, then put it in the fridge for immediate use.