Preparing Preserves with Confidence...

Putting up delicious Raspberry Preserves for home, gifts and craft fairs

Every spring I begin to think about the Annisquam Sewing Circle Christmas Fair. Each member is asked to donate items for the Gourmet Foods Table. Preserves are always some of the first items to sell out. This year I am hoping for a bumper crop of raspberries from our ever bearing variety. Ever Bearing Raspberries can have two crops each year. I have chosen to only have the late season crop by pruning the plants in the spring. By pruning then there will be more raspberries in late summer. Our plants came from Corliss Brothers in Ipswich, Massachusetts, a wonderful nursery nearby. My suggestion is to plant in the first year about half the number you think you would like. They will spread every year which will give you plenty of plants as the years go by.

I found the best recipe in America's Test Kitchen's Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments & More. The recipe is well laid out, easy to follow including beautiful photographs. The results - fabulous. A must have on your cookbook shelf! I have never made the raspberry preserve from frozen berries. Others have tried with good results. Of course there are many other recipes in this book. 

I will add a post on DIY Orange Marmalade soon.

You may have some of these items or be able to purchase them locally. If not here are some links to those items on Amazon.

Other items I have found super helpful:

• Small digital scales - I have this XOX Scale that weighs up to 5 pounds.
• Remote reading thermometer - I use the Thermoworks product that is sold directly from Thermoworks.

Check out my Tips & Tricks page for additional helpful information.

A will receive a small amount of money from Amazon if you purchase an item from Amazon using the links above. It does not add to the cost of the item you will pay.