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diy raspberry-chocolate jam
Get jamming with this homemade treat that's perfect for Valentine’s Day—or any day!
Prepare Ingredients
Gather Cooking Equipment
Place 2 small plates in freezer to chill. In large saucepan, use rubber spatula to stir raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice until combined.
Stir the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice until combined.
Place saucepan over medium heat and cook until juice begins to bubble at edges of saucepan, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring often with rubber spatula, until raspberries have broken down and released their juice, about 5 minutes.
Carefully add chocolate chips. Slowly whisk until completely melted, about 30 seconds (ask an adult for help—mixture will be VERY hot. If you whisk too fast, it could splatter). Cook, carefully stirring often with rubber spatula, until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner. Let cool for 2 minutes.
Adding Chocolate Chips and Whisking
Carefully add the chocolate chips to the saucepan.
Slowly whisk until the chips are completely melted. Ask an adult for help—the mixture is very hot!
Remove 1 plate from freezer. Carefully spoon small amount of jam onto chilled plate (jam mixture will be VERY hot). Return plate to freezer for 2 minutes.
Putting the plate back into the freezer cools the jam so that you can test its consistency with your finger in the next step.
Remove plate from freezer. Drag your finger through jam on plate. If your finger leaves distinct trail that doesn’t close up, jam is done! If jam is still runny, return saucepan of jam to medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, then repeat test with second chilled plate.
Jam Plate Test Results
Jam is still too runny.
Jam leaves a clear trail—it’s done!
Let jam cool in saucepan for 15 minutes. Use ladle to transfer cooled jam to glass jars or other airtight container (ask an adult for help). Let jam cool completely, about 30 minutes. Place lids on jars or container. Refrigerate jam until thickened and firm, 12 to 24 hours. Serve. (Jam can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)
Food for Thought
Jamming Out
Have you ever wondered about the difference between jam and jelly? Wonder no more! Jam is made by cooking chopped or crushed fruit with sugar until it’s spreadable but still has little pieces of fruit in it. Jelly, on the other hand, is made with fruit juice and sugar, so its texture is supersmooth, with no fruit pieces or bits.
There are other kinds of fruit spreads, too, such as marmalade (made with orange peels), preserves (made with large pieces of fruit or whole berries in a sweet syrup), and fruit butter (made with fruit that’s cooked for a long time and pureed to a thick, smooth texture). What’s your favorite kind to spread on your morning toast?
A Sweet Gift
The flavors of tart raspberries and sweet chocolate are a perfect match, especially around Valentine’s Day! Little jars of this jam make sweet gifts on their own, but the jam is also a great filling for sandwich or thumbprint cookies. Or you can warm it up and serve on top of ice cream or pound cake!
