People who like fruity spreads that are somewhat tart may want to try raspberry preserves. This food is made from fresh raspberries, citrus juice, and sugar. These ingredients are cooked over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit is somewhat mushy. Pectin, which is a substance that helps fruit to gel, is not needed to make this preserved food, as raspberries naturally contain this ingredient. The finished product could be spread on biscuits or toast or might be used as a topping for ice cream or cheesecake as well.
Any variety of raspberry can be used to make these fruit preserves. Only the berry itself is used, which means the stems and leaves must be removed if they have remained on the fruit after it was picked. This can be done by rinsing the berries in cold water, and then pulling off the stems by hand. Raspberries contain a great deal of seeds, but these do not need to be removed before making raspberry preserves. The finished product will be somewhat seedy, but this does not make the fruit preserves difficult to eat.
Sugar must be added to the raspberries when making preserves. This is because these berries are naturally very sour, so sugar will give the preserves a sweeter flavor. Some commercial varieties may use corn syrup or an artificial sweetener when making preserves. Even though plenty of sugar is used, this spread may sometimes be slightly tart, but it is not normally bitter.
Raspberry preserves are typically dark red in color and about the same consistency as other fruit preserves. Some of the seeds are visible in this spread, which also has a light berry aroma. It normally spreads very easily with a butter knife and goes well on toast or biscuits. Some people like to use this preserved food as a topping, in which case it might be eaten on ice cream, cheesecake, or pancakes.
People who do not have a great deal of experience making preserves may want to try preparing this spread. Raspberry preserves are easier to prepare than other types of homemade preserves because they do not require any pectin in order to gel properly. Those who find the taste of the raspberries to be too tart may want to add a few blackberries or strawberries to this fruit when cooking it. Whether eating homemade preserves or ones purchased from a supermarket, this spread keeps nicely if unused portions are covered and placed in a refrigerator.