Raw jam is not only easy and quick - possibly the quickest jam you've ever made, but it also has a very deep and intense flavor you've probably never tasted before. It's made entirely from dried fruit - no added sugar or pectin.
If you’ve ever read the label on a jar of store-bought jam, the sugar content will catch you by surprise. Store-bought jam is mostly made with corn syrup (or some other type of fructose-glucose syrup) and standard white sugar. Not to mention the amount of pectin used to thicken it up.
Jam made from dried fruit is the opposite of that. Since the fruit is dried, aka concentrated in natural sugar, there's no need to add additional sugar. Also, dried fruit has very low water content - dried apricots, for instance, contain only about 22% water - and so there's no need to add pectin or some other type of thickener.
Perhaps most importantly, when you dry fruit, its flavor magnifies, resulting in an intensely flavorful, delicious jam.
Tips for Making Raw Jam
Ingredients
- Dried fruit: the juicier the dried fruit, the better. I have made this raw jam using apricots, plums, cherries, and figs, and they all work great. As you might know, dried fruit is commonly treated with preservatives. The most common are sulfites, which not only prevent bacterial growth but also preserve the fruit color. Without preservatives, all dried fruit becomes dark-colored. The choice is yours. I try to purchase sulfite-free sun-dried fruit whenever possible. While it doesn't have the prettiest color and perhaps spoils quicker, it's chemical-free, which, in my opinion, is worth it.
- Maple syrup (optional): if you're not working with particularly sweet fruit, you might want to add a liquid sweetener. It's important to use liquid sweeteners because the liquid consistency helps with blending. You might have heard that liquid sweeteners are not ideal in jams because they don't adequately react with the fruit to set it. Well, that's not a problem for this recipe because we are not cooking the jam.
How to Make Raw Jam
Dried fruit jam is about as easy as it gets:
- Soak the dried fruit. Since dried fruit contains less water than fresh, you'll want to rehydrate it first. Re-hydrating makes the fruit soft and easier to blend. So, add the fruit to a bowl, cover it with warm water and let it soak for a few hours. Once soaked, strain the fruit and discard the soaking water.
- Blend. Transfer the soaked fruit to a high-speed blender and blend on high until pureed. If your blender is struggling, add a little bit of water, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time, until the fruit breaks down into a smooth puree. You can blend the dried fruit until it's completely smooth, e.g., the dried apricot jam - or until the fruit has broken down but still has some texture, e.g., the dried cherry jam.
How to Serve Dried Fruit Jam
Just like fresh fruit jam, dried fruit jam is very versatile. You can use it in place of jelly on a classic PB&J sandwich, spread it on crepes, use it as a topping for flaxseed porridge or chia pudding, stir it into yogurt, or place small spoonfuls in your next batch of thumbprint cookies.
If you are looking for some variation, add fresh ginger for some spice, lemon juice for tanginess, or a sprinkle or two of cinnamon for warmth. Experiment with what you like best, but just go lightly on the quantities.
How to Store Dried Fruit Jam
- Refrigerating: transfer the jam to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 month.
- Freezing: transfer the jam to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Jam Recipes
- Chia seed jam: chia jam is a great alternative to store-bought jam. It's raw, made with fresh fruit only, and thickened with chia seeds.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Raw Jam
Instructions
- Soak the dried fruit. Since dried fruit contains less water than fresh, you'll want to rehydrate it first. Re-hydrating makes the fruit soft and easier to blend. So, add the fruit to a bowl, cover it with warm water and let it soak for a few hours. Once soaked, strain the fruit and discard the soaking water.
- Blend. Transfer the soaked fruit to a high-speed blender and blend on high until pureed. If your blender is struggling, add a little bit of water, 1 Tbsp./15 ml at a time, until the fruit breaks down into a smooth puree. You can blend the dried fruit until it's completely smooth, e.g., the dried apricot jam - or until the fruit has broken down but still has some texture, e.g., the dried cherry jam.
- Store. Leftover jam keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
So far, I have tried making this jam with dried apricots, cherries, figs, and plums, and they all work great. Whenever possible, purchase unsulphured dried fruit: apricots, cherries, figs, and plums.
Rajaa Dawood Dolly
Great job thanks Chef Petra ❤️
PetraScott
Thank you so much, Rajaa! ❤️
Geraldine
Love this recipe. Thanks Petra. When out hunting for dried fruit that was available in Port Elizabeth.
Looked for the cheapest to practice this recipe. Found one with fruit roll ups in it, cut up already. I just
went with it. So i poured the boiling water over them and cover the bowl with a plate. When it was time
to make the jam the fruit roll ups have disintegrated into the water and thickened it. I took my emergent
blender and blended the whole lot. Boy did that came out amazing. Thanks for this amazing recipe. This would be nice with a vegan scone.
PetraScott
Lol - fruit roll ups! That's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, Geraldine. I am so happy the jam turned out so well 🙂
Debbie
Can a healthy jam be made of fresh raspberries?
PetraScott
Hi Debbie - yes, you can but you would have to use a thickening agent. Fresh raspberries contain a lot of water, so without a thickening agent, it would be more like a raspberry puree. If you want to keep the jam raw, your best bet are chia seeds as a thickener (either whole or ground).
Debbie
Thank you so much Petra!!!! You are awesome! Btw... I make your nut bread regularly! I have it for lunch every day with almond butter!!!! Love it! Thank you for your easy to follow videos! I look forward to them! Bless you !
Debbie
Oh, and I was wondering if it would be possible to add the nutritional information with your recipes?
Ghada
Tank you Soo much . ILike all your r a copies an
PetraScott
Thank you Ghada!
Shannice
Hi, Petra. May I know can we use honey instead of maple syrup?
PetraScott
Yes, definitely!
Shannice
Dear Petra, can we use granulated sugar instead liquid sweetener?
PetraScott
Hi Shannice - yes, any sweetener will work here 🙂
Estefania Restrepo Rojas
Hi Petra! Thank you I love you, in the second jam did you used ground chia seeds? Have you tried with ground linseed?
PetraScott
Hi Estefania - yes, I used ground chia seeds. I have never tried it with flax seeds. The reason I used chia seeds is that they are more bland, almost tasteless, especially in their ground form. Flax seeds, on the other hand, have a much stronger flavor and are slightly nutty.
Nina
Hi Petra , have you got any tips how to preserve raw jam in jars that I can keep out of the fridge until open ,if I make a lot I don’t like to fill up the fridge or freezer with jam thanks
PetraScott
Hi Nina - it is certainly possible to can the jam. You can either add a sweetener or can without it. My mom always cans without any added sugar and never has any problems. I am no expert at canning, but here is what I have learned:
1. Sugar affects the acidity that is crucial for safe canning. All you need to do is add more lemon juice to boost the acidity.
2. Typically, you would also need sugar to make the fruit gel. In this case, it is unnecessary since you're working with dried fruit, which has the perfect consistency when blended.
If you have any specific questions, please, let me know and I will do my best to help 🙂
However, in that case I would recommend adding a sweetener (say, for 2 cups dried fruit use 1/2 cup maple syrup).
Lenny
Hi Petra, Which brand of monk fruit sweetener do you use? I tried to search one but it seems like most of them contain erythritol and wonder if there is anything pure.
PetraScott
Hi Lenny - there are several options. If you Google 'pure monk fruit sweetener', you'll find it. You can actually even choose from a powder and a liquid extract. The monk fruit I am using right now is by NOW Foods - Monk Fruit Extract. You can typically tell whether the extract contains any erythritol based on the price. Pure monk fruit is more expensive than a blend. The one I have right now costs CA$35 (for 0.7 oz/19.85 g).