Raspberries in Honey Syrup

The raspberries are great this fall. My daughter went with me to the farmer's market - she has recently shown an interest in canning. She asked if she could can some raspberries. "Raspberry jam?" I asked. "No, just raspberries". Why not? Actually, I am thrilled with how these came out. I can see serving them all winter in cocktails, with ice cream or yogurt, or on waffles. This recipe came out pretty tangy. I think you could go with a heavier syrup if you wanted.  I think it's perfect just the way it is.  We bought 5 quarts of berries for $22, and I think we ended up with 12 pints of product, give or take a few 12 oz. jelly jars in the mix.  That's a little over $2 per jar - a great value!

Raspberries are ridiculously easy to can, too, because it's done with a raw pack. Raspberries couldn't withstand the heat of a hot pack. Here's how we did it....doesn't our jar look good with the cute owl candle holder I found at an estate sale a few weeks ago?

Raspberries in Honey Syrup
5 quarts raspberries, rinsed in cold water and picked over

Honey syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
5 cups water

Heat syrup ingredients until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Ladle about an inch or two of syrup in hot clean jars, and then pack with raspberries. Tap jar on a towel to fit in more berries without crushing them. Fill to 1/2 inch headspace, and then top off with syrup to a 1/2 inch headspace, if needed. Cap and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Because these tended to spew liquid, I recommend removing the canning kettle lid and let the jars sit in the hot water with the flame turned off for 5 minutes. Allow to cool, remove the bands and clean off the outside of the jars with window cleaner.

Next project, my daughter wants to can apples.  "Apple sauce?" I asked.   "Nope, just apple slices."  Why not?  That will be our next canning project.