Raspberry Confiture

… Old French Raspberry Preserves!

I’ve heard on numerous occasions how wonderful the confiture, or French preserves, are in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. What is confiture?

Here’s what the dictionary says: con·fi·ture/ˈkänfiˌCHo͝or/. n. 1. A preparation of preserved fruit. 2. A confection. Synonyms: jam, conserve, marmalade.

My reliable source shares with me that confiture is a sweet jam, of sorts, that is less solid than our typical jams and preserves common here in the states. It has more of the pure fruit flavor. It is made of two ingredients (how simple is that), and it needs to be kept in the refrigerator and used within a couple of weeks, or can be frozen for longer storage in 12-16 ounce jars if a large batch is prepared.

Since fresh raspberries are plentiful right now, I decided to try my hand at making some of my own. After cooking a few batches, I think I have a better feel for how a true confiture should look and taste. My first batch was made a couple of months ago with fresh strawberries. I gave it a college effort, but in the process I learned a few things. I’m eager to try it again with strawberries, but that recipe isn’t quite ready for reveal just yet. The raspberry confiture recipe has come out to my delight more than once. So I’m excited to share it with you. I know some of you are going to say, “Wow, there’s a lot of sugar in that!”, and you’re right. You can experiment with how sweet you prefer your confiture. The way I look at it, this is a special treat. A little goes a long way! I especially enjoy spreading the confiture on a warm and toasty gluten-free, dairy-free baguette (Schar makes good ones) that has been grilled open-face with a bit of dairy-free margarine (Earth Balance is my choice). The cooking process is very, very easy, requires no canning skills or equipment, but does require some time for the confiture to reduce to the proper consistency. I made my most recent batch while I was busy with other tasks in the kitchen. When I was finished with my “chores”, I had this tasty reward awaiting me, and the kitchen smelled delicious. Yum! Be sure to give it a try … I think you’ll like the results.

Prep time: about 5 minutes

Cooking time: about 30 – 60 minutes, it is gauged by consistency rather than time

Rest time: let cool enough to store in glass jars with lids

Ingredients:

2 cups raspberry juice OR 5 cups fresh raspberries*

1 1/3 cups sugar

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine juice, or berries, and sugar. Stir. Over low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue cooking until the confiture has reduced (by about half) and has started to thicken. Confiture is ready when a small drop dropped on the back of a spoon doesn’t run. If it runs off the spoon, it requires more simmering. Let cool in pan a few minutes, then transfer to jars and seal with an airtight lid. Refrigerate and use within a couple of weeks (this is very important because there are no preservatives). If you will be freezing some, let it cool in fridge overnight before freezing. When ready to use, thaw confiture in the refrigerator. Always keep the confiture cold. Never thaw then refreeze.

*If you started with fresh raspberries, and you want to remove the seeds (though this is not required), press confiture through a sieve to remove seeds, straining the confiture into another bowl. Then transfer to your jars and continue as directed above.

Where have you traveled and found a wonderful treat? We like hearing your stories. Be sure to share in the Comments below.

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™