How to Make Fresh Homemade Raspberry Juice Concentrate

If you’ve got a raspberry patch that’s producing faster than you can eat the berries, raspberry juice concentrate is one of the best ways to use up a big batch at once. It’s simple, requires no special equipment, and captures that bright, tart raspberry flavor perfectly for drinking, using in lemonade, or drizzling over pancakes.

I love to make raspberry juice concentrate (sometime called syrup – although I like to keep mine a with a bit more fluid that syrup). I add it to plain water or seltzer often or use it to sweeten homemade yogurt.

You might also like to make: Homemade Rhubarb Lemonade Juice Concentrate or Homemade Cranberry Juice.

What You’ll Need

• Fresh raspberries (any amount: this method scales easily)
• A large pot
• A potato masher or large spoon
• A fine-mesh strainer, jelly bag, or a few layers of cheesecloth
• A bowl or pitcher to catch the juice
• Sugar or honey (optional, to taste)

The Stovetop Crush & Strain Method

1. Rinse the berries. Give your raspberries a gentle rinse and pick out any stems, leaves, or squished berries.

2. Crush them in the pot. Add the raspberries to a large pot and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to break the berries open and release their juice.

3. Heat gently. Warm the crushed berries over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’re not trying to boil them hard: just heat them enough to loosen up the juice and soften the pulp. Add a splash of water if the pot looks dry.

4. Strain. Pour the hot berry mash into a fine-mesh strainer, jelly bag, or cheesecloth set over a bowl. Let it drip on its own for the clearest juice: resist the urge to press or squeeze, since that pushes seeds and pulp through and clouds the juice. If you don’t mind a little cloudiness, go ahead and press it for a higher yield.

5. Sweeten (optional). Taste the strained juice and stir in sugar or honey if you’d like it less tart. Raspberry juice is naturally quite sharp, so most people like at least a little sweetener (I usually add sugar as honey changes the flavor)

6. Chill or freeze. Pour the juice into a jar or pitcher and refrigerate for up to about a week. For longer storage, pour it into freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays and freeze for up to a year: frozen raspberry juice cubes are great for popping into smoothies or sparkling water.

A Few Tips

• One quart of raspberries yields roughly 1 to 1.5 cups of juice, depending on ripeness and how hard you strain.
• Mix raspberry juice with lemonade, sparkling water, or iced tea for an easy summer drink.
• Save the leftover pulp: it still has flavor and can go into muffins, sauces, or the compost pile.

Homemade Raspberry Juice Concentrate

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Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Fresh raspberries (any amount: this method scales easily)
• Sugar or honey optional, to taste

Equipment

• A Large Pot
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Cheese Cloth
• Bowl or Pitcher

Method

 

1. Rinse the berries: Rinse the 4 cups fresh raspberries gently and pick out any stems, leaves, or squished berries.
2. Crush the berries: Add the rinsed raspberries to a large pot and mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to break them open and release their juice.
3. Heat gently: Warm the crushed berries over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and juicy. Add 2 tablespoons water, if needed if the pot looks dry.
4. Strain: Pour the hot berry mash into a fine-mesh strainer, jelly bag, or cheesecloth set over a bowl. Let it drip on its own for the clearest juice, or press gently for more yield (juice will be slightly cloudier).
5. Sweeten (optional): Taste the strained juice and stir in 2 tablespoons sugar or honey, to taste (optional) if you’d like it less tart.
6. Chill or freeze: Pour the juice into a jar or pitcher and refrigerate up to a week, or freeze in containers or ice cube trays for up to a year.

Notes

One quart of raspberries yields roughly 1 to 1.5 cups of juice. Save the leftover pulp for muffins or sauces, and try mixing the juice into lemonade, sparkling water, or iced tea.