I am a jam maker! Every year I can’t wait for the raspberries so I can start making raspberry jam. (Here is my *famous* recipe.) But what about the seeds? I got you covered with the easiest way to deseed raspberries. Use a juicer. It may be a mess but stop struggling with a sieve.
Why do I deseed raspberries? Years ago, I use to make raspberry jam, seeds and all. Then people started complaining that it was too seedy. I was perplexed why people were complaining. Then I tasted my jam and yep, it was too seedy.
Raspberries are a delicious and popular fruit, but their tiny seeds can be annoying and interfere with the texture of recipes. Removing the seeds allows you to enjoy the sweet raspberry flavor in smooth sauces, jams, desserts and more. Getting the seeds out of raspberries is easier than you may think with a few simple techniques.
Why Remove Raspberry Seeds?
While raspberry seeds are edible and provide some fiber and nutrients, most people prefer to remove them for a smoother texture. The tiny seeds tend to get stuck in your teeth and alter the mouthfeel. When making jams purees, sauces, dressings or using raspberries as a topping, extracting the seeds creates a silky consistency without affecting the flavor.
Removing all the seeds can impact the pectin level though, which helps jams and jellies set up properly. It’s a balancing act of taking out enough seeds for texture while keeping some for pectin.
Easy Methods to Remove Seeds from Raspberries
Use a Food Mill
A food mill is a handy tool that forces soft foods through a perforated strainer plate to separate out seeds skins, and stems. Simply cook down your raspberries into a sauce or puree, then pass them through the food mill. The extraction process is quick and the mill screens out most of the seeds, leaving behind smooth pulp. You may need to run the raspberry puree through twice to remove more seeds.
Use a Fine Mesh Strainer
A regular fine mesh strainer can also effectively extract raspberry seeds. Process the berries into a sauce or puree, then press the mixture through the strainer using a spoon or spatula. The pulp and juice will pass through while the seeds are caught in the strainer. Be patient and scrape the seeds from the strainer periodically to prevent clogging.
Try Cheesecloth
For small batches, cheesecloth can filter out raspberry seeds. Place the cheesecloth over a bowl and put your raspberry puree in the center. Gather up the corners and squeeze the bundle to extract all the juice from the pulp. The seeds will remain in the cheesecloth. You may need to work in batches for larger amounts.
Use a Juicer
If you have a juicer, it makes quick work of removing raspberry seeds. Feed whole or lightly crushed berries into the juicer and it will strain out the seeds and pulp, extracting only the liquid juice. You can use the leftover pulp in smoothies or baked goods. Note that juicing removes beneficial fiber, so you may want to add some back for recipes like jam.
Buy Seedless Puree
Skip the hassle of seed extraction and purchase prepared seedless raspberry puree. Many grocery stores sell fruit purees for baking, or you can find specialty puree brands online. While convenient, store-bought puree won’t taste as fresh or homemade. Check the ingredients for added preservatives.
Tips for Removing Raspberry Seeds
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Cook berries into a sauce or puree first to soften and loosen the seeds for easier straining.
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Chill strained puree before using for better flavor and texture.
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Save any leftover pulp and seeds to use in smoothies, oatmeal, or baking.
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Work in small batches when straining to prevent clogging.
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Add lemon juice when cooking raspberries to help extract more juice and flavor.
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Use frozen raspberries for more juice and sweetness. Thaw before straining.
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If removing all seeds, you may need to add pectin to help jams and jellies set properly.
Enjoy Seedless Raspberry Creations
With a simple food mill, strainer, cheesecloth or juicer, you can easily extract those pesky raspberry seeds. Your jams, sauces, dressings, and baked goods will have a silky smooth texture and intense raspberry flavor without the crunch of seeds. Deseeding fresh raspberries takes your recipes to the next level.
The Tricks to Use the Juicer:
The tricks? You have to keep feeding the left over pulp of seeds and juice back into the juicer. I must have fed the pulp into the juicer about 4 to 5 times. I stopped when the pulp was dry looking.
You will need to following:
- 2 bowls
- Jam pot
- Pyrex 8 cup measuring bowl. (It is like a bowl and measuring cup in one. I love this!) Any measuring cup will work if you have a small amount of raspberries.
- Rubber spatula.
You will use one bowl to dump the gooey pulp from the plastic container from the juicer. The first time you juice the raspberry, literally half of the raspberries will be your first round of pulp.
My juicer isn’t a great model so your machine may do a much better job then mine. You may have less”trips” to the machine to wring out the pulp.
Also, the top of my juicer is really small. I dump some pulp in the top and the rest in a bowl. (In jam-juicer lingo, we call this the overflow bowl.)
Each time, I continue to feed the machine with the bowl full of pulp.
If you are obsessed with your raspberries like I am, take a rubber spatula and scoop out the liquid. I grow and pick these darn raspberries so you better believe that I get every drop of goodness.
The other bowl is for the pulp that is dry like. (See photo above.)
I also use a Pyrex 8 cup measuring cup to catch the juice. Once the juice volume is 6 cups, I dump it in my jam pot. I have worked with 8 cups but 6 cups of liquid is easier.
How to DeSeed Raspberries:
So how was I going to de-seed the raspberries? This is not an easy task. I tried a strainer and pushed the raspberries to separate the liquid from the seeds. Way too hard.
Then I tried a potato ricer. Again, way too hard and it didn’t work.
Since I have every appliance known to mankind, I saw the juicer waving at me behind the ice tea maker. (Yes, I have one of those machines too.) And by golly, it worked.
Closing up the garden is my fall priority. I freeze my raspberries since I don’t have time to make my jams right away.
I think my mess is due to the fact that I use thawed frozen raspberries so there is a lot of liquid in the freezer bags.
I don’t know if my machine is capable of juicing frozen raspberries.
The Best Way to Remove Seeds From Raspberries
FAQ
What machine removes seeds from raspberries?
The CAREY Food Strainer Berry Screen helps you prepare freshly strained or pureed berries for your family. Great for removing tiny seeds in blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and currants when used with the CAREY Food Strainer, Model: FDST-220. Hull and juice strawberries for jelly or syrup with speed.
How to remove seeds from berries?
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Crush and Strain:Squash the berries with a spoon or the back of a spoon, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or colander. As you mash the berries, press on them to release the juice.
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Sieve or Chinois:Use a sieve or chinois (a fine-mesh sieve with a shallow bowl) to strain the berry puree. A ladle can help push the puree through the sieve.
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Water Separation:If using a beaker or blender, add water to the blended berries, allow the seeds to sink to the bottom, and then pour off the liquid, repeating this process until the seeds are clean.
How do you collect raspberry seeds?
The seeds of the raspberry fruit can be harvested by placing several good quality, ripe raspberries in a sieve, rubbing off the pulp and then washing the seeds thoroughly to remove all traces of the pulp. The wet seeds are then placed on paper towel in the sunshine to dry.
How do you get seeds out of berries for jam?
You don’t have to measure this, it’s not that hard, just cover the tops of the berries with water. Set them on the stove and put it on medium heat for about 10 minutes. It could be more or it could be less, just make the pot simmer a few minutes. Set the pot off the stove and cool.
How do you remove seeds from raspberries?
Another method for removing seeds from raspberries involves blending the fruit into a puree and then straining it to separate the seeds. Simply place the raspberries in a blender and blend them until they form a smooth puree. Then, pour the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, using a spoon to press the pulp through and leaving the seeds behind.
How long can you store raspberries in the fridge?
Raspberries have a short shelf-life and typically last in the fridge for up to 5 days but can start to go bad in a couple of days. The first step is to choose raspberries at the store that don’t have any leaky, discoloured, or mushy fruit. Store raspberries unwashed in the fridge in their original container. Freezing berries, or purchasing already frozen berries, is the best way to keep raspberries for a long time. When frozen properly, berries will retain their flavour for up to 1 year.
How do you know if raspberries are good for seed removal?
Fresh raspberries suitable for seed removal should be plump, brightly colored, and free from mold or soft spots. Choose raspberries that are firm and have a vibrant red color, as these are indicators of freshness and flavor. **
How do you separate seeds from raspberries?
This method is quick and easy, and it allows you to separate the seeds from the pulp of the raspberry. To do this, simply place the raspberries in the strainer and press them through with the back of a spoon. The seeds will remain in the strainer, while the pulp will pass through, leaving you with seedless raspberry puree.
How do you eat strained raspberries?
Cook raspberries into a sauce or puree first to soften them up before straining. This helps separate the seeds from the pulp more easily. Chill the strained raspberry puree before using for optimal flavor and texture. Save any leftover pulp and seeds to use in smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, or baked goods.
What can you do with seedless raspberries?
Seedless raspberry puree can be used to enhance a wide range of dishes, including desserts, breakfast items, cocktails, and savory recipes. You can use the puree to create raspberry-flavored fillings, toppings, and sauces that add a burst of flavor to your culinary creations. ** What is the nutritional value of seedless raspberries?