Raspberries are delicious nutritious berries that are wonderful for making jams sauces, desserts, and more. However, the seeds in raspberries can be annoying and even off-putting to some. When making raspberry jam or sauce, you’ll likely want to remove the seeds for a smoother texture. Here are some of the best ways to get seeds out of raspberries.
Why Remove Raspberry Seeds?
While raspberry seeds are edible and nutritious, providing fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants, many people find them annoying in certain recipes. The tiny seeds can get stuck in your teeth or make the texture too crunchy. When making jams, sauces, purees, or using raspberries as a topping, removing the seeds helps create a silky smooth texture.
The seeds contain pectin, which is great for helping jams and jellies set. But if you remove all the seeds, you may need to add pectin to compensate. It’s a balancing act of removing enough seeds for texture but keeping some for pectin.
Easy Ways to Remove Raspberry Seeds
Use a Food Mill
A food mill is an old-fashioned hand-cranked tool that forces soft foods through a perforated strainer plate, separating out seeds, skins, and stems. Food mills work great for removing raspberry seeds.
After cooking down your raspberries into a sauce, pass them through the food mill. Crank the handle as the puree goes through the strainer, leaving most of the seeds behind. You may need to pass the raspberry sauce through twice get a smoother consistency.
A food mill can also be used for tomato sauce, applesauce, berry coulis, or any application where you want to separate out solids from the liquid. It’s an inexpensive tool that quickly gets the job done.
Use a Fine Mesh Strainer
A basic fine mesh strainer can also work for removing raspberry seeds. Process the raspberries into a puree or sauce. Then pass the liquid through the strainer using a rubber spatula to press it through and leaving the seeds behind.
It may take some time and elbow grease if you have a large batch of berries. But with some patience, you can get seedless raspberry sauce or puree. Be sure to scrape off the seeds from the strainer periodically so they don’t clog up the mesh.
Use Cheesecloth
For small batches, try using cheesecloth to filter out raspberry seeds. Place the cheesecloth over a bowl and pour your raspberry puree in the center. Gather up the corners and squeeze the bundle to extract all the juice. The pulp and seeds will remain in the cheesecloth.
You may need to do this in several batches for larger quantities. Just be sure to really wring out all the juice from the cheesecloth. The texture won’t be completely smooth, but it helps reduce the seed amount.
Juice the Raspberries
Using a juicer is an easy option for separating raspberry seeds, if you happen to have one. Feed whole or lightly crushed raspberries into the juicer and let the machine do the work of straining out the seeds and pulp.
The juicer will extract the most liquid this way. You can use the leftover pulp in baking or smoothies. Just be aware that juicing removes fiber, so you may want to add some back into recipes like jam.
Buy Seedless Raspberry Puree
If you don’t want the hassle of deseeding raspberries yourself, you can purchase prepared seedless raspberry puree. Many grocery stores sell raspberry puree intended for baking, or you can find specialty brands online. This lets you skip the seed extraction process.
Just note that store-bought puree won’t have the same fresh, homemade flavor. And added preservatives are common. But it can be a handy shortcut for some recipes.
Tips for Deseeding Raspberries
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Cook raspberries into a sauce or puree first to soften them up before straining. This helps separate the seeds from the pulp more easily.
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Chill the strained raspberry puree before using for optimal flavor and texture.
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Save any leftover pulp and seeds to use in smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, or baked goods. The seeds are full of fiber and nutrients.
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Work in batches when straining. Don’t overload your strainer or cheesecloth so it gets clogged up.
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Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the raspberries when cooking. The acid helps extract more juice and flavor.
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Use frozen raspberries, which are picked at peak ripeness. Thaw before processing.
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If you remove all the seeds, you’ll likely need to add pectin to help jams and jellies thicken properly.
Enjoy Seedless Raspberry Creations
With a few simple tools and techniques, you can easily extract raspberry seeds to create silky smooth sauces, spreads, and more. A food mill or fine mesh strainer does the trick for most recipes. Removing those pesky seeds can take your raspberry creations to the next level.
The Best Way to Remove Seeds From Raspberries
How to remove seeds from raspberries?
Which is why we recommend you make a sauce or jam, if you want to remove the seeds. All you need to do is mash the fruit inside a mesh sieve, and push with the back of a spoon. The pulp and juice of the raspberries will go through the sieve, and the seeds will be left behind.
Can you freeze raspberries?
Yes. Raspberries can be frozen in order to preserve their freshness for a longer period of time. They can be frozen for several months (up to an average of 8 months maintaining quality).
How do you extract seeds from raspberries?
It’s fairly easy to extract the seeds from fresh raspberries and there are a couple of ways to do it. Separate a few of the drupelets from the berry, as shown in the photo below. Hold the drupelet between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze it to release the seed. Place the seeds onto a piece of paper towel and allow them to dry.
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.