This Raspberry Sauce, or “Hembear mush” as we called it in Pennsylvania Dutch, is a sweet and vibrant wild black raspberry sauce that we would make after harvesting buckets full of wild black raspberries in the thick forests of the Northeast. Although my family has left the Old order Amish community it is still a favorite past time of mine to gather wild black raspberries and make this delicious sauce from the berry juice to use as a fruit syrup for pancakes and waffles, topping for ice cream and cakes, and so much more! *See below the recipe for more ways to use this sauce.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes.
Drip time: 8 hours (or overnight)
Yield: 2 1/2 cups Raspberry sauce
- 2 1/2 cups Raspberry juice (6-7 cups wild black raspberries or store bought red raspberries)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3-31/2 tablespoons clear jell
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- Wash the raspberries well in cold water. Transfer the berries to a 5-6 quart stock pot and fill the pot with water until the berries are almost covered in water (see photo below for reference).
- Bring the raspberries and water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and allow the berry mixture to boil lightly/simmer for ten minutes.
- Cover a separate pot or large bowl with a cheesecloth (see alternatives below) and pour the cooked berries and juice slowly over top.
- Allow the berries to drip through the cheesecloth for 8 hours or overnight, then gently squeeze the cheese cloth to capture any remaining juice from the berries. Discard the pulp.
- Measure 2 1/2 cups of juice into a saucepan and add the sugar. In a separate dish, create a slurry by whisking 3 tablespoons of clear jell and 3 tablespoons of water together and set aside for now. Bring the Raspberry juice and sugar to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture is boiling add the clear jell slurry and continue to cook and stir for another minute or two until the sauce has thickened. If the sauce has not thickened to your preference you can bring it back to a boil and add more “slurry” from the remaining 1/2 tablespoon (or more) of clear jell and equal parts water. Allow to cool, then serve warm or keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days. Keep scrolling for Notes and Photos and be sure to check the list of ideas for this sauce below.
Thanks to my husband for being diligent in gathering these berries for me this year!
Yes, That is literally a wide strip of fabric from an old pillow case for my cheese cloth, but don’t worry it was clean! If you don’t have a cheese cloth on hand you can cut up a thin (and clean) piece of linen to use instead. I doubt all the Amish Ladies did this, but my mother would often use a clean cloth handkerchief for a cheese cloth for her wild raspberry sauce. The Amish are very resourceful and find unique ways to live off the land and use what they have on hand because transportation is not as easy for many of the old order Amish as it is for us “Englishers.”
- Buttermilk, (or other) pancakes.
- Waffles
- Mini cheesecakes
- Ice cream
- Chocolate cake
- Plain yogurt and granola.
- Baked oatmeal (or instant).
Let me know your favorite way to use this sauce in the comments below!
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