This year, the first wave of blackberries came early, and in abundance. I’ve never seen so many blackberries in the hedgerows at the end of June. And when nature throws you blackberries… you make blackberry jam! Three simple ingredients and you will have jars of purple jewels in your cupboard which will be so much better than anything you can buy in the shops – hands down.
Blackberries
There’s something deeply satisfying about capturing the essence of summer in a jar. Making blackberry jam from freshly picked berries – whether foraged from local hedgerows or harvested from your own garden – connects us to generations of home preservers who understood the value of extending the season’s bounty.
The beauty of homemade blackberry jam lies not just in its intense, concentrated flavor, but in what you control – no artificial pectin or excessive sugar here. When blackberries are at their peak their natural pectin levels are ideal for creating a jam that sets beautifully without any additives – you know this jam won’t appear on the ‘Ultra Processed Food’ list.
A jar of blackberry jam will brighten your breakfast table through the darker months ahead. Spread on warm sourdough toast or stirred into morning yogurt, each spoonful delivers a burst of summer sunshine that reminds you why the effort of preserving is so worthwhile.
Uses for blackberry jam and other recipes
Here are some related recipes to blackberries and using this blackberry jam recipe:
- Victoria sponge with blackberry jam and mascarpone cream icing
- Blackberry ice-cream
- Overnight sourdough bread
To sterilise your jam jars, ensure they are completely clean, and place in an oven at 160° C for 15 minutes.
Blackberry Jam
Equipment
- 1 large heavy based pan
- 4 jam jars
Instructions
- Firstly you need to ensure the blackberries are free from bugs and dust (assuming you have collected them from the hedgerow/garden). To do this, simply place the fruits in a large bowl, cover with water and sprinkle on 1 tbsp of salt. Leave for 15-20 mins. Then drain and rinse with fresh water.
- Place the fruit, sugar, and the juice of 2 lemons, in the large heavy based pan and slowly bring to the boil. Stir constantly until all the sugar has dissolved. If you have a kitchen thermometer, ensure you heat the mixture to the 'jam' point (105 °C).
- Simmer the jam for around 15 mins until reduced and thickened. Whilst this is taking place, put a small saucer in the fridge. To test if the jam is ready, place a small amount of the jam on the saucer and leave for a couple of minutes. When you push the mixture with your finger, the jam should have created a form of skin and have resistance and pucker. If not, continue to simmer for another 5 minutes and test again.
- Using a funnel, if you have one, or simply by being careful, you now want to ladle your jam into your sterilised jars and seal tightly with the lid.
- Once cooled, the jam is ready to be labelled and enjoyed either spread on your sourdough toast, sandwiched in a cake, or swirled into Greek yoghurt.
Notes
- To sterilise your jam jars, ensure they are completely clean and place in an oven at 160° C for 15 minutes.
