This Blackberry Jam Recipe has no pectin added and is made with low sugar for full blackberry flavor!
Blackberries are a true favorite around my house, in every form. Fresh, in pies and cakes, mixed in to muffins….you name it, I’ve added blackberries to it.
We grew blackberries in our yard in Southern California when I was young and I remember picking them all summer. Our arms were always scratched from the thorns but we didn’t care!
Those beautiful berries were worth it!
We may have smashed a few into my little brothers white hairy…you know, just for fun…and then gotten into so much trouble for staining his hair for weeks!
When I married my husband 25 years ago, the first recipe that I was required to learn from his childhood was Blackberry Dumplings. His Grandma made them for him often but I never even heard of a dumpling.
Grandma Dottie taught me her ‘recipe’ but I still don’t think that I make them as well as she does.
Maybe someday I’ll have the grandma’s touch!
Keys to making jam
Jam is so easy to make and it is especially easy with a fruit like blackberries. Since blackberries are naturally high in pectin, you don’t need to add any packaged pectin to make a beautifully set jam!
What is pectin?
Pectin is a naturally occurring starch that is found in fruits and vegetables.
Different types of fruits and vegetables have different amounts of pectin. A lower the level of pectin will either make a very loose and runny jelly or jam or it will require pectin to be added from a package.
Some examples of low pectin fruits are cherries, pineapple, peaches, pears, apricots, and blueberries. These fruits can still be used to make jams and jellies but you will have to mix them with a high pectin fruit or add packaged pectin.
Since I rarely keep packages of pectin in the house, I tend to make jams without it.
Luckily for me, blackberries are perfect for this!
Ripe fruit is best for making jam
When you decide to make jam, it is best to make sure that your fruit is at it’s peak stage of ripeness.
Fruit that is under ripe will have a higher level of pectin in it but the jam will have a bitter flavor and the fruit may not soften properly. So your jam will set perfectly and quickly but it just won’t taste as delicious!
Fruit that is over ripe will have lost some of it’s natural pectin and therefore it will not set up as well. This can be offset by using packaged pectin or additional sugar if you choose but the flavor will not be as bright and the jam will be excessively sweet.
As fruits ripen, the sugar becomes more concentrated and will affect the overall flavor of the jam.
Using frozen fruit
If you have fruit that you will not be able to use at it’s peak, freeze it and store it for later use.
I have frozen blackberries for up to 6 months and the flavor is just as fantastic as when they were fresh.
According to Healthline, frozen fruits are piked and frozen at their peak and minimally processed. The vitamins and minerals are preserved unless the fruit is stored for more than a year in a freezer.
So buy lots of fruit at it’s peak and freeze it OR buy frozen fruit from the store!
Frozen fruit tends to be less expensive than fresh and it works perfectly in jam. Frozen fruit is my go-to during the winter for jams, jellies and smoothies!
What you need to make this Blackberry Jam Recipe
This recipe is a small batch recipe. It will make about 12 ounces of jam which can be stored in one jar or divided among a few small jars.
If you don’t think you will use the whole batch within 2 weeks, it is best to split this recipe between three 4-ounce jars. Those jars can then be sealed in a water bath or frozen until needed.
In my house, I double this recipe and split it between two 12-ounce jars. One of them gets sealed in a water bath and the other gets devoured within a few days!
Homemade Blackberry Jam also makes great gifts!
To make one batch of this jam, you need:
- Clean and sterilized jars (one 12-ounce, two 6-ounce or 3 4-ounce)
- Clean screw on lids
- New and clean lids with rings
- A deep pot for the water bath, if you choose to can the jam
- Medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Blackberries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Jalapenos, optional
Jalapenos in jam?!?! Yes, trust me!
I have added Fresh Jalapenos to this Blackberry Jam because the flavors are amazing together and that little touch of heat is the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the berries and sugar.
You can absolutely make this jam without the jalapenos. You can also adjust the heat to your personal taste. I have used 2 jalapenos without the seeds. My family finds this to be the perfect level of heat without being hot.
If I were to make this for myself (oh, how I sometimes wish that I could eat a whole jar!) I would leave the jalapeno seeds in because I love heat! But even with the seeds, two jalapenos will not make this jam hot!
If you want to ease into the idea of using jalapenos in a jam, just chop one the first time you make this. Then adjust up or down from there.
I highly recommend that you wear gloves when you chop and seed the jalapenos. If your skin is dry or sensitive at all, they will burn for hours after handling these peppers!
You should also be very careful to NOT touch your face, even after a couple of washes. The capsaicin will stay on your skin and will BURN your eyes, even hours later!
Let me know if you try the jalapenos in this jam or if you prefer it with no peppers!
Blackberry Jam Recipe | No Pectin added!
Recipe by Tanya Ott
Servings
18
servings
Prep time
5
minutes
Cooking time
20
minutes
Ingredients
350 grams (about 2 1/2 cups) blackberries, fresh or frozen
250 (1 1/4 cups) grams granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 jalapenos, chopped and seeded, optional
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a medium-sized, heavy bottomed saucepan. The jam will froth up while cooking so make sure to use a pan that is at least twice the size needed for the ingredients.
- Stir together until well combined and crush berries while heating over medium heat until the mixture reaches 220F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can place a small plate in the freezer when you start cooking your jam. To check the jam, place a teaspoon of jam on the plate. If it gels immediately, the jam is ready. If it doesn’t, cook a few more minutes and try again.
- When your jam reaches 220F, remove from heat and pour into clean jars. Screw on lids immediately. If you are not canning (preserving) the jam, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- If you are canning (preserving your jam, place in a large pot with enough water in it to completely cover the jar. Boil for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from water and allow to cool at room temperature for 24 hours. You should hear a ‘pop’ from the lid within 24 hours. If you didn’t, it is not sealed properly and should be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
