Ever wonder what to do with all those blackberries that come into season during late summer? Here's a simple recipe using blackberries and other ingredients to create delicious homemade blackberry jam without pectin!
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What is a quick jam?
- A quick jam is a fruit preserve made from fresh or frozen fruit. It can be cooked in the oven (yes, that works brilliantly too!) or boiled down on the stovetop until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Quick jams are typically not thickened with pectin. Instead, they rely on natural juices, sugars and some type of thickening agent (such as corn starch) to thicken them up. If left at room temperature for several hours, this type of jam will set but should be refrigerated once cooled.
- It's sometimes referred to as a freezer jam because the jam is not cooked and it's stored in the freezer.
Why this recipe works
- It's easy to make. Making jam is fun, and you could quickly whip up a small batch of this easy blackberry jam in about 15 minutes. You only need a few simple ingredients such as fresh blackberries, sugar, lime juice, water, and corn starch. That's it!
- Unlike old fashioned techniques used to make jam, this blackberry jam recipe uses no pectin because blackberries are already high in natural pectin.
- No need to use any special equipment. Just a regular kitchen pot will work wonders to produce this quick jam.
- This recipe is flexible. Adding a few spices and some citrus juices gives this jam a nice kick. You can also make it with less sugar if you prefer.
- By adjusting the ingredients you can choose the amount of jam you make.
- Blackberry jam is a versatile condiment to have in your kitchen. Use it on pancakes, waffles, muffins, toast (perfect for breakfast). If you're looking for something different from your usual jams, then this is the perfect one!
Related: See my banana jam for further inspiration.
What goes into this recipe
- Blackberries - I've used fresh berries, but frozen blackberries work equally well. If you can get your hands on wild blackberries - even better!
- Sugar - I'm using white granulated sugar for today's recipe. However, you can use caster sugar (superfine) or brown sugar.
- Lime - The juice from the lime adds a subtle tangy flavour to the jam. It also helps bring out the natural flavour of the berries. Lime zest would also work well. You can also substitute with lemon juice.
- Water - This helps release the juices from the berries.
- Corn flour or corn starch is an excellent thickener for jams. It has an almost pudding-like texture when mixed with hot liquid.
Recipe variations
- Instead of using plain water, you can add ½ cup of white wine. This will enhance the flavour of the jam. Also, I like adding Chambord to enhance the flavours.
- For a sweeter version of this jam, replace half of the sugar with honey.
- Try adding cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, or vanilla bean seeds to the jam for an extra kick of flavour.
- You can also add apples to this jam to make apple blackberry jam. For this recipe, try adding a whole grated apple.
- Try adding chopped peaches or plums to this jam - these fruits will add a slight tartness.
How to make blackberry jam
Combine the berries, water, sugar and lime juice in a pot over medium heat.
Allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook for about 10 mins. The berries will have softened, and everything will be a lovely deep red colour. Using a spoon, remove any excessive foam that may have formed on the surface.
Using a fork or potato masher, mash the berries thoroughly.
Whisk the corn starch with the water in a separate bowl to make a slurry. Add the corn starch slurry to the berries mixture and stir vigorously.
Turn up the heat to high and cook for a couple of minutes, stir (be careful of the splatters!) and allow the blackberry jam to thicken.
Remove from heat and cool completely before storing in a sterilized jar.
Expert tips
- Make sure your blackberries are ripe before adding them to the jam. Ripe berries will give off more juice than unripe ones.
Cooks Tip: Use frozen berries for convenience.
- Use a large enough pot to boil the jam without burning yourself. A small one won't be able to hold the heat well.
- When you're done stirring the jam, let it sit for at least 10 minutes before transferring it to clean jars. This allows the flavours to mingle together.
- Sterilize your jam jars by running them through the dishwasher and allowing them to dry. Alternatively, wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse them and allow them to dry before using.
- After transferring the jam to jars, cover each jar with a lid and store them in a cool place until ready to eat.
FAQ's
Homemade jams should be stored in glass containers. Glass preserves better than plastic. Also, keep them away from direct sunlight.
If your jam isn't set after boiling, don't worry. Just leave it alone for another 15 minutes and then test again.
You can remove the seeds by straining the jam through a fine-mesh sieve. You may need to use a spoon to help push out any remaining pulp.
The only difference is that unsweetened jams contain no added sugar.
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📖 Recipe
Blackberry Jam without Pectin
Ingredients
- 250 grams blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 220 grams sugar, white
- 180 ml water
- 1 lime , juiced
- 20 grams corn starch
Instructions
- Combine the berries, 120 ml (½ cup) water, sugar and lime juice in a pot over medium heat.
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook for about 10 mins. The berries will have softened, and everything will be a lovely deep red colour. Using a spoon, remove any excessive foam that may have formed on the surface.
- Using a fork or potato masher, mash the berries thoroughly.
- Whisk the corn starch with the remainder of the water in a separate bowl to make a slurry. Add the corn starch slurry to the berries mixture and stir vigorously.
- Turn up the heat to high and cook for a couple of minutes, continuing to stir (be careful of the splatters!) and allow the blackberry jam to thicken.
- Remove from heat and cool completely before storing in a sterilized jar.
Notes
- Make sure your blackberries are ripe before adding them to the jam. Ripe berries will give off more juice than unripe ones.
- Use a large enough pot so that you can boil the jam without burning yourself. A small one won't be able to hold the heat well.
- When you're done stirring the jam, let it sit for at least 10 minutes before transferring it to jars. This allows the flavours to mingle together.
- Sterilize your jars by running them through the dishwasher and allowing them to dry. Alternatively, wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse them and allow them to dry before using.
- After transferring the jam to jars, cover each jar with a lid and store them in a cool place until ready to eat.
Blackberry Jam Variations
- Instead of using plain water, you can add ½ cup of white wine to the mix. This will enhance the flavour of the jam. Also, I like adding a little Chambord to enhance the flavours.
- For a sweeter version of this jam, replace half of the sugar with honey.
- Try adding cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon or vanilla bean seeds to the jam for an extra kick of flavour.
- You can also add apples to this jam to make apple blackberry jam. For this recipe, try adding a whole grated apple.
- Try adding chopped peaches or plums to this jam - these fruits will add a slight tartness.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
This post was first published in January 2009 but was republished with new content and pictures in January 2022.
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