Blackberry Jam without Pectin
Homemade blackberry jam is easier to make than you think! This jam thickens up without the addition of pectin, has a concentrate blackberry flavor and and can be used in lots of different and delicious ways.
Servings: 1 small jar
Calories: 659kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cup blackberries
- ⅔ cup caster or granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Instructions
- Sterilize the jar and lid you’ll be using for storing jam with boiling water, or run a hot cycle into the dishwasher.
- In a large bowl, place blackberries and sugar, macerating the ingredients until all berries are crushed and juices released. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Place a small plate in the freezer just before start cooking your jam for the wrinkle test.
- Transfer berries and sugar mixture to a heavy-bottom pan and add lemon or lime juice.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes before checking for doneness for the first time using the spoon test (check notes for how to perform both wrinkle and spoon test).
- After 20 minutes, jam should be close to set, if not ready. Check with the wrinkle test. If it passes, jam is done. Remove from heat.
- Transfer jam to sterilized jar and close the lid. Wait for it to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Notes
Spoon test: For the spoon test, you’ll need a spoon and a good eye. Spoon some jam. When ready, it runs more together when the spoon is tilted. Check the photo on the post to a better visual explanation.
Wrinkle test: For the wrinkle test, you’ll need a cold plate. Store one in the freezer just before beginning the recipe. Test by spooning a small amount of jam onto chilled plate and placing it back into the freezer for one minute. If the jam is ready, it should have a jam-like feel after chilled and when pushed, it should look wrinkled. Tilt the plate: if the jam runs, it’s not yet set.
Tips
Sort blackberries. For the best jam, you need to discard bad berries: dried, moldy or mushy ones should go. Also, look for leaves, stems and little bugs, particularly if they were hand-picked. You can use frozen berries when making this blackberry jam. Let berries thaw before starting.
Macerate blackberries and sugar 30 minutes before starting. It helps to release juices from the berries, dissolving the sugar faster. It is important to fully dissolve sugar, as that prevents your jam from crystallizing as it cools down.
It's normal for foam to form: it should dissipate when jam is close to set.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 659kcal | Carbohydrates: 167g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 149g