Best Blueberry Blackberry Jam Recipes

SIMPLE, SMALL BATCH BLACK & BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Add your berries and lemon juice to an enamel or stainless steel sauce pan and cook them over a medium flame.
• Just as you begin cooking, mash them with your potato masher, making sure to leave some berries chunkily mashed. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes until bubbling.
• Add the sugar, stir and increase to a high flame. Bring to a bubbling boil. Once the berries are boiling, reduce to a medium simmer for about 5 minutes. Continue to stir.
• If the jam still appears to be very liquidy after that 5 minutes of simmering and stirring, add cornstarch. The sourness of your berries will be a factor in the consistency of your jam. If they're sour, it may not require cornstarch, if they're sweet, they may require up to 2 tsp. If you've added cornstarch, give it a nice stir and let it cook for another two minutes on a simmer. Once the consistency is a syrupy thickness, it's done.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool in a container to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate.

BLACK AND BLUE BERRIES

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup each of the blackberries and blueberries in a saucepan and add the sugar, blackberry jam, honey, lemon zest, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash the berries gently until they are good and broken up.
• Add the remaining 2 cups each blackberries and blueberries to a mixing bowl. Pour the warm berry mixture over the fresh berries and fold everything together with a spatula until well coated. Allow everything to cool 10 minutes or so before serving. Serve atop your favorite dessert.

BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Toss berries and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight, periodically tossing to coat and to dissolve the sugar. (This will help coax the juices out of the fruit.)
• Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the berries burst and the juices start to boil, about 15 minutes. If using a vanilla bean as an add-in, put it in the pot at this point.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, at first stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, then more frequently as the juices thicken. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, 40 to 50 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on its type and ripeness: For example, strawberries are likely to retain more of their shape, while raspberries will break down almost entirely.
• As the jam cooks, the liquid will reduce, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook a few minutes more. (Note: Some fruit, like strawberries, contain more water and less natural pectin than say, a raspberry. This means the jam will never be quite as thick or gelled, but it will still be delicious).
• Remove from heat, and incorporate any of the add-ins listed (see notes). Pick out vanilla bean if you added it earlier. Divide jam between several 8-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them within a couple of weeks.

TRI-BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Combine the berries and lemon juice in a stockpot; crush fruit slightly. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from the heat; skim off any foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Mash blackberries in a saucepan with a potato masher. Stir in sugar until juices form; place about 1 tablespoon blackberry juice in a small bowl and stir in cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan.
• Bring berries to a boil, stirring often, until jam is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and allspice. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer jam to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Stir in lemon juice.

BLUEBERRY JAM WITH LIME

Steps:

• Prepare four 1/2-pint jars: Wash jars, lids and rings in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Place jars in a 200-degree oven until needed. Put lids in a pan of boiling water, and cover until needed.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot or canning bath. (Or put down a layer of lid rings.) Add enough water to cover jars by 2 to 3 inches (do not put jars in yet) and bring to a boil, then reduce heat. The water will need to be at about 180 degrees - a whispering boil - when jars are added for processing. Place two small saucers in freezer.
• In a large saucepan, gently heat berries with 1/2 cup water until they burst their skins. Remove pan from heat, let cool slightly, and run berries through the coarse blade of a food mill.
• Return purée to pan. Add sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon stick. Cook at a full boil, stirring constantly, until a gel set is achieved, 8 to 10 minutes; mixture will look jammy. To test, drop a teaspoon of the mixture onto a chilled saucer. Put in freezer for 1 minute. Push your finger through jam. If surface wrinkles, it is ready. (If not, cook a few minutes more and repeat with second saucer.) Discard cinnamon stick. Stir in lime juice and zest.
• Ladle hot jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space to allow contents to expand. Run a skewer or other thin tool around the jars' inside edges to release bubbles or air pockets. Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel, put flat lids in place, and screw on rings just until tight.
• Using a jar lifter or tongs, lower sealed jars into water bath. Cover and rapidly bring water to a full rolling boil. Once water is boiling, boil jars for 10 more minutes.
• Turn off heat and remove jars from water bath. Place on a cutting board or folded dish towel and leave overnight.
• The next morning, verify that jars have sealed. Remove ring and press on center of lid. If the lid moves, or if the "button" in the center flexes, the seal has failed to set. The jam is still safe to eat, but it is not suitable for shelf storage; put it in the refrigerator and use it first. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening. Info Box

BLUEBERRY-LIME JAM

Steps:

• Combine the blueberries, sugar, lime zest, 3 tablespoons lime juice and the salt in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven. Toss well and let stand until the sugar dissolves and the blueberries begin to release their juices, about 15 minutes.
• Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer; cook, stirring often and skimming off any foam, until the blueberries are tender and the juices thicken, about 35 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice. Remove from the heat and let the jam cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the jam to a jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate until cold and fully jelled, 3 to 4 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

LUSCIOUS BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Rinse five 1-cup plastic or freezer-safe containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Mash blueberries; transfer to a Dutch oven. Add lemon juice; stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly., Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Ladle into containers and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. , Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 12 months.