You will love this classic recipe for Blackberry Jam, made with ripe, aromatic berries at the height of their season. This is the ultimate way to preserve blackberries so that they can be enjoyed throughout the coming months. All you need are three ingredients to make this delicious jam: blackberries, sugar and lemon juice – no pectin is required.
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Why we love this recipe:
It takes no time to prepare and your small amount of effort will reward you with jam which has a fresh, vibrant, blackberry flavour. My simple, traditional recipe for Blackberry Jam contains just three ingredients; blackberries, sugar and lemon. It is not necessary to add pectin to this recipe.
You may feel that jam is difficult to make. Let me assure you that it is not. I will show you how to do it with step-by-step instructions. You just need to invest a little of your time; when you finish and see your own produce lined up, you will know that it was time well spent.
You’ll love this recipe because:
- Jam making is a great way to preserve some of nature’s seasonal bounty to enjoy throughout the cooler months ahead – if it lasts that long.
- Homemade jam is infinitely superior to shop-bought. You will not find any unwelcome additives, artificial preservatives or thickeners that you may find in a commercially prepared Blackberry Jam. For me, one of the most important parts of home cooking is the knowledge that I control the quality of the ingredients.
- You can use this delicious Blackberry Jam in so many ways. Spread it on toast for breakfast, serve with scones and cream, make mini tarts, fill sponge cakes or drizzle over our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream. You are only limited by your imagination.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Blackberries – use fresh berries in good condition, ideally with some slightly unripe berries as they will contain more pectin.
Sugar – regular granulated sugar is best.
Lemon juice – use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The juice is vital, it aids in the setting of the jam.
Step by Step Instructions:
To begin, place two small saucers or plates in the freezer. You will use these to test when the jam is set.
Sterilise the jars by heating in the oven. Full directions are in the recipe below.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the blackberries. Cut the berries in half or quarters.
- Add the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Turn the heat on low, stir until the sugar dissolves and then increase the heat to a rolling boil.
- Boil for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and spoon a little of the jam onto a chilled saucer.
- Let it stand for 30 seconds to cool, then run your finger through it. If it wrinkles, it is ready. If it is still quite liquid, put it back on the heat and boil for a further 1-2 minutes, and retest.
- Allow the Blackberry Jam to sit for 10 minutes before carefully ladling into jars. This helps the chunks of fruit to disperse evenly throughout the jam.
- Carefully ladle your jam into the hot jars and put the lids on to seal. After cooling, wipe the jars to remove any spills, and store in a cool, dark place. Enjoy your jam!
Tips for success and FAQs:
When selecting fruit, ensure that the blackberries are at their peak of ripeness. Do not use berries that are over-ripe, soft or bruised. They may cause the jam to spoil. Good quality fruit is essential to obtain the best flavour. However, it is an advantage to have some which are slightly under-ripe as they will contain more pectin and acid, both of which assist with setting the jam.
When making your own preserves, always ensure you are sterilising the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and leave the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
You will not need any special equipment to make this recipe. You need a large, wide saucepan. The large surface area allows faster water evaporation, giving the jam a concentrated flavour. Without a large saucepan, there is the risk of it boiling over. Avoid aluminium, copper or iron pans; the acid in the fruit may react with the pan, giving the jam a metallic taste. As well, I use a long-handled wooden spoon to keep my hand away from the bubbling jam.
If you follow the recipe instructions precisely and your jars are thoroughly sterilised, the Blackberry Jam should be shelf-stable for a year, possibly longer. When you open a jar, store it in the fridge.
Conventional jam requires a lot of sugar. When you see it weighed out it is slightly alarming but please don’t reduce the amount of sugar. The sugar not only sweetens the fruit but it helps the jam to set and acts as a preservative. If you reduce the sugar, in short, your jam may not be shelf-stable.
You will find that most jam recipes contain fruit and sugar as well as lemon juice. The lemon juice is an important part of jam making. It is not just for flavour. For the Blackberry Jam to set, it needs a balance of pectin and acid. The acidic lemon interacts with the pectin in the berries causing the jam to reach setting point.
Pectin is a naturally occurring starch that is found in varying degrees in fruits and vegetables. It is what makes jams and jellies firm when they are cool. When combined with acid and sugar, and cooked to a high temperature, it forms a gel. In this recipe, I add a small amount of lemon juice to boost the pectin content.
You can use recycled glass jars with metal lids that are in good condition or purchase new ones. Jars which have contained pickles are generally not suitable as they often hold the aroma. Save these for your own chutneys or pickles.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We love to make the most of seasonal produce. Making jams, preserves, pickles and condiments is a great way to enjoy them year-round. Here are some more of our favourite recipes:
- Fresh Peach Chutney
- Strawberry Jam
- Preserved Chillies in Oil
- Apricot Jam
- Lemon Marmalade
- Plum Jam
- Grapefruit Marmalade
- Blueberry Jam
- Raspberry Jam
My Easy Blackberry Jam recipe is a great place to start if this is your first time making jam. Once you’ve perfected your jam making technique you will have the ability and equipment to make fresh jam for years to come. You just need to invest a little of your time; when you finish and see your own produce lined up, you will know that it was time well spent.
I would love to hear from you when you have tried this delicious Blackberry Jam.
Alex xx
Blackberry Jam
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 500 g (17.5 oz) blackberries See Note 1
- 375 g (1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp) sugar See Note 2
- 2 tablespoon (40 ml) lemon juice – freshly squeezed See Notes 3 and 4
Instructions
To Sterilise the Jars:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.Preheat the oven to 130 C. Place upright jars and lids on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for at least 20 minutes, then remove and immediately fill with jam. See Note 5.
To make the Blackberry Jam:
- Place two small saucers or plates in the freezer. See Note 6.
- Wash and thoroughly dry blackberries.Add the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan and mix well with a long-handled wooden spoon.
- Turn the heat on low and stir until the sugar dissolves. (This can take 5-8 minutes)If sugar crystals get caught on the side of the saucepan, scrape down with a spatula.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat to a rolling boil.Boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. After 10 minutes, begin to check for the setting point. Your jam will likely take between 10-12 minutes, but it will depend on the width of your saucepan and how rapidly the jam is boiling.
- Turn off heat and spoon a little of the jam onto one of your chilled saucers.Let it stand for 30 seconds to cool, and then run your finger through it. If it wrinkles, even slightly, it is ready. If it is still quite liquid, put it back on the heat and boil for a further 1-2 minutes, and retest until ready. Alternatively, you could use a candy thermometer. Setting point is reached when the thermometer reaches 105 Degrees C (220 F).
- Skim any scum off the top of the jam with a spoon.
- Allow the jam to sit for 5 minutes to allow the fruit to disperse evenly.
- Carefully ladle your jam into your hot jars and put the lids on immediately. Allow the jam to cool completely. Wipe the jars to remove any spills, and store the jam in a cool, dark place.
Notes
- Ensure your fruit is freshly picked and of good quality. Avoid fruit that is bruised or over-ripe. The blackberries contain pectin which aids in the jam setting. If your fruit is older, it will contain less pectin.
- Do not reduce the amount of sugar. Whilst the sugar sweetens the fruit it also acts as a preservative and helps the jam to set. If you reduce the sugar, your jam may not be shelf-stable and may become mouldy.
- The Australian tablespoon is 20ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust the measurement if necessary.
- Lemon juice not only balances the sweetness of the sugar, but it also contains acid and pectin which help to set the jam.
- Properly sterilising your jars is an essential process to remove bacteria that could cause your preserves to spoil. Wash the jars and lids either in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Do not dry them with a tea towel. Place jars and lids on a baking tray. If you are using Kilner jars with rubber seals, be sure to remove the seals before placing the jars in the oven. The dry heat of the oven would damage the seals. Boil the seals separately in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Heat the jars in the oven for at least 20 minutes. When your preserves are ready to bottle, use thick oven mitts or jar tongs to remove the jars. Do not place them on a cold surface as they may shatter. I place mine on a wooden chopping board which I cover with a tea towel. Always sterilise a few more jars than you think you will need. It is better to have too many jars than not enough.
- The chilled plates are used to quickly cool the jam when testing the setting point.
- Always choose a large, wide saucepan that has enough height to enable the jam to boil vigorously. More surface area means the liquid will evaporate faster; having sufficient height means you can boil the jam at a higher heat and maintain the fresh flavour of the blackberries. Avoid aluminium, copper or iron pans; the acid in the fruit may react with the pan, giving the jam a metallic taste.
- Do not use a metal spoon, it will become very hot. A long-handled wooden spoon is important to avoid being burnt by a splash from boiling jam.
- My jam reached its setting point about 10 minutes after it began to boil rapidly. Boiling time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan and the heat that you apply.
- If you prefer smooth jam, use an immersion blender carefully once you have taken the blackberry jam off the heat.
- If your finished jam has not set as much as you would like, don’t worry, it will still be delicious stirred into some plain yoghurt or served over our No-churn Vanilla Ice Cream. Or, if it is slightly over-set and is very firm, it will be a lovely accompaniment on a cheese board.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one whole jar. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Vivian
Very easy recipe.
Not overly sweet, but still quite sweet.
The cold plate method didn’t work really well and my jam is a bit too thick.
I would add more lemon juice for additional brightness and to allow the berries to shine a bit more.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Vivian 🙂
Alex xo
Pauline
looking forward to trying this recipe tomorrow 😋 quick question tho’ ……do you not boil the jarred jam afterwards to preserve/seal it for longer 🤔?
TIA
Alexandra Cook
Hi Pauline,
I look forward to hearing how you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Thank you for reaching out 🙂
For the jam, I follow the method that my great grandma used – the hot sterilised jars and the hot jam with the lids put on immediately cause a vacuum to form a seal as they cool. As the jam has just been vigorously boiled, we don’t boil it again in a water bath. The jars are shelf-stable for 12 months, and only need to be refrigerated once they have been open.
This is a method most commonly used in Australia/UK, although I am aware that in the USA/Canada water bath canning is the more popular method.
If you prefer to water bath, you certainly can, and you kind find more information here.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions and I hope you’ll enjoy your jam 🙂
Alex xo
vivian
I use the sterilized jars/lids. After I fill them and screw the ring down tightly, I flip them upside down and let them cool that way. I have never had it fail and I have been making jams for almost 50 years.
Sue
Works extremely well.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Sue 🙂
Alex xo
Paz
Hi, how long should I cook it for 1 kilo of fruit.
Thanks
Alexandra Cook
Hi Paz,
It might only take a few minutes longer than listed in the recipe 🙂
Just be sure to double the lemon juice and sugar too.
Thanks! Alex
Heather Harvey
Hi. Great easy recipe for your Blackberry jam, however in your notes no 7 and 10, you refer to blueberry jam. You may like to correct that.
However, my blackberry jam came out lovely. Thanks.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Heather,
Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention 🙂
I am so happy that you enjoyed the jam.
Alex xo
Sue Tanian
Thank you, thank you. This is my first attempt at jam making and it was a huge success. I will use this recipe again and can confidently give family and friends pots of perfect jam.
Alexandra Cook
I am so happy to hear this, Sue! 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, and enjoy your jam! Alex xo
Skye
Hi, I just bought some blackberries and they tasted super sour although they said they were ripe 😁 so I’m thinking of following your recipe.
I know it’s a stupid question but is it possible at all to substitute lemon juice with white vinegar?
Alexandra Cook
Hey Skye 🙂
Thanks for your question!
I have not tried white vinegar in jam making before (although I do know some people do use it).
My concern would be that it could alter the flavour profile of the jam, and the lemon juice is also high in pectin which helps the jam to set.
Because I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure how it would work out, but do let me know if you give it a try!
Alex xo
Sarah Potts
easy recipe to follow, with good tips. I feel like a proper jam maker .Christmas 🤶 spoiler everyone is getting jam this Christmas!
Alexandra Cook
How lovely, Sarah! I am sure the jam will make a lovely Christmas gift 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment! Alex xo
Nora
I am a massive fan of this blackberry jam recipe! It is perfect for breakfast, perfect for baking, and has the perfect balance between sweet and sour. Delicious!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Nora,
I am so pleased you enjoyed this recipe and have found many ways to use it 🙂 Alex xo
Padma
Love the simplicity of this recipe! Absolutely loved the fruitiness of this jam without any interference from preservatives.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Padma,
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe – it’s lovely to be able to control the quality and what goes into our food, isn’t it? 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know! Enjoy your jam, Alex xo
Jacqueline Debono
I made this jam with the last of this summer’s blackberries. So easy and delicious. Serving the jam with ice-cream is a scrumptious and genius idea except for the fact that a jar of jam doesn’t last very long that way! 🙂
Alexandra Cook
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Jacqueline! 🙂
With ice cream, it is so delicious, isn’t it? Alex xo
Mary
Not sure what happened here this year, but our blackberries did not do well. This was worth buying berries from the produce market. The mess I made was worth it too!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Mary,
I am glad you were still able to make jam with berries from the produce market.
Enjoy your jam! Alex xo