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Spoonful of blackberry jam over a bowl with jam, close up.
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5 from 7 votes

Easy Blackberry Jam (No Pectin)

Preserve the Summer in the form of delicious blackberry jam to enjoy on toast, pancakes, in porridge & more. Quick and easy, small batch & no pectin recipe that is perfect for using up those foraged berries!
Course Jams, Preserves, Spreads
Cuisine British
Keyword Blackberry jam
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 350g jars
Calories 37kcal
Author Jo Allison

Ingredients

  • 800 g blackberries
  • 800 g caster or golden caster sugar (fine sugar) see notes
  • 4 tablespoon lemon juice for me it was juice of exactly one lemon

Instructions

  • Put 2 or 3 small plates/saucers in a freezer for "wrinkle test" (checking whether your jam has reached setting point).
  • Wash and sort your blackberries, getting rid of any mushy ones or those that have seen better days.
  • Put blackberries in a large pan or preserving pan if you own one and mash them up a bit using simple potato masher. This will release the juices and make them cook quicker too.
  • Add sugar and lemon juice and stir well.
  • Simmer blackberry jam over low-medium heat stirring from time to time until all the sugar has dissolved. It took me approximately 10 minutes.
  • Slowly bring your jam mixture to rolling boil for approx. 15 minutes.
  • When 15 minutes is up, take the pan off the heat and test if your jam has reached its setting point by placing a small amount of jam on the saucer straight out of the freezer. Put that plate to the fridge for 1-2 minutes, take it out and push the jam gently with your finger. If it wrinkles and stays in place it’s ready, if it doesn’t then continue boiling your mixture and checking it every 5 minutes until you get the set. It took me approximately 25 minutes.
  • If you are using jam thermometer continue boiling your jam until temperature reaches 105C/221F at which point your jam is ready.
  • Skim off any scum that might have formed on top of the jam and transfer it into hot, sterilised jars, cover with the lids and leave to cool. You will hear the clicking noise as your jars seal and there will be no bubble in the lid as you press it which is as it should be. It may take some time for it to happen from the moment you put the lids on so don’t worry if it doesn’t happen straight away.
  • Let the jars cool completely at which point you can apply your labels.

Video

Notes

  • Nutritional information is approximate, per 1 tablespoon serving and should be treated as  a guideline only. 
  • I like using caster or golden caster sugar here as it dissolves quicker but you could use regular granulated sugar too.
  • This recipe is easy to scale up or down just remember to use equal amount (in weight) of blackberries and sugar and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per each 200g of fruit.
  • Store in sterilised jars in cool and (if possible) dark place, away from direct sunlight for up to a year. Once opened, refrigerate for up to a month. 
Tips:
  1. Sterilise your jars. If your intention is to keep your blackberry jam for some time then your jars need to be sterilised. To do this, simply wash them (together with lids) in hot soapy water and dry stood up on a clean baking tray in the oven preheated to 150°C/300F for 10-15 min. The jars should be straight from the oven when you pour in your hot jam. Alternatively, pop them on a hot dishwasher cycle. Make sure you time it right so that they’re ready at the same time as your jam.
  2. Sort your blackberries – You want to discard the mushy ones that are past their best. Do it as you wash them to get rid of dust and little bugs. Make sure to drain and gently dry them afterwards.
  3. Mashing blackberries – This will only take you a minute or two but will help releasing juices from the fruit and make it cook quicker during the initial stage when you’re dissolving your sugar.
  4. Make sure your sugar is fully dissolved – This will prevent it from crystallising later as your jam cools down. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Sodium: 0.1mg | Potassium: 14.7mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 2.3mg | Iron: 0mg