EASY BLACKBERRY & APPLE JAM
NB: This Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam recipe has been one of my top 2 jam posts over the years and really did deserve a re-shoot so here is the original post but with the addition of new photographs!
I recently went out foraging for apples and blackberries locally and although the apples weren’t up to much the blackberries were fab if a little difficult to harvest. Long sleeves, trousers, socks and a stick are must haves if you don’t want to get scratched and stung and another time I would bring gardening gloves too. It took me over an hour to gather just 600 g as I think I’m not the only forager locally!
This weekend I went to a car boot sale at a local farm where I managed to pick the same amount in about 20 minutes so it really is about being in the right place at the right time. I could have come home and made a blackberry and apple crumble or some such dessert but that would have put all my hard work to such a quick and frivolous use.
No, it had to be jam to preserve the fruits of my labours so to speak. If I’m honest I do think I’ve fallen in love with jam making and if you’ve not tried it yet then I can’t recommend it highly enough. I haven’t had one disaster with jam making which I can’t say for many other areas of cooking!
I researched various recipes and found that most of them wanted the blackberries and apples cooked separately which after spending so long picking the fruit seemed like an exercise I didn’t want to go through. So I was pleased to then find a recipe in “The Classic 1000 Recipes” book (Foulsham) where the fruits were boiled in the same pan. Hence I adapted this recipe and gave some flesh to the bones of the method to make my Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam!
My family loved this jam and even my pip hating husband did too. I think it tasted all the better for having foraged the blackberries and we have enough jars to take us into the winter as I made 6 jars of varying sizes.
As usual just before you start jam making just wash your jars and lids in hot soapy water, fill with boiling water, empty and then pop in the oven for 20 mins at 120°C and leave in there until your jam is ready.
For more preserve recipes using blackberries you might like:
- Blackberry & Raspberry Jam – Fab Food 4 All
- Easy Blackberry Curd – Fab Food 4 All
- Tutti Frutti Jam – Fab Food 4 All
- Traditional Blackberry Jam – All Recipes
Why not pin for later?
Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam
Ingredients
- 600 g Blackberries washed & drained
- 500 g Bramley apples peeled, cored and cut into berry sized chunks
- 1.1 kg Granulated sugar
- 300 ml Water
- 10 g Butter
Instructions
Put the water and apple chunks in a preserving pan (or similar) and simmer gently until soft (about 5 mins).
- Add the blackberries, bring to the boil and simmer until soft (about 15 – 20 mins).
- Add the sugar off the heat stirring to dissolve the crystals.
- Heat the pan gently to ensure all the sugar dissolves, then boil rapidly for 10 mins stirring regularly.
- Take off the heat and test a large drop of jam on a chilled saucer and if it crinkles after a couple of mins it’s ready.
- If not boil for another 2 mins and repeat test until ready.
- Remove excess scum with a slotted spoon and then stir in the butter to remove the rest.
- Ladle into sterilised jars. Makes 1.8 kg.
Recipe Notes
Before you start jam making just wash your jars and lids in hot soapy water, fill with boiling water, empty and then pop in the oven for 20 mins at 120°C and leave in there until your jam is ready.
Julie
Very sweet, I reduced the sugar by 1/2,, and next time might reduce it a. Little more, it may not set as well but will boil for a like longer and I add lemon juice
Camilla
Excellent Julie, good to adapt a recipe to your own taste as we all taste things differently. However it won’t be just the gelling that will be affected but also the keeping quality as the sugar also acts as a preservative, just something to bear in mind.
carol
this is such a great jam easy to prepare and in australia not often cooked but when you have a thornless blackberry it is a great pleasure to cook.plus when you can seal them in the microwave it is a 5 star recipe.
Camilla
So glad you like the recipe Carol, it’s one of my absolute favourites;-)
carol fitzgerald
re making any jam they can be sealed in a microwave with steel lids i have a vacola bottling outfit and after i have cooked the jam on the stove top i have my clean jars ready after putting the seals on i put the jam in and place the stainless steel clips and do 3 at a time with these rule 3 jars at a tme not touching each other or the walls and generally after 5 minutes they are sealed for a year (if it lasts that long) a home economist from victoria ha 4 or 5 books on the subject. her name is isobel webb. you may still find some on the net.also good for beetroot or pickles
Camilla
Hi Carol, with my method the jars are sealed permanently, not for just a year.
Mel
Beautiful jam. First batch was loved by all – thank you for such a simple recipe and explanation. Second batch underway using frozen apples from garden and blackberries from fields. I found it needed boiling for much longer though to get to the right set.
Camilla
Thanks Mel, I think the cooking time will depend on the water content of your variety apples and blackberries so I give the timings as a marker of when to start testing and then you can gauge from there. Boiling times will also go up markedly if you increase the volume of the recipe.