Elderberry and blackberry jam
Capturing the best of late summer, this elderberry and blackberry jam is a forager’s delight. A splash of port at the end takes things up a notch. Learn how to make it with our easy recipe.
Ingredients · Servings about 1.2kg 4 x 300g jars
- 500g apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- Juice 1 lemon
- 450g blackberries
- 200g elderberries (or more blackberries)
- 1kg caster sugar
- 200ml ruby or tawny port
- Specialist kit
- Jam jars
- Jam funnel
Method · 1 h 5 min
- Put a couple of small plates in the freezer ready to test the setting point of the jam. Put the apples, lemon juice and 200ml water in a large, heavy-based pan or preserving pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-8 minutes until softening (if you’re using eating apples they’ll only soften a little).
- Add the blackberries, elderberries and sugar. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the jam reaches setting point. To test the setting point, put a teaspoonful of jam on a chilled plate and leave for 1 minute. Drag your finger lightly across the jam. If it wrinkles, it has reached setting point; if it doesn’t, boil for a couple more minutes, then turn off the heat and try again with another chilled saucer. Once it’s ready, stir in the port and simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
- Use a ladle and a jam funnel to decant the jam into sterilised jars (see tip). Leave to cool before screwing on the lids. You can now use or store the jam (see Make Ahead).
- Best of the hedgerows: if you’ve been blackberry and elderberry picking this summer, this jam recipe is a great way to preserve the flavours of your hedgerow harvest. The benefit of a hedgerow jam over a pure berry jam is that apples naturally have a good amount of pectin, unlike some berries, so this will help your jam set without the need to add any.
- Adjust the sweetness: foraged blackberries are likely to be tarter than farmed varieties. If you’d prefer the jam to be a bit sweeter, taste the mixture once the sugar has dissolved and add up to an extra 100g sugar.
- Make ahead: store unopened for up to 6 months then, once opened, keep chilled for up to 6 months.
Conserve more summer goodness with our complete jam and preserves recipe collections.
