Texas Blackberry Jam

Texas Blackberry Jam (small batch)

Fresh Texas blackberries are transformed into a tart and sweet jam that preserves the flavor summer. Ripe, plump, and juicy blackberries fresh form the farm stand are mixed with sugar and lemon to make an easy blackberry jam I will be using as a featured ingredient for this week’s cookie Thursday recipe: Blackberry Pie Cookie.

Blackberries are a wonderful little fruit that are available in Texas from May-July. They are small dark purple berries that have a bright, sweet, and tart flavor and are studded with small edible seeds. I love picking up fruit at the beginning of the season, and I try to pick up more than I need for baking or canning. Eating fresh sweet berries that are in season are one of life’s greatest indulgences, one that myself and family take full advantage of in the summer months when fruit is plentiful in Texas.

I picked 4 pints of blackberries from Jenschke orchards in Fredericksburg along with peaches and plums and used two of those pints for jam. Texas may have some brutally hot and humid summers but it more than makes up for it with some of the most flavorful summer produce. Knowing that I have access to some of the best peaches, blackberries, plums, figs, tomatoes, squash and melons definitely help me complain a little less about the Texas heat and give thanks for the abundance of flavor a whole lot more.

An Easy Recipe to Love

-Only 3 ingredients are needed to make this jam.

-The jam comes together in about 15-20 minutes.

-Preserve the flavor of summer to enjoy for later or use in your favorite recipes.

Ingredients You Need

-Fresh Blackberries-this is where you want to use quality and in season fruit. You can use frozen blackberries but fresh berries in season will yield a more flavorful jam.

-Sugar-I use granulated sugar.

-Lemon-using the whole lemon gives the jam a bright flavor and helps the jam to thicken quicker. It doesn’t make the jam taste like lemon, just helps to enhance the blackberry flavor.

Optional Spices-I will sometimes add spices to my jam for extra flavor. My favorites are cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. I will use one or a mixture of all. Adding spices adds a wonderful warmth to homemade jams., especially if you want to give them out as gifts for the holidays. Spiced blackberry jam when it’s cold outside? Yes, please.

Ways to Use Blackberry Jam

-Upgraded PB&J

-Topping for yogurt or ice cream

-Used as a filling for shortbread cookies (Use this recipe for amazing shortbread)

-Filling for Blackberry pie cookie COMING SOON

-Jam filling for a tart. Make a pate sucre, bake in tart pan, cool then fill with blackberry jam and whipped cream that has a little lime zest grated in for a fancy but easy summer dessert.

-Mixed into buttercream for blackberry buttercream (my recipe for buttercream here)

-Used as a topping on softened cream cheese and sprinkled with chipotle powder for a sweet, creamy, and spicy appetizer or dessert.

Let’s Jam

First, wash your blackberries. I like to make sure the berries are nice and clean and are free from dirt, debris, and any small leaves or flowers that made their way into the pint. I lay them out onto a dish towel to dry off slightly.

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and blackberries. I slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice out of both halves, being careful not to add any seeds to the pan. I then toss one of the spent lemons into the pan and give everything a good stir, making sure the sugar is all mixed in.

I let this macerate for 15-20 minutes before I turn the stove on. This helps the juices of the berries to release and allows the flavors to combine a bit better. If you want to keep this recipe quick you can skip this step, as I have prepared this without letting the berries macerate and it came out just as lovely. I had some extra dishes and tidying to do around the house, so I let the berries soak in the sugar and lemon juice for a bit.

Over medium heat, cook the berries, sugar, and lemon stirring regularly. I use the back of a spoon to crush the berries up as I am stirring so the jam isn’t too chunky. The jam will bubble up so you want to stay in the kitchen to make sure it does not boil over. I turn the heat down to a medium low after it reaches a boil and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until it reaches a nice thick consistency.

I know when blackberry jam is done by doing the plate test: place a few drops of jam on a cold plate. Tilt the plate, the jam should relatively stay in place and be thick. Another way to check if the jam is done is if it coats the back of a spoon evenly without running of the spoon too quickly. Basically, I am looking for a thick syrup consistency.

After I test the jam for doneness, I pour the hot jam carefully into clean mason jars, screw the lid on top, and flip them over to cool. This will help the jars seal as they cool. Make sure not to overtighten the lids, you want it to be hand tightened closed. I love using 4-ounce or 8-ounce mason jars for the jam. They are the perfect size for gift giving but also the perfect size to enjoy without cluttering my fridge space.

Sealed jam will stay good for up to a year when stored in a cool dark place. I keep mine on the bottom shelf in my pantry. Once opened, refrigerate, and use within a month.

I will be using this jam recipe as a filling for an amazing cookie I created: my blackberry pie cookie, brown sugar cookie dough with vanilla and almond extract, cinnamon buttered pie crust pieces, blackberry jam filling and a blackberry glaze. Stay tuned!

If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Tuesday and Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!