blackberry jam surrounded by french bread and rosemary

Blackberry with Fresh Rosemary Jam

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5 from 1 vote
Blackberry Jam is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.
This recipe was developed by Allison Carroll Duffy. She says: “The rosemary flavor is subtle but present, nicely balancing the sweetness of the berries and giving the jam a little more depth. In making this recipe, be sure to mince the fresh rosemary very, very finely so that the rosemary flavor spreads evenly throughout the jam, and so that you avoid having any noticeable pieces of rosemary in the jam, as they are not particularly appealing to bite into. Additionally, for reasons of canning safety, be sure to use the amount of lemon juice indicated in the recipe, and do not increase the quantity of rosemary, as it can impact the pH of the final product.” Feel free to use other sweeteners that measure like sugar or honey in this recipe.

Notes

If you’re not sure if your jam is sweet enough, taste it after the pectin is dissolved and jam has come back up to a boil. Not sweet enough? Add more sweetener and stir 1 minute at full boil.
Servings 5 cups

Ingredients

  • pounds sweet blackberries this is approximately 8 cups of whole berries
  • teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
  • 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
  • cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener

Instructions

  • Before you begin, prepare calcium water.
    To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.
    Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
  • Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down the heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.
  • Rinse the blackberries, then place them in a mixing bowl and mash them. (A potato masher works well for this.).
  • Measure out 4 cups of the mashed berries. (If you have any left over, you can use it for something else). Pour the measured mashed berries into a large saucepan. Add finely chopped rosemary, lemon juice, and calcium water, then stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.
  • Bring the berry mixture up to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return jelly to a boil, then remove from heat.
  • Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on the lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).
  • Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
  • Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then, remove jars from canner.
  • Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then, confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.

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24 Responses

  1. Wendy
    | Reply

    Same amount of basil as rosemary?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes, you could substitute basil for the rosemary if you choose.

  2. Carol
    | Reply

    This is just what I was looking for! Question (I’m very new to this): If I have half the amount of berries, can i simply cut the recipe in half (as I would in regular cooking) or are there other adjustments I’d need to make? Thanks!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Carol,

      For half-ing a recipe, you will want to reduce each ingredient by half. Happy jamming!

  3. Jean
    | Reply

    I want to make blackberry mint, could I just use the same amount of mint as the rosemary or do you suppose I should use more or less?

    Love the lower sugar options that Pomona’s allow us to make!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can!

  4. Annette Lockler
    | Reply

    My blackberries are large and the seeds are very hard. They are uneatable. I will remove the seeds and only have juice. How does this affect the recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes. You will need to increase the pectin to 3 teaspoons.

  5. Aednik
    | Reply

    Would it be possible to use dried rosemary in this recipe? I don’t have access to any fresh right now.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes that should be just fine. We would recommend using 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (you may want to mince it or break it up since it will be staying in the jam).

  6. Terry C Wagner
    | Reply

    I made this last Friday – came out perfect! I added a bit more rosemary as I wanted that flavor to pop. I got a bit more than the recipe says, I ended up with 7 full 1/2 pint jars. These will be great holiday gifts!

  7. Susan
    | Reply

    If I’m using less pectin than stated in the recipe, am I to reduce the calcium water by the same percentage?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Great question! We would recommend using the same amount of calcium water as listed in the recipe.

      Happy jamming Susan!

      • Kathleen
        | Reply

        I love Pomona pectin
        I’ve been using your product for all my low sugar jam recipes.The jam tastes so amazing, like fresh fruit & not so sugary! I just wanted to pass that along.😊 This blackberry Rosemary is next on the list

  8. Laurie Foster
    | Reply

    So what happens if you screw up and dump the whole 1/2 cup of calcium water in the batch?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      It happens all the time! It is still safe to consume, it may just be a bit more jelled.

  9. Marie Howle
    | Reply

    I want to use honey in place of sugar. Should I still mix the pectin in the honey before putting it in the berries?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Marie,

      Yes, the pectin will still need to be mixed into the loose honey. Happy jamming!

  10. Suzanne
    | Reply

    Do you know how much Splenda or Stevia you would use in place of the 1 1/2 cups of sugar? Do you have a formula of replacement value? Thank you.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Suzanne,

      You will need to check the conversion sheet on the product you are using 😊

  11. Sara Kelly
    | Reply

    Is it possible to make this as a freezer jam?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Absolutely! Simply skip the water-bath canning process. Allow jars to come to room temperature before placing them in the freezer.

  12. Dana
    | Reply

    I just want plain blackberry jam could I just leave the rosemary out?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You absolutely can! Happy jamming 😊

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