Blackberry season has come to the mid-atlantic region and I couldn’t be more delighted. I spent my childhood foraging blackberries in the Oregon brambles and those sweet, tart, juicy berries are some of my favorite summer fruits. While they don’t grow wild out here in Pennsylvania in the same way they do out west, I’m lucky enough to have a good pick-your-own location.
The weekend before last, I picked just over eight pounds (and had a lovely couple of hours outside with my friend Shay). I spent the week eating them crushed into yogurt and straight out of the container. By Thursday night, it was time to turn them into something longer lasting. I smashed up a bunch, until I had a generous four cups of smashed berries.
I combined the four cups of mashed berries with four cups of apricot puree. Those apricots were lovely, juicy things that came to me via the Washington State Fruit Commission. They’ve just launched a website called Sweet Preservation that is dedicated to the art of canning and fruit preservation. Several weeks ago, they invited me to be one of the “CANbassadors” and help them spread word of this new resource.
Having gone to college in Washington State (go Whitman!), I’m happy to do what I can to lend my support. I also made whole canned apricots in a honey-vanilla syrup and pickled sweet cherries from the goodness that came in the box above. Stay tuned for those recipes, they’ll be rolling out over the next week.
In the past, I’ve been something of a single fruit jam kind of girl. I like my preserves fairly simple and tasting of the fruit that it is. However, I’ve already made apricot jam, apricot butter and blackberry jam this season. But I had a hunch that a marriage of the two would be an interesting and worthy pursuit. Happily, I was right. This jam turned out to have the sweetness of the apricots and the tart, juiciness of the blackberries.
Typically, when I make blackberry jam, I seed the blackberries by pushing them through a fine mesh sieve so that all the fruit and pulp winds up in a bowl and the seeds are left behind in the strainer. This time, I chose to include the seeds, since the apricot was there balancing things out. I find the seeds add a nice textural interest. However, if you aren’t a fan of seeds in your jam, you could absolutely use seeded blackberry pulp.
Just so you know, as I wrote this post, I found myself struggling to remember what this jam tasted like (I’ve made a lot of jam lately). So I did was any good canner would do. I popped opened a jar to remind myself. That led to five minutes of eating the jam out of the jar with a spoon. It is that good. The open jar is sitting right next to me. As soon as this recipe is published, I’ll be back in the kitchen, looking for something upon which to slather it.
Blackberry-Apricot Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups apricot puree pit apricots and puree in blender or food processor until fairly smooth
- 4 cups blackberry pulp
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 packets liquid pectin one box
Instructions
- In a large, non-reactive pot (stainless steel or enameled cast iron), combine the apricot puree, blackberry pulp and sugar and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture reach a boil, stirring frequently to prevent it from boiling over. Add cinnamon and lemon zest/juice and stir to combine. When the mixture appears to be thickening a bit, add the pectin. After adding the pectin, let the jam boil vigorously for at least five minutes.
- Fill your jars with the hot jam, wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water canner for ten minutes.
- Remove from canner and allow the jars to completely cool on a dishtowel-lined counter top.
- Once the jars are cool, check the seals, label them and enjoy one cold morning in February.
What part of Oregon did you live in? I’m in Grants Pass….my daughter and I just went blackberry picking and I’m jamming them soon!
I grew up in Portland. Blackberries grow everywhere in that city!
Ball jars in our dorm room (Lyman, in the early 80s) were for brewing sun tea!! 🙂 Yay Whitman!
I’m loving this apricot/blackberry combo idea. I’m in Seattle now, and the blackberries are ready to be made into jam…
Meg, I lived in Lyman for my first three semesters at Whitman. I just loved living there!
I love fresh blackberries, and they are just now starting to come in this year. Planning on freezing some, baking some, eating some (lots), and jamming some. This one looks great. Do you think it’d work equally well using peaches instead of apricots? I’m overflowing wtih peaches, but sadly apricot season is over here.
It should definitely work with peaches. I’d use yellow peaches, not white ones, so that they have the acidity necessary to stand up to the blackberries.
This jam looks a.ma.zing! This may be a really obvious thing, and if so I am sorry to ask, but how did you prepare the four cups of apricot purée? Thanks, and love your blog!
Neena, apricot puree is just pitted apricots, pureed in a blender or food processor until most the lumps are gone. Measure out four cups and you’re done. And yes, you could halve this recipe.
I am new to canning and love it! One more question for you – would this recipe worked halved? Thanks much!
Not a big fan of blackberries, but in Ohio they came this year. Last year no local peaches or blackberries r/t harsh winter. I’m glad you were able to fix your site. I’m off to can tomatoes today! 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m a beginner at the Jam-making process, but I’m sold on it. I’m not found of blackberries on their own; I think the blackberry/apricot blend would be just right. I’ll look for the apricot puree recipe; hope you’ll post it soon!
Loved the side of the apricot box, spent 20 years in Yakima and seeing Wapato brought back some good memories. I now reside in Vancouver just across the river from your former Portland and wanted to get some blackberries for jam, but until now, did not venture out to pick. Straight blackberry has never been my favorite, but this combo of berry and apricot look delicious. Thanks.
Amelia, good luck with your tomatoes!
Daisy, no recipe is needed for apricot puree. Just puree apricots in a blender or food processor until they’re broken down.
Melynda, glad that photo of the box took you back!
I made apricot/black raspberry jam this year, and it was very tasty. But I just cut the apricots into small bits and mashed them in the pot when they got soft. I like the idea of using the puree. I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.
I like combining blackberries with something else so the seeds aren’t so overwhelming. We did consider blackberry-apricot in my apricot mania but it never quite happened.
Apricot season has already passed here in PA, but I can’t wait to try the peach version. I usually make raspberry-blackberry jam – this will be a fun variation! Thanks!
I was able to find some local apricots at Weavers Way coop and I had some blackberries from Solebury orchards that I picked last weekend and I made your jam last night. It is delicious. I don’t think I’ll be able to get any more apricots yet this year, but if I can get some more blackberries I will try it with the peaches. Thanks!
I have blackberries growing along my driveway (lucky!) and one day the bowlful my husband picked wasn’t quite enough to make a full batch of jam, so I added some fresh pineapple, about two parts berries to one part pineapple. It’s the new favorite around here–the blackberries are still the dominant flavor, but the pineapple adds a rich and smooth note.
This looks excellent! I think I would be tempted to just keep eating it from the jar 🙂 Wonderful idea, to combine those two fruits. I’ve been dealing with peaches up the wazoo, and we have lots of blackberries growing in our yard, too — you have inspired me to think about combining the two into one delicious jam.
Marisa, still making this jam six years later! Our blackberries come ripe the same time our peaches do, and I love this combo — makes the “seediness” of the berries less seedy. Thanks again for this recipe. It’s one of our favorites.
Just made this jam – sample jar tastes amazing. I am not a fan of cinnamon but trusted the recipe and have to say it really adds to the flavor here. Thank you!
I just made this recipe, too, using peaches instead of apricots. (I omitted the cinnamon.) It was outstanding. Reminds me of the olallieberry jam I make every year. This will be another annual tradition. Thanks for the yummy idea.
10 pretty little jars all in a row. Just made, with blackberries we picked this morning from Terhune Orchards in Lawrenceville NJ and yellow peaches because there were no apricots. My first ever canning of anything. Jim is excited. He works at Indy Hall. I think you may have crossed paths. Love your blog. Keep putting things up in jars.
Hi! The jam recipe looks amazing. I am coming off 4 batches if plain blackberry jam, one batch if blackberry-blueberry, one of blackberry-raspberry, and one blueberry-lime. Anxious to try this next, probably with peaches since they are local. Do you get better results with your method than with the sure-jell method of adding the pectin first, rather than the sugar? Thanks! Toni
Hi! This jam is amazing! We made some yesterday and had a partial jar that we tossed in the fridge to try right away and we were eating it with spoons right out of the jar! So good!!
Following your recipe, mine did not set up too well. I’ve never had a great luck with using liquid pectin, though I’ve only done it twice (didn’t work for rhubarb rosemary jam either) This one was a little thicker and will be good, but not solid like other jams I’ve made following sure-jell recipe in the box. Any thoughts on that?
I just re-read your canning 101 post about getting jams to set and I will try these practices next time…
Thanks for the Blackberry-apricot idea. I just spent the afternoon at Greenbluff and managed to get 27 pounds of peachs and 4.5 pounds of blackberries. I will be making it with the peaches of course. Wish me luck I haven’t canned since I was a kid, but living so close to wonderful produce has me itching to try.
UPDATE: I made the jam with blackberries and peaches. My husband is in love. He is already plotting to see how many more cups of blackberry mash he can make out of the remaining blackberries. I’ll be buying more jars in the morning. Thanks so much, I’m offically hooked on homemade jam and canning.
Hi, I’m in Melbourne ,Australia and I have had an abundance of apricots and have a weeping mulberry tree that just keeps on fruiting. the fruit is small but I have been collecting it each day and freezing what I havent been using. Would MULBERRIE’S work equally as well as blackberries? All the Blackberries near me are sprayed unless you buy them from the green grocer where they are V. expensive. I’ve made some really yum strawberry/apricot jam but thought the mulberries would be nice with apricots too. 🙂
Any advice on how to make this a small batch version without pectin? Can I halve it? I’m dying to make this but don’t have the equipment to make large batches and I’ve been dreaming of making and eating this very recipe for quite some time now!!!
Sure, you can half that recipe and cook it down until it’s thickened into jam.
If canning a half recipe of this in 4-5 half-pints, would that change the processing time? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
I made this last summer and LOVED it. Mine turned out runny, so I mixed it with yogurt or spread it on pancakes. This year I didn’t get apricots in time, so I used some store-bought peaches. Still one of the tastiest jams I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I just made your apricot blackberry jam recipe. Having never used liquid pectin before, I am hoping in time it will set. I am a tried and true powdered pectin user, so this is uncharted territory for me. I am accustomed to jams practically setting before they’re in the jar. I hope you can alleviate my anxiety over 11 jars of jam not setting!
Terri, this is a not a super firm jam. It’s definitely more of a preserve. That said, liquid pectin does set up over time. However, do know that you can always swap in your preferred powdered pectin for my liquid pectin. Two tablespoons of powdered pectin have about the same hold as packet of liquid.
Just a note on using the powdered pectin: I have made this recipe a number of times, and the one time I used powdered pectin, it got pretty clumpy. Make sure to whisk away, if you’re using powdered pectin. We’ve settled on using the liquid pectin and enjoying the looser sauce/jam — it’s a nice change from most of our jams, which set up pretty firm.
A bunch of apricots are ripe on my parents tree but I can’t get home to use them before they go bad.
Do you think my mom can puree the apricots, measure it out and then freeze it for me to use later this month? Their blackberries won’t be ready until later this month either.
Thanks for your input.
Grazia
Yep, you can totally freeze apricot puree for future use. I highly recommend it, in fact!
My husband acted as my helper yesterday and we tried this as my first recipe attempt from your site. The flavor is delicious! However, it turned out pretty runny. We’re calling it “sauce” instead for ice cream, waffles and yogurt. Do you have any suggestions for next time? My husband thinks it’s because I tried to take out as many seeds as possible.
Thank you
Proud Oregonians
i’d love to make this but substitute figs for apricots. do you think the ratios will work?
RE: Trouble setting with liquid pectin: Some liquid pectins, like certo, often don’t set when they are boiled before processing. I usually get a good set from using the package directions – after bringing to a boil, you boil hard for 1 minute, then REMOVE from the heat – stir and skim for 5 minutes for jam (marmalade is longer) then jar and process as normal. It seems counter intuitive, but it has worked each time I haven’t deviated. Certo often calls for ALOT more sugar than this… and that can effect the set. If it’s still runny after the process, it will set up more when it’s in the fridge 😀 – it really needs the lemon juice to set as well 😀 The acidity of what lemon juice you are using can affect the set as well 😀
We love your foodie website! Blackberries are delicious and often inexpensive during certain times these days. What a wonderful way to enjoy them year round and also give as gifts.
Hi there 🙂
I was wondering if you knew how to make the apricot puree using dried apricots? And maybe apricot brandy???
Thanks!
I hate my apricot tree because I don’t know what to do with them all. This year I pureed them and froze them hoping to make fruit leather through out the year. My blackberries are on and I tried this recipe. It is delicious. Next time I will be doubling or tripling the batch. Have you ever tried it as freezer jam? If so, how has it worked? I was thinking the cinnamon and lemon could be cut back a bit, but it probably tastes just right on toast. Thank-you for posting.
Kim, I’m totally jealous of your apricot tree! I can’t speak to how this would work as a freezer jam, because I’ve not tried it. I imagine it would perform fairly well frozen, though.
I made this a few months ago because I was looking for a way to use my apricots and blackberries. This is my new favorite jam. Originally, I thought it had too much lemon, but 2 months later the flavors have combined very nicely. I have frozen more blackberries and apricots so I can make more jam for Christmas gifts. Thanks for sharing.
I tried to see if you already answered this question in the comments and couldn’t find it…I was wondering if you peel or otherwise remove the skin from the apricots before you puree them?
You do not need to remove the skins. If you needed to peel them, I’d have said it.
My mom and I just made Peach and Olallieberry jam after spending all of Friday picking 50lbs of Olalies! I used this recipe as a guide for fruit/sugar/pectin ratio and it turned out ssoooooooo good! Thank you! I did reduced the cinnamon by half and added 1/2 a vanilla bean. Cheers!
I’m not a fan of blackberries but was wondering if you think this recipe will work with raspberries and peaches?
Lisa, I really don’t know how that will work because I’ve never tried it like that.
hi,is there a way this jam can be made without the use of pectin?.I am not a big fan of pectin.please let me know
regards
Reduce the batch size. Smaller batches set up better without pectin.
Yay Yakima! (It says Wapato on your fruit box.) We do have glorious, glorious fruit in the summer, here in central Washington. I just made cherry-apricot jam from a wild apricot tree on my land and the gleanings from the cherry orchard that surrounds us. My first ever independent canning project. I’m hooked.
Is it possible to puree dried apricots?
No. It won’t be the same.
montana I used huckberrys and a little more sugar
I love the idea of this jam. Could I substitute low sugar pectin?
I’ve not made it with low sugar pectin, but I imagine it would work.
On the TV program River Cottage, featuring a British chef Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, as Hugh said he wasn’t that fond of strawberry jam, Pam ‘the jam’ advocated adding 2 or 3 rose geranium leaves when making strawberry jam, to give it an uplifting zing. I tried that with apricot jam and the aroma is intense rose. Just 2 or 3 leaves were enough to permeate all the bottles of jam I made. It really gave a classy intensity to the jam. Remove the leaves after cooking as they are not edible.
That sounds delicious. Pam Corbin is an amazing jam maker.
Hi! Can this recipe still be canned for long time storage with no liquid pectin?
As long as you do the water bath process and the jars seal properly, they are perfectly safe for shelf storage. Pectin has nothing to do with safety. All it does it cause the fruit to thicken.