Enjoy all the favorite fruits of summer that you want in this pectin-free jam. Packed with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, a fruit explosion of delicious sweetness is easy to make. Perfect for toast, bagels and English muffins, you can spread a little or a lot of your homemade jam on top.
Original recipe posted: January 2012 | Recipe update: October 2019
This is the first time I have attempted jam, so I didn’t know what to expect. Well guess what. I am head-over-heels in love, and I’m not the only person in this house who fell hard. My four-year-old ate every single bite of his pb&j for the first time ever! Crusts and all.
Whether you love to pick the fruits yourself on a family outing or you take advantage of the farmers market fruit, this recipe comes together easily and will be relished in each bite. You can determine which variation of berries you’d like in your jam because there’s no right or wrong mix of berries to go into the pot.
HOW TO MAKE FRUIT JAM
Fresh berries, like raspberries, blackberries and cherries are a great way to make a homemade jam for your family so you can be confident what your serving and know it’s a perfect breakfast choice for your family!
STEP 1
In a large saucepan, toss 1 pound of hulled and quartered strawberries with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This takes about 1 hour.
STEP 2
Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon (seeded) over the strawberries and add it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the strawberries are just softened, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 pound of mixed blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
Cook over moderate heat until the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 25 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.
Discard the lemon.
STEP 3
Ladle the hot jam into three 1/2 pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
RECIPE TIPS
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You can use any combination of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries as long as the total does not exceed 2 pounds.
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If you are using strawberries, be sure to hull, quarter and rinse them. All other berries can simply be rinsed.
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Don’t skip letting the berry mixture sit once you’ve added the lemon and sugar. This allows the fruit to begin breaking down and it brings out the juices to make your delicious jam.
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When using fresh fruit, you can opt to use a potato masher to help break down the fruit easily.
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Use fresh or frozen fruit for this recipe, but fresh is best whenever possible.
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Add half of teaspoon of dried chipotle chili powder to one or your half pint jars for a smoky flavor that goes well with fish, chicken or pork!
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This jam recipe is pectin free and gluten free!
HOW TO ENJOY THIS JAM
Enjoy this delicious spread over toast, bagels, English muffins, in a yogurt parfait or on top of ice cream. It’s great over pancakes or use it to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Consider adding some jam to your next Nutella and Berry Grilled Cheese Sandwich! Mix a couple spoon fulls into your next Vanilla Buttercream frosting recipe for a berry fruity twist!
PERFECT HOMEMADE GIFT
Another way to use this jam is to add a bow to the top of your mason jar and gift it to someone! They’ll appreciate your time and delicious treat.
HOW TO STORE YOUR JAM
Pour the jam into mason jars when the mixture is hot and immediately seal the lids. This will ensure a good seal. Store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
STERILIZING YOUR JARS
For the purposes of having a delicious jam without anyone imbibing any germs that could make us sick, you can prepare your glass jars and their lids in advance so they are hot sterilized and ready to store your jam.
First, wash your jars in a hot soapy water. Then place them in the oven at a low temperature to let the excess water dry off. Then place them in the oven at a low 250 degrees for about 10-15 min to make sure they are completely dry. You can let them stay there in the oven until you are ready to fill them up!
WHY IS PECTIN NOT USED IN THIS RECIPE?
Pectin is a naturally made fiber that helps to thicken the jam and then there’s a quicker cooking time. The beauty of this jam is that you cook it slow and let the natural pectin in the cherries do its job. Your grandmothers did not use pectin and made delicious jams.
JAM VS JELLY – THE DIFFERENCE
Do you interchange the words jam and jelly without realizing there’s a difference? If you look at the grocery store wall of jams and jellies there are differences that you want to know about so you can select your favorite condiment for peanut butter and jelly or for topping your toast.
Jam is a chunky thick spread that uses the juice of the fruit along with the crushed and pureed pieces in the mixture. That leaves jelly which is using the fruit to create your fruit spread but straining out all the solid pieces so you’re left with a sweet, clear spread made by boiling the juice into a thick sauce.
TRY ONE OF THESE OTHER HOMEMADE SAUCES
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Easy Blueberry Sauce – Blueberry Sauce is super easy to make and goes great on pancakes, waffles or works great as a pie filling!
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Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce – You’ll enjoy spoonfuls of this gooey homemade chocolate fudge sauce perfect for summer treats!
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Apple Butter – This tasty Homemade Apple Butter Recipe is worth the wait! After you enjoy picking your favorite assortment of sweet and tart apples, you can add just a few spices to the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer. Not to be confused with butter, it’s awesome to spread on everything (like butter)!
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Salted Caramel Sauce – There’s just 4 ingredients needed to make your own Salted Caramel sauce. It’s easy to do and you’ll be glad you know how to make it yourself because this recipe has so many uses – top or fill your next batch of baked goods with this delicious, irresistible sauce.
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Crockpot Applesauce – Homemade applesauce is fun to make and better than the store stuff! Plus it’s the perfect fall treat. Let your slow cooker do the work so kids and adults alike can have a healthy snack!
OTHER YUMMY JAM RECIPES
I love exploring making all my own jams for my family. Check out a few of my other favorite jam recipes, including using your Instant Pot to make jam too!
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You can make this same Mixed Berry Jam in your Instant Pot for magical results!
This stuff is seriously delicious, you guys. I hope you enjoy!
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and tag it @pipandebby + hashtag it #PIPANDEBBY I’d love to see what you create!
Mixed-Berry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 lb. strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 lemon seeded
- 1 lb. mixed blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, toss the strawberries with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 1 hour.
- Squeeze the lemon over the strawberries, add it to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the strawberries are just softened, 5 minutes. Add the mixed berries; cook over moderate heat until the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 25 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.
- Discard the lemon; spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
I am a first timer making this recipe as gifts for Christmas …… But i missed the first step with letting the strawberries in it the sugar ….. And went straight to cooking it with the lemon….. After all has been done the jam looks to be semi thick yet still a little …. runny
Should I let it cook a little longer until it thickens or let it sit and see if it thickens?
Or will it thicken in the jars?
Amy, Definitely! And yes, it is seriously good. My entire family loves it.
Megan
would you possibly be able to freeze this jam? it sounds amazing!!
would you possibly be able to freeze this jam? it sounds amazing!!
Seriously…thanks for sharing your jam recipe. Making my own jam on a piece of pumpernickle gives me goosebumps! It looks delicious!!!!