Easy Mixed Berry Jam
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Recipe for an easy mixed berry jam. Raspberries and strawberries was my combination for this post but the recipe works for any combination of mixed berries. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. They all work. Combine together in this recipe to make a delicious, easy homemade jam! Blend the berries together with sugar and pectin for this homemade jam recipe that’s safe for water bath canning. (No and low sugar options too!)
Extended Directions and tips for mixed berry Jam
Quantity
This recipe makes about 6 half-pint jars of jam. From my experience, however, jam recipes can vary in yield quite a bit, depending on the fruit you’re using and how juicy they are.
Know Your Canner
If you’re not familiar with using a water bath canner. We’ve got a resource for you called “How to Use a Water Bath Canner.” Give it a quick read, and you’ll feel confident and well-prepared for making this and other jams.
How to make mixed berry Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed berries I suggest more raspberries than strawberries
- 4 ½ Tablespoons Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin
- 3 cups sugar
Boil the jam mixture hard for 1 minute, still stirring.
Once crushed, mix berries together in a saucepan with pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stir constantly. Add sugar, stirring again as you allow the mixture to go back up to a full boil.
Remove from heat & skim foam before ladling hot jam into hot jars. Strawberries are a fruit known for foaming when you boil it for jam but other berries will too. This is not dangerous but it is nicer to just have jam in the jar. Skim the foam off and slather it on toast for a nice snack for the cook!
If you have a lot of foam when you make jam, you can add up to ½ teaspoon (no more!) of butter to the mixture to reduce it. They say that this could cause an off-flavor in your jam, but I’ve never really noticed it. 1/2 tsp is maximum. I rarely use this much. 1/4 to 1/8 often works just fine.
Preserve your jam by processing in a water bath or steam canner, place in the freezer for storage or if you’ve made a small batch just put it in the fridge for immediate use.
Canning Mixed Berry Jam
Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Process in your water bath canner according to the instructions in the recipe card below. Remember to adjust for altitude as needed.
Jam is also a perfect project for a steam canner instead of a waterbath. You can read more about using a steam canner here. I highly recommend it! Either method works.
Start by crushing your berries. I used strawberries and raspberries. A potato masher works for this step. I have read you can use a food processor. My warning would be to go easy! You don’t want to liquify it. Just mash to get the juices flowing and break up any larger berries as needed. Strawberries can be large and are nicer when broken down a bit.
Do frozen berries make a good jam?
You can use fresh or frozen fruit for making jam. Frozen fruit may not need to be crushed quite as much as fresh. It’ll be softer as it thaws. Keep and use all the juices. There is a lot of flavor in that juice!
How Many berries to Use?
Mixed Berry Jam recipes are very flexible, as long as you keep the total amount of fruit the same. I used more raspberries than strawberries in my jam mixture. But you could really use whatever ratios you desire, based upon taste and fruit available.
How to Make Reduced Sugar or No-sugar Strawberry Raspberry Jam
If you want to reduce the sugar in your jam recipe, you should look into using Pomona’s Pectin. It’s a different type of pectin that you can use to still get a nice gel without all of the sugar or using other sweeteners like honey or even maple syrup for a nice touch.
Adding Spices & Flavorings to Your Jam
While any mixed berry jam is very flavorful by itself, and I’m not sure what you might add, you technically can add a small amount (i.e., 1 teaspoon or less) of herbs or flavoring to your jam too. Maybe mint or vanilla extract?
FAQ Strawberry Raspberry Jam
This recipe has enough natural acidity from the berries that it sets up nicely already with the pectin and sugar.
There are several causes of runny jam, most commonly not boiling it long enough or not measuring out your ingredients properly.
Before you go…
Don’t have enough raspberries to make this recipe? Try making plain (but still delicious) strawberry jam without pectin instead.
Recipe Card
Mixed Berry Strawberry Raspberry Jam
Equipment
- Steam Canner Optional
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed berries Any combination of berries works great. I used more raspberries than strawberries.
- 4 ½ Tablespoons Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin
- 3 cups sugar
Instructions
Strawberry Raspberry Jam
- Mix crushed strawberries and raspberries together in a pan with pectin.
- Bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar, stirring again as you allow mixture to go back up to a full boil.
- Boil hard for 1 minute, still stirring.
- Remove from heat & skim foam before ladling hot jam into hot jars.
Packing the Jars
- Fill jar with hot jam. Leave ¼ inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and check your headspace again. Adjust if needed.
- Wipe rims of jar clean with damp towel or paper towel.
- Add your canning lids and rings, finger tight.
- Place jar in the canner. When all jars are filled, process according to the instructions below
Processing with Water Bath Canner
- After all jars are in the canner, lower rack into the water. Bring to a boil.
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, start your time.
Processing Time
- Process half-pints for 10 minutes. Be sure and adjust your time for altitude:
- 0-1,000 ft – 10 minutes
- 1,001-3,000 ft – 15 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 ft – 20 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 ft – 25 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 ft – 30 minutes
- Be sure and adjust your time for altitude.
- Process for the full time indicated, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a boil for the entire processing time.
Cool Down Time
- When processing time is completed turn off the heat.
- Remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes.
- Remove your jars. (optionally you can wait another 5 minutes if the contents appear to be bubbling so hard it is coming out of the jars)
- Put the jars a few inches apart on a thick towel and allow them to cool to room temperature undisturbed. 12 hours is suggested.
- When the jars are cooled, remove the metal bands, check the seals, wash jars, dry completely, and store in a cool dark place.
Sources:
- https: //www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=mixed-berry-jam
- https:// nchfp.uga.edu/how/make-jam-jelly/jams-jellies-general-information/making-jams-and-jellies-with-added-pectin/#gsc.tab=0
