Blackberry Peach Ginger Jam [No pectin], a wonderful compilation of smoothness meets chunky deliciousness in a jam that is easy to make. The blackberries offer a deep profound flavor with a bit of tart but perfectly balanced by the juicy sweetness of the peach, and then the lime and ginger come in with a subtle zing that leaves your taste buds dancing in delight.
Song of the day: More Than A Feeling - Boston.
The late summer days were hot and humid, and the nights cool and damp, a mist starting to rise from the river, enveloping everything and everyone. Early morning, a thick fog would still be hanging like a curtain over the landscape. We would wait until it lifted a bit, then off we went, with baskets in our arms, ready for some blackberry picking.
Our country house is in a little square just underneath the town's church bell tower of a hilly small town. My dad and I we would start going downhill, greeting the early risers on our way, and stopping at my grandparents' house for a quick hello. We would call nonna from under the balcony, she would open the window, look down at us and smile, her house already smelling good from the food being cooked. We would continue going downhill until we reached the bridge on the river that we would cross, and now we were among fields protected by barbed wire, some horses grazing the grass and neighing at us. The wild blackberry bushes were all along the river, on a beautiful walk that would take us into some woodsy areas, mountains all around us, the sky wide and blue.
Picking blackberries went something like this for me: I would put one in the basket, one in my mouth, the plumpest, darkest, juiciest of the bunch, with my dad saying leave some for the jam! even though he was walking in front of me, still a mystery how he could see me... When I was a teenager, I would go blackberry picking with my friends; other than the river, another good spot was the road that led to the small town's cemetery and past that, it went up to the top of the hill. We would be picking, laughing, chatting, eating, few were the blackberries I would bring home.
The inspiration for this Blackberry Peach Ginger Jam is, of course, my dad's amazing blackberry jam, up to date still my favorite one of all the ones he makes. He makes sure he leaves a couple of jars for me and also this summer I knew he made some and cannot wait to go back to Italy in September to get it.
Waiting for his, I decided to make my own. These are not wild blackberries but come from British Columbia, from one of our favorite vendors at the local Farmers Market. They are bigger than their wild counterpart and -I think- less sweet and softer, but still great, especially for jam. I paired blackberries with peaches because I loved the pairing worked last year when I made a galette that was incredible.
Following my dad's example of keeping it pure and simple, only fruit, sugar and a citrus of choice go into my jams.
This Blackberry Peach Ginger Jam has blackberries, peaches, raw cane sugar, lime juice and ginger for a little pizzaz. It is easy to make, quite fast, and very delicious.
Blackberry Peach Ginger Jam has a beautiful color, a sweet, fresh and tart flavor, with surprise pieces of fruit entertaining your taste buds. We like our jams chunky, so we don't puree it, you can if you want. It tastes like a sweet fruit that has been softly kissed by the late summer's sun and washed by a rainfall. The blackberries offer a deep profound flavor with a bit of tart but perfectly balanced by the juicy sweetness of the peach, and then the lime and ginger come in with a subtle zing that leaves your taste buds dancing in delight. The texture, a wonderful compilation of smoothness meets chunky deliciousness. Each taste offering a little more depth into the rich folds of this luxurious and exquisite yet simple jam. This jam is so versatile and can be used in many fashions from crostata, to tarts, and on toast in the morning, to a lovely condiment for a cheese platter.
Don't let making jam intimidate you, my father has perfected jam making in the easiest and simplest process so you can have some time to do things you enjoy!
Song of the day: More Than A Feeling - Boston.
PrintBlackberry Peach Ginger Jam
Blackberry Peach Ginger Jam [No pectin], a wonderful compilation of smoothness meets chunky deliciousness. The blackberries offer a deep profound flavor with a bit of tart but perfectly balanced by the juicy sweetness of the peach, and then the lime and ginger come in with a subtle zing that leaves your taste buds dancing in delight.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 small jars 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Canning
- Cuisine: International
Ingredients
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1 cup peaches (about 2 peaches), peeled and cubed
- 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
- ½ lime, the juice
- ½ tsp ginger (powder), or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- Wash blackberries, peel and cut peaches in cubes.
- Put the empty jars in a canning kettle and cover with water. Turn on the burner and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes. Then, place the jars and lids on a baking sheet in the oven at 250° F to dry. Leave them in the oven until you need them.
- Stir together blackberries, peaches, and sugar in a large saucepan over low heat. Add ginger and lime juice.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Keep at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, and skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. (It will keep thickening as it cools).
- Ladle into the hot jars, wipe the rim and seal tight with the lids.
- Return the sealed jars to the boiling water bath, and boil for 10 minutes. Take out of the water, let cool at room temperature, then label them, adding the month and year of production.
- Store in a cool, dark place, but once opened, keep in the fridge.
Notes
We like our jams with chunks of fruit, if you like your jam to be smooth, puree all, or half of the batch.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Mararet@Kitchen Frau says
That looks wonderful, Nicoletta, like the sweet taste of summer. I remember blackberry picking in British Columbia when I was a kid, and coming home all scratched up and purple-stained with full bellies! I have started making jams without pectin,too, thanks in part to your inspiration and remembering my grandma's jams, which she made the same way. Thank you. Nothing is better than to open up a jar of summer in the depths of our cold winters.
Awww, thank you, Margaret! I agree that we can at least prolong the taste of summer during the harsh winter with our homemade jams!
MARIA | She Loves Biscotti says
Blackberries, peaches and ginger... what a great combination! I would probably do the same and eat them all along the way! Would you believe I have never made a jam without pectin? Have pinned to try. Thanks for sharing Nicoletta ♥
Thanks, Maria! Hope you try making jam without pectin, not only possible but so much better. I've "converted" quite a few people along the way 🙂 .
Dana says
This jam is out of this world. Adding ginger, with all of is *zing*, to anything fruity is always a good choice. I could slather this on *everything*.
Thank you, Dana! Also this morning it ended up on our toast. Delicious! Love making jams and this is one of my favorites now.
Kristen says
Sounds delicious, I’m making jams this weekend. I’ll have to try this out!
Thanks, Kristen, almost all jars gone. t is very delicious 🙂 .
Chef Markus Mueller says
Great looking jam! I have raspberries growing in my garden, (no blackberries yet!) I wonder if I could just substitute them for the blackberries. I have never made pectin free jam, but I do prefer the consistency of pectin free jams!
Thanks! Go for it! I believe raspberry and peach go well together, maybe lemon instead of lime? Hope you like it!
Tammy Morrison (Landlord) says
Thank you. What an amazing combination. I even made it with blackberries and peaches grown right here in the Kootenays.
I can only imgine how good it must be with local fruit, picked at their fullest, so sweet and juicy! Happy you liked it, this jam has a wonderful combination of flavors and textures.
E says
I swapped ginger for cinnamon and this recipe tastes AMAZING. The yield converter must be off, I switched it to 2x for 8 small jars and mine only filled up 4. Otherwise great recipe!
Thanks fot the feedback! This jam combination is a true favorite. Glad you liked it too, cinnamon is a great compliment.
Teresa says
Would it be possible to make this with frozen fruit? If so, do I need to thaw the fruit first? Thank you!
Hello, although I have not made jam with frozen fruit, yes, you can. Do not thaw and place in the dutch oven with the sugar and lemon juice over low heat until the berries defrost and the sugar melts. Then proceed as per recipe.
Kat F. says
I just made this jam and the flavor combination is incredible! I did 5X the recipe. I do not like the blackberry seeds in my jam, so I pureed my blackberries on low in the blender, then poured the puree through a China cap or chinois and got rid of the seeds with a pestle. Very easy! 10 cups of blackberries gave me around 5 cups of puree to which I added 5 cups of chopped peaches, the juice of 2 1/2 limes (I used bottled juice), 5 tsp. fresh grated ginger, and 5 cups raw organic sugar. It made almost 12 half-pint jars. I really like the raw sugar as it is not as sweet as processed. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! It is the bomb!
Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I am so happy you loved this jam, as it is one of my favorites. And thank you for sharing how you made it removing the seeds, it will be useful to many.
Melissa says
Is this modification still safe for canning?
I don't know what modification you are referring to, but this jam recipe is still great, and I actually now skip the final boiling in a water bath for the jars. I make a small batch and usually consume within the year.