Blackberry Plum Jam is a delicious way to use summer fruits that are commonly grown in my area of Louisiana. The plums cook down into a lovely spreadable texture, and when paired with the blackberries, blend into a delicious sweet tart flavor, my favorite jam flavor. Blackberry Plum Jam is sure to become your favorite!
Our two little plum trees finally produced a lot of plums for us this spring/summer, really for the first time. We planted them a few years ago and I’ve been dutifully pruning them and fertilizing them. In early spring, they were loaded with blossoms. Throughout May and June we picked a few plums every day. We ate some fresh, but most were stashed in the freezer to make jam later. We ended up with almost three pounds of plums.
We also grow blackberries on our tiny homestead. Check out my Blackberry Custard Ice Cream recipe. I had the idea to make Blackberry Plum Jam a few years ago, because both blackberries and plums have a similar sweet tart flavor, and they are both abundant at the same time of year in my area. I’m sure I’m not the first one to try this combination. Blackberry Plum Jam is absolutely delicious!
Blackberry Plum Jam Recipe
Equipment:
Below are some affiliate links for equipment used in this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my affiliate links, I may make a small commission at no cost to you.
- large stock pot- https://amzn.to/3L0XNBm
- water bath canner- https://amzn.to/4cAWJQr
- half pint mason jars- https://amzn.to/4cyW6rb
- lids and rings for jars if you need them- https://amzn.to/4bobF3e
- immersion blender- https://amzn.to/4cEJIFk
- jar funnel- https://amzn.to/3L3bXSz
- jar lifter- https://amzn.to/4cm6G4w
- head space measuring tool- https://amzn.to/3VWC0B3
- liquid measuring cup- https://amzn.to/3zm7cRo
Ingredients:
- 5 cups finely chopped plums
- 1 cup finely chopped blackberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 box SureJell Pectin (Original)
- 8 cups sugar
Instructions
Step 1
Put 12 clean half pint jars into your water bath canner and fill canner with water, about an inch above the jars. Put on the stove and bring to a simmer. Let stand in hot water until ready to use.
Step 2
Pit plums. Do not peel. Mine were frozen and then thawed, so I squeezed the pits out between my fingers. If your plums are fresh, slice in half and pull the pit out. Either way, this is a messy job.
Place fruit in saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 min. Puree somewhat with immersion blender. A few chunks are desirable. You should have 6 cups of fruit at this point.
Step 3
Measure out sugar into a separate bowl so it’s ready to pour in.
Stir pectin into fruit in saucepot. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
Step 4
Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
Step 5
Quickly remove jars from canner. Ladle jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads with a wet paper towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands only to fingertip tightness (do not screw on really tight -this will mess with the seal.)
Step 6
Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if needed.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Boil for 10 min.
Step 7
Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, remove rings. Check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. Lift each jar by the lid. (If lids spring back, or comes off when lifted, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
Step 8
Wipe each jar with a wet washcloth. Label jars with contents and date. Put in your pantry! Do not stack your jars -this can damage the seal. Always check the seal carefully before opening a jar. Use all of your jam within 12-18 months for best nutrition and flavor.
Why Bother with Canning?
When you can buy a pint jar of blackberry jam at Wal-Mart for $4, why bother growing, cooking, and canning your own jam? Canning your own food instead of buying canned food at the store makes sense in several scenarios. These are my favorites:
1. Reasons to Can Food: Saving Money
Canning only financially make sense when you get your produce for free or cheap. When that happens, jump on the opportunity!
Even with my blackberries and plums being “free,” and my equipment and jars being purchased years ago, I’ve only saved my family about $50 with this batch of jam (compared to buying organic jam at the store.) Which isn’t zero! But it’s not a huge savings.
Buying the most expensive, gorgeous, local fruit to make into jam is not going to save you any money. Nor is buying tomato or cucumber seedlings, expensive dirt, and fertilizer, and bagged mulch going to save you money on canned tomatoes or pickles. Be smart and frugal when sourcing produce and gardening. Buy deeply discounted, bulk produce. For the garden, get a good system going where you produce your own fertilizer by making compost or raising animals. Care for and build your soil by adding free amendments such as dead leaves, manure, and compost, instead of buying new soil yearly.
You can save money by canning! You just have to be smart about it.
2. Reasons to Can Food: Self-Sufficiency
Self-sufficiency means being able to provide for your own needs. Canning certainly falls into that category, especially if you grow the food yourself. It’s nice to not rely on the grocery store.
I have no problem with buying food at the store. But I can admit that sometimes that just isn’t the best option, and sometimes it’s not an option at all. In the past, reasons I have not gone to the store to buy food include:
- trying to save money
- car problems
- power outage at store
- illness
- flood/storm
- supply chain is broken, no food at store
- I don’t feel like it/I want to stay home and do other things
- new baby
- have no money
- lockdown
- store is closed
- no time/too busy
- want to support local farmers
- want to make my own food
- want to use up what I have and not waste it
- I grew my own food, yay!
Sometimes when people talk about self-sufficiency, canning, or food storage, it all sound so extreme and conspiracy-theory fueled. Like we are prepping for an apocalypse. Personally, I cannot function when I am worrying about the worst case scenario. I’m not a prepper, and I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I’m basically a hobbit: I value peace and quiet. Any mindset that disturbs my tranquility will be rejected, so that I can contentedly putter around my home and garden, growing food and enjoying life.
Like a Hobbit, I prefer to have a decent store of food in the pantry, and to grow some of it myself. That way, I can always be sure I have something good to eat, even if I don’t go to the store. I never preserve food out of fear.
3. Reasons to Can Food: Flavor and Customization
Can I buy Blackberry Plum Jam at the store? No, I can’t, not where I live. Canning gives you the opportunity to combine flavors and fruits, herbs, spices, etc. Just be sure you’re using a safe recipe. Jam needs to have a certain acidity level to safely prevent bacteria from growing. If you add in too much of something that isn’t acidic, your recipe will not be shelf stable and could make you very sick.
There are loads of yummy, safe recipes out there. These two books are great:
Better Homes and Gardens Complete Canning Guide
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Be sure not to use outdated books or recipes! The safety regulations have changed, due to scientific testing over the years.
4. Reasons to Can Food: Sustainability
I LOVE that canning my own jam reduces packaging waste. Instead of buying a glass jar for each half pint of store bought jam, I reuse the same 60 or so jars every year. I also reuse the rings, but do buy new lids each time I make a new batch of jam.
Making my own jam also utilizes locally grown produce, which reduces the carbon footprint associate with transporting food long distances, and supports local farmers who use sustainable agriculture methods.
5. Reasons to Can Food: Enjoyment and Tradition
It feels so good to take fruit you’ve grown and preserve it for your family. Like I said before, my Blackberry Plum Jam makes me happy because we grew the fruit ourselves! It’s really satisfying to grow fruit, can it, and see all those jars lined up in the pantry.
Canning can also be a way to preserve family recipes and traditions, creating a connection through the generations. Just be sure to tweak recipes that have been proven unsafe, by adding the correct amount of acidity, or correcting the processing time or method, or whatever is necessary. Just because your grandma didn’t die from eating it, doesn’t mean no one else will. Keep your family safe!
6. Reasons to Can Food: Gifts and Side Hustle
Jams make great homemade gifts! Learn how to bake bread, and gift a special person a cute basket of jam and fresh bread.
Or, start a cottage food side hustle and sell your jams! Price them high! If your jams are unique, high quality, and there is a demand for them, they deserve a premium price. Do the math to make sure it checks out, but this could be a great reason to can lots of jam.
Blackberry Plum Jam
Equipment
- large stock pot https://amzn.to/3L0XNBm
- water bath canner https://amzn.to/4cAWJQr
- half pint mason jars https://amzn.to/4cyW6rb
- lids and rings for jars if you need them https://amzn.to/4bobF3e
- immersion blender https://amzn.to/4cEJIFk
- jar funnel https://amzn.to/3L3bXSz
- jar lifter https://amzn.to/4cm6G4w
- head space measuring tool https://amzn.to/3VWC0B3
- liquid measuring cup https://amzn.to/3zm7cRo
Ingredients
- 5 cups finely chopped plums
- 1 cup finely chopped blackberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 box SureJell Pectin (Original)
- 8 cups sugar
Instructions
- Put 12 clean half pint jars into your water bath canner and fill canner with water, about an inch above the jars. Put on the stove and bring to a simmer. Let stand in hot water until ready to use.
- Pit plums. Do not peel. Mine were frozen and then thawed, so I squeezed the pits out between my fingers. If your plums are fresh, slice in half and pull the pit out. Either way, this is a messy job.
- Place fruit in saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 min. Puree somewhat with immersion blender. A few chunks are desirable. You should have 6 cups of fruit at this point.
- Measure out sugar into a separate bowl so it's ready to pour in.Stir pectin into fruit in saucepot. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
- Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
- Quickly remove jars from canner. Ladle jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads with a wet paper towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands only to fingertip tightness (do not screw on really tight -this will mess with the seal.)
- Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if needed.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Boil for 10 min.
- Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, remove rings. Check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. Lift each jar by the lid. (If lids spring back, or comes off when lifted, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
- Wipe each jar with a wet washcloth. Label jars with contents and date. Put in your pantry! Do not stack your jars -this can damage the seal. Always check the seal carefully before opening a jar. Use all of your jam within 12-18 months for best nutrition and flavor.
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