Blackberry Jam with Marionberry

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as making your own blackberry jam, especially blackberry jam made with a special kind of blackberry called a Marionberry. This blackberry jam recipe has a lovely sweet flavor whilst also being a little tart. Perfect for those who like that sweet and sour flavor. It pairs beautifully with toast, scones, and tarts.

Today’s divine recipe is in partnership with Oregon Berries. Farmers and suppliers of the most delicious berries you’ll taste! All opinions are my own.

Why Make Blackberry Jam Recipe

If you’ve never made jam before, I hear you. It could sound un-necessary. But the truth is, making homemade jam is the best! And here’s why:

• You can blend flavors and spices to a unique tasting jam.
• It’s super easy to make!
• You have so much control over the sweetness of the jam, the texture (chunky, smooth, seedless, with seeds, thin, thick, etc).
• It’s super satisfying!
• You can make a small batch or large quantities and freeze them for later, or even better sharing them with your friends and family!
• Homemade jam makes the best desserts!
• Making your own blackberry jam is very satisfying and it’s always nicer to enjoy something you have made yourself and put effort into.

What is a Marionberry?

The marionberry is actually a hybrid of two types of blackberry fruit: the Olallieberry and the Chehalem.

The marionberry’s heritage has quite a few other berries in its parentage, please take a look at our marionberry variety page for all the detailed information: https://oregon-berries.com/variety/marionberry/

Marionberries have a very rich flavor, that can also be described as earthy as well as being both sweet and tart. They are hugely popular in Oregon and make amazing jams as you’ll see.

You’ll find a few brands of Oregon berries depending where you live, so make sure you read the labels and source of your berries.

How to Make Blackberry Jam

This recipe uses frozen marionberries so you can make it any time of year so long as you can source the frozen blackberries from Oregon.

Cooking your blackberry jam

Start by simmering your marionberries in a pot on medium heat with your sugar and stir. 

Once your marionberries have defrosted in the pan, mix your berries and sugar together again. It’s also a good idea to mash the berries down a little where they can continue to simmer. Using a potato masher will work just fine.

You may absolutely leave the berries whole and chunky if that’s your choice, since they will break down eventually as they cook.

Traditionally marionberry jam would be flavored using vanilla and/or lemon. It is lovely and classic that way, however today I’ve chosen a different flavor to share with you!

I have used cinnamon and clove spices as an alternative flavoring. You will see that using cinnamon and cloves gives this jam an outstanding flavor that makes it so moreish. It’s out of this world!

Honestly, it’s hard to describe exactly the taste. I can assure you that you’ll taste it and it will take you a while to figure out what is that pleasant thing on your palate. A deep rich and warm flavor.

I don’t just add the spices straight into the jam recipe as we only want the flavor from the spices and not the whole pieces in the jam. To easily take the used cinnamon and cloves out at the end of the recipe, wrap a whole cinnamon stick and a few cloves in a cheesecloth and tie it. 

Place it in the pan with the blackberries and sugar whilst they are simmering so they infuse into the jam.

Make sure to stir your jam periodically as it is cooking.

When the jam has done simmering and has thickened a little, turn the heat off and take out the spices wrapped in cheesecloth and discard.

Thickening your blackberry jam

You can either let your jam cool and eat it as it is, or use the pectin/ gelatin to thicken it to your preference. 

If you choose not to use pectin or gelatin your jam will be a little more runny and saucy however, some people prefer this consistency.

How thick your jam will depend on how much pectin or gelatin you choose to use. The more used the thicker it will be.

To keep this jam vegetarian make sure to use pectin or vegan-based gelatin. You can also use chia seeds as another option to thicken your jam. This will give your jam a slightly different texture but it’s really just as nice.

Storing your Marion Blackberry Jam

While eating all your jam in one sitting is doable you probably want to know how to store your jam so you can eat it over time.

Blackberry Freezer Jam 

This jam is very easy to freeze and store in this way. Once you have made the jam, make sure it has cooled right down before you attempt to freeze it.

Freezing jam is a great way to store jam if you have chosen to use a little less sugar or if you don’t have the ability to properly can your jam.

If you are only wanting to use small portions of your blackberry jam at any one time then freezing your jam in ice cube trays is perfect. You can just get out one of the ice cubes when you need it and let it thaw- which won’t take that long.

Canning your Jam

If you know -how, you can also store your jam in canning jars where they will stay fresh until you decide to open the jar for use. Once you have opened your jar, however, your jam won’t last indefinitely and you need to eat it relatively quickly or freeze what is left.

This really is a very easy and simple jam recipe to make and it tastes insanely delicious. Once you have tried this blackberry jam recipe made with marionberries, you won’t ever want to use another jam.

Blackberry Jam Tips

• For the best tasting blackberry jam recipe, always start with quality berries like Oregon berries.
• Try Marionberries from Oregon instead of blackberries for a unique tasting jam.
• Have full control over the sweetness of the jam by adding more or less of the sugar. As a general rule, it’s best to use a ratio of 1:2 sugar : fruit.
• Similar ratio used with the water here is 1:2 water : fruit.
• Flavoring the jam is key to a delicious tasting jam recipe! Vanilla beans, citrus zests, ginger, and whole spices are great options. 
• When using those flavoring items to the jam, make sure to use whole large items. That way you can easily boil and remove later once the jam is ready. Avoid using powders or fine zests as this will cause a bitter aftertaste to your jam eventually.
• For smaller spices (like I have here), it’s best to wrap them in a thin cheese cloth while cooking with the berries. This also makes for easy  removal later.
• Thickening of the jam is completely up to your taste. Feel free to skip or experiment based on the recipe below.
• Don’t be overwhelmed by making lots of jam and the canning process at first, rather start with this small batch blackberry jam recipe.
• Freezing extra jam in ice cube trays is my favorite trick to storing extra jam!
• ENJOY the process 🙂

MORE BLACKBERRY RECIPES 

Try these recipes using Oregon Blackberries!

Blackberry Mojito – A Virgin Mojito Recipe

Quinoa Autumn Harvest Salad

Italian Balsamic Chicken Salad Recipe

Blackberry Muffins

Cheesecake Streusel Blackberry Cake

Rainbow Fruit Smoothie Recipes

Banana Berry Avocado Chia Smoothie

Mini Cheesecakes

5 from 11 votes

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Blackberry Jam with Marionberry

There's nothing quite so satisfying as making your own blackberry jam, especially blackberry jam made with a special kind of blackberry called a Marionberry. This blackberry jam recipe has a lovely sweet flavor whilst also being a little tart. Perfect for those who like that sweet and sour flavor. It pairs beautifully with toast, scones, and tarts.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword blackberry jam, blackberry jam recipe, blackberry recipes, freezer jam, homemade jam, how to make jam, marionberry

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 Tablespoons

Calories 14 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen Marionberries from Oregon
• 1 loose cup Sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick broken into two
• 6 cloves whole
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon gelatin in 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Use a cheesecloth and wrap the whole spices in it, tying it well. Alternatively, you can use a whole vanilla bean, or orange and lemon peels for flavoring.
   
2. In a large pot add in the berries, sugar and water, mix those well.
   
3. Use a potato masher to slightly mash the berries or leave them whole if you prefer a chunkier blackberry jam.
4. Place the pot over medium high heat and as soon as the sugar starts to dissolve, add in the spices in cheesecloth.
   
5. Drop the heat to medium low and stir the jam frequently for about 20 minutes until it starts to thicken. The majority of the water would have been evaporated and the flavour of the berries would have intensified.
   
6. Remove the cheesecloth with the whole spices and stir in the gelatin or pectin if using.
   
7. Immediately turn off the heat and put the jam in a glass jar. Keep the jam stored in the fridge for 2-3 months and enjoy!
   
8. Alternatively, you may freeze the jam in ice cube trays and defrost as needed.
9. This recipe is easy doubled, tripled or quadrupled to share and enjoy with family and friends.

Recipe Notes

Blackberry Jam Tips

1. For the best tasting blackberry jam recipe, always start with quality berries like Oregon berries.
2. Try Marionberries from Oregon instead of blackberries for a unique tasting jam.
3. Have full control over the sweetness of the jam by adding more or less of the sugar.
4. As a general rule, it’s best to use a ratio of 1:2 sugar : fruit.
5. Similar ratio used with the water here is 1:2 water : fruit.
6. Flavoring the jam is key to a delicious tasting jam recipe! Vanilla beans, citrus zests, ginger, and whole spices are great options.
7. When using those flavoring items to the jam, make sure to use whole large items which you can boil with the fruit and remove later once the jam is ready.
8. Avoid using powders or fine zests as this will cause a bitter aftertaste to your jam eventually.
9. For smaller spices (like I have here), it’s best to wrap them in a thin cheese cloth while cooking with the berries so that you may easily remove them.
10. Thickening of the jam is completely up to your taste. Feel free to skip or experiment based on the recipe below.
11. Don’t be overwhelmed by making lots of jam and the canning process at first, rather start with this small batch blackberry jam recipe.
12. Freezing extra jam in ice cube trays is my my favorite trick to storing extra jam!
    ENJOY the process 🙂

Nutrition Facts

Blackberry Jam with Marionberry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 14 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 41mg1%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 55IU1%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 11mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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