This simple elderberry jam recipe helps you flip your berry bounty right into a chunky unfold with much less sugar. I like to make use of Pomona’s Common Pectin for faster cooking, however we additionally embody instructions with no added pectin.
Not a fan of seeds? Take a look at our elderberry jelly recipes.
The place to Get Elderberries
You might be able to forage for wild elderberries. American black elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) develop in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. Sambucus nigra is native Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.
Studying to forage for wild crops is a good way to stretch your price range and enhance your resilience. You possibly can study extra about discovering wild elderberry crops right here.
Elderberries are additionally pretty simple to develop, and decorative. The brilliant flower clusters entice pollinators, and the black berries grasp in daring clusters. See “How you can Develop Elderberries for Meals and Medication” for rising suggestions and beneficial varieties.
Extra individuals are beginning to develop the berries as their reputation will increase. It’s worthwhile to do a seek for native growers. Although now we have our personal patch, I used to be pleasantly stunned to discover a native grower with over 6000 elderberry crops!
Lastly, in the event you can’t discover them domestically, you possibly can order dried or frozen uncooked elderberries on-line.
Elderberry Jam Recipe
Recent or frozen elderberries are best to make use of for this recipe. For those who solely have dried elderberries, cowl them with water and soak in a single day. Personally, I’d use the dried berries for elderberry syrup as an alternative.
Components
- 4-5 cups contemporary or frozen elderberries (cleaned, stems eliminated) – about 20-25 ounces
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons calcium water – included within the packet of Pomona’s Pectin
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons of Pomona’s Common Pectin
- 1/2 teaspoon floor cinnamon (optionally available)
Directions
Put together contemporary elderberries by washing and eradicating all of the stems. Thaw frozen berries. Put together your water bathtub or steam canner, jars, and canning lids.
Combine up the calcium water based on the bundle instructions included with Pomona’s Pectin. In a big saucepan, mix the cleaned elderberries, lemon juice, and calcium water.
Carry the combination to a boil, then scale back the warmth. Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or till the berries soften and begin to break down. Use a potato masher or the again of a spoon to softly mash the berries, releasing extra juice.
For a smoother texture, pressure the combination by way of a sieve to take away the seeds and skins. That is optionally available, and reduces the yield of jam. For those who’d wish to go seedless, I’d recommend beginning with eight cups of uncooked berries.
Add the pectin powder to the sugar and stir to mix. Stir within the sugar and pectin combine (and cinnamon, if utilizing) into the berries and blend till dissolved. Carry the combination to a boil and cook dinner for one minute; take away from warmth.
Pour the nice and cozy jam into sterilized jars, leaving one fourth inch headspace. Seal the jars with lids. For long run storage, course of the jars for 10 minutes in a water bathtub or steam canner.
Take away the jars from the canner and funky utterly. Test seals, date and label. Retailer jars in a cool, darkish location, out of direct daylight.
For very best quality, use inside 18 months. As soon as opened, refrigerate and use inside a couple of weeks. For those who don’t need to trouble with canning, retailer your crammed jars within the fridge.
If you wish to skip the pectin
Elderberries are low in pectin, so including business pectin helps the jam arrange. I select Pomona’s Common Pectin as a result of it units up utilizing calcium as an alternative of sugar. This enables us to make use of much less sugar, or no sugar in any respect. (Be taught extra about Pomona’s Pectin, and the way pectin works.)
For those who don’t need to use business pectin, ignore the a part of calcium water and including pectin. Prepare dinner the berry-sugar combination over low warmth, stirring steadily, for an additional 10-Quarter-hour, or till the combination thickens.
To test if the jam is prepared, place a small spoonful on a chilly plate. If it wrinkles if you push it together with your finger, it’s completed. If not, proceed simmering for a couple of extra minutes and check once more.
Sugar Substitutions
As a result of Pomona’s Pectin gels utilizing calcium as an alternative of sugar, you possibly can substitute different sweeteners. Honey is about twice as candy as granulated sugar, so use about half as a lot.
Maple syrup, date sugar and different pure sweeteners additionally work, and add their very own distinctive flavors. You can too use zero calorie sweeteners like Swerve.
Serving Recommendations
- Unfold: Slather elderberry jam on toast, bagels, or biscuits for a tart and candy morning deal with.
- Pair with Cheese: Elderberry jam pairs superbly with cheeses like brie, camembert, or sharp cheddar, making it excellent for charcuterie boards.
- Desserts: Add a spoonful of jam to yogurt, pancakes, waffles, or ice cream for a fruity twist.
- Sauces and Glazes: Combine elderberry jam with vinegar or mustard to create a flavorful glaze for meats like pork or hen.
Well being Advantages of Elderberries
Elderberries, significantly these from the Sambucus nigra species, have been utilized in conventional drugs for hundreds of years. They’re filled with antioxidants, nutritional vitamins (like vitamin C), and flavonoids. These contribute to their immune-enhancing and anti inflammatory properties.
Observe: Uncooked elderberries include cyanogenic glycosides, which might trigger abdomen upset. The excellent news is that cooking breaks these down, making the berries suitable for eating. (The stems have extra of those compounds.)
Even higher information is that Sambucus canadensis varieties have much less of those compounds than their European cousins. This makes the berries suitable for eating uncooked for most individuals. Delicate people should still have a response, so it’s finest to cook dinner the berries earlier than consuming.
Straightforward Elderberry Jam Recipe with Much less Sugar
This rustic elderberry jam recipe makes use of much less sugar, so the berries are the star of the jam.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Canning Time: 10 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: 10 minutes
- Whole Time: half-hour
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- 4-5 cups contemporary or frozen elderberries (cleaned, stems eliminated) – about 20-25 ounces
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons calcium water – included within the packet of Pomona’s Pectin
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons of Pomona’s Common Pectin
- 1/2 teaspoon floor cinnamon (optionally available)
- Put together contemporary elderberries by washing and eradicating all of the stems. Thaw frozen berries. Put together your water bathtub or steam canner, jars, and canning lids.
- Combine up the calcium water based on the bundle instructions included with Pomona’s Pectin. In a big saucepan, mix the cleaned elderberries, lemon juice, and calcium water.
- Carry the combination to a boil, then scale back the warmth. Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or till the berries soften and begin to break down. Use a potato masher or the again of a spoon to softly mash the berries, releasing extra juice.
- For a smoother texture, pressure the combination by way of a sieve to take away the seeds and skins. That is optionally available, and reduces the yield of jam. For those who’d wish to go seedless, I’d recommend beginning with eight cups of uncooked berries.
- Add the pectin powder to the sugar and stir to mix. Stir within the sugar and pectin combine (and cinnamon, if utilizing) into the berries and blend till dissolved. Carry the combination to a boil and cook dinner for one minute; take away from warmth.
- Pour the nice and cozy jam into sterilized jars, leaving one fourth inch headspace. Seal the jars with lids. For long run storage, course of the jars for 10 minutes in a water bathtub or steam canner.
- Take away the jars from the canner and funky utterly. Test seals, date and label. Retailer jars in a cool, darkish location, out of direct daylight.
- For very best quality, use inside 18 months. As soon as opened, refrigerate and use inside a couple of weeks. For those who don’t need to trouble with canning, retailer your crammed jars within the fridge.
Notes
For those who don’t need to use business pectin, ignore the a part of calcium water and including pectin. Prepare dinner the berry-sugar combination over low warmth, stirring steadily, for an additional 10-Quarter-hour, or till the combination thickens.
To test if the jam is prepared, place a small spoonful on a chilly plate. If it wrinkles if you push it together with your finger, it’s completed. If not, proceed simmering for a couple of extra minutes and check once more.
Extra Elderberry Recipes
Now we have our personal elderberry patch, so now we have sufficient berries to share with mates and check out totally different recipes. These are a few of our favorites:
This text is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie was raised on a small dairy farm in northwest Wisconsin, the place she gathered wildflowers from the woods and pastures. She and her household now reside in northeast Wisconsin, the place they mix intentional plantings and semi-wild areas. Each season is a brand new alternative to study extra about working with wild crops.
