When it comes to making jam, the days of torturing my feet with a 12 hour day processing the fruit and making 20 jars of the same jam are over. Now I make jam one jar at a time and as needed or whenever I have excess fruit that needs to use before it becomes compost material. Because we eat a lot of berries, we usually have a lot of berries; therefore, there is almost always have a jar of Mixed Berry Jam in the refrigerator.
This recipe for the perfect jar of Mixed Berry Jam is one I’ve been working on since last spring. The problem has been finding the best ratio of fruits that yield the flavor of “mixed berries”. What I mean by that is one of my earlier batches tasted like blueberry jam with a hint of other berries. Another batch, with matching amounts of blueberries and raspberries, tasted like raspberry jam. The recipe I’m sharing with today isn’t dominated by any one berry flavor; therefore, you’ll be able to taste “hints” of each berry used – a little blueberry, a little raspberry and a little blackberry. If you don’t have blackberries, you can substitute strawberries with the same mixed berry jam result. Both versions are delicious!
Before starting you might want to review my
Kitchen Notes on Making Q&E Jams Recipe
.
This is a refrigerator jam and not intended to be sealed and stored in the pantry. All you need is a very clean jar. Once the jam has cooked to consistency, pour into jar, let cool and refrigerate.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 8 ounces blueberries
- 4 ounces raspberries
- 8 ounces coarsely chopped strawberries or 8 ounces blackberries
- 10 ounces 1 ¼ cup sugar
- Juice or zest from one lemon
Wash a pint jar, but do not dry. Add about an inch of water to the jar and place in the microwave and on high for 2 minutes. Using jar grips, pour out the hot water and place jar on a clean towel until ready to pour in the jam.
- If you aren’t planning on using temperature to know when the jam is ready to pour, then place a small saucer in the freezer.
- Rinse and weigh the berries. Add to a sauce pan with the lemon and sugar.
- Heat on low, stirring frequently until the sugar has melted.
- Increase the heat to medium and bring the jam to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Bring the jam to a full boil, stirring constantly. A full boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down. You may need to increase your heat level a bit to get there and to sustain the boil while you are stirring.
Stir constantly at a full boil for 14 to 16 minutes. Test* @ 12 minutes, then cook another minute or two if needed OR at 14 minutes add a candy thermometer to the pot and use temperature to know when the jam is ready. Skim off any foam remaining on the surface of the jam.
Remove from the heat and pour into the clean pint jar. Screw on the lid. Let cool, then refrigerate. This jam will keep in the refrigerator until you finish it off, which won’t take long.
Test – When the jam sheets from the side of a metal spoon (droplets flow together), it’s very close to being ready. Pull the saucer from the freezer and place a drop or two of jam onto the saucer. If the jam spreads out, it’s not done. If it stays where it lands and retains its shape, then it’s done. If it’s not done, return the saucer to the freezer, continue to stir the boiling jam, and try again in 2 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, then I would recommend using the temperature method to know when the jam is ready. Temperature provides more consistent results. Go to the following link to learn more about using temperature.
Kitchen Notes for Making Quick & Easy No Pectin Jam
Ripeness of fruit – For this recipe, the ripeness of the fruit doesn’t affect the outcome. (As fruit ripens, its natural pectin content drops.) Underripe, overripe or a mix yield the same results. This is probably due to the fact that berries are not naturally high in pectin to begin with, so the level of ripeness has a negligible effect on the pectin level. However, with a little help from the lemon zest and enough sugar, you can still make a jar of jam without adding pectin. IMO, the best ratio of fruit to sugar (by weight) is 2:1.
Strawberry or blackberry – It doesn’t matter. One yields a hint of strawberries and the other a hint of blackberries. However, if you have big blackberries and leave them whole, they can pose a problem when spreading the jam on toast. However, since I love biting into a piece of fruit in a jam it didn’t bother me to keep the blackberries whole. All of the other fruits cooks down and blends together to yield that mixed fruit flavor.
I would love to have access to boysenberries, Marionberries or dewberries so I could test them out in this recipe, so if you have access to such, don’t hesitate to use them. Just pick a mix using the berries available in your area and have fun!
If you like this quick & easy cherry jam and the concept of small batch jams, take a look at this collection of Quick & Easy Jams as well as my Jams & Jellies category. For more instructional information about quick & easy jams, click this link for more Kitchen Notes/Tips on How to Make Quick & Easy Jams.
Yummo! Cheers
best recipe for the delicious breakfast
Thanks Pawan!
Jam looks yummy. I think the son will like the taste. I am going to market now to have ingredients.
Thanks Mamta! Hope your son likes it. my husband loves it. 🙂
I made this jam today and it is amazing!! Someone had given me some blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that all needed to be used up right away so I made this jam. Thank you! 🙂
Laurie, Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad you enjoyed it!!! And you are most welcome. 🙂
This jam sounds really good! Mixed berry jams are my favorite, so I’ll definitely give it a go. And having never made jam before, I’m happy to see that this recipe doesn’t require all those jamming kits, pectin, hundreds of jars, etc. etc. One question though: how would I make this jam seedless? Should I mash and strain the berries before bringing them to a boil? Thanks in advance!
Thanks so much Mia for your kind comments! Having spent many years spending all day in the kitchen putting up 20 jars of jam at a time, I just got tired. 🙂 I, too, love the one jar at a time way to make jam. It’s so easy and fast and just as delicious! As far as how to make the jam seedless, I find that the major culprit are the blackberries. So yes, you could strain them first. It’s easier to extract the seed if you’ve mashed and heated up the berries. So I would suggest to heat berries until they are soft, but do NOT add the sugar, then mash them through a colander. Return the pulp to the pan and add the sugar and lemon juice and go from there. Hope this helps! Please let me know how it turns out.
It turned out great! I’m letting it cool right now, but I’ve already taste-tested it and it tastes delicious. Thanks!
I’m thrilled!!!! Thanks for letting me know! Did you get the seeds out like you wanted to?
Hope you and your family enjoy it and that you try the same process/recipe with other fruits! I just posted a similar recipe for cherry jam. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Was looking for a good recipe for my leftover berries. Just started “jamming” this year and am really enjoying it. Was wondering if you have ever tried Thimbleberry jam? They are common in our area and have a lovely taste. I might try these in the mixed jam at some point.
Thanks for stopping by Rachelle! Glad you found something here that you could use. My husband and I love this Mixed berry jam, so I hope you enjoy it as well. It is a great recipe for leftover berries. No, I have never had Thimbleberries. I looked them up and can also say that I’ve never seen them. Are they tart, sweet, or both? I don’t know how they taste, but I’m sure they would be great in this recipe! If you make it, let me know how it turns out. Thanks again!
I’m so happy you came up with this. I have been jamming away this week. Berries have been really cheap so I started with a pint of strawberry and a pint of blackberry jam. Then I noticed 3 pears that had gotten too ripe. Viola! A pint of pear jam. Then I had a bag of red grapes that weren’t very sweet and no one was eating them. I juiced them out and added a handful of leftover blackberries, 10 strawberries, about a cup of frozen strawberries from the freezer and a cup of blueberries from the freezer; the result, a delicious mixed berry/grape jam. Then I looked in the crisper. There was one mango, 3 tangerines that had started getting dry, one orange, one lemon, and 2 apples. This one was amazing! I did have a problem with the timing for a while and cooking them too long. Finally I started judging the cooking time by texture and they turned out fine from then on. Just thought you would get a kick out of this. Love you.
Yes – I did get a kick out of reading this!!!! How did the pear jam turn out. I don’t think pears have a lot of natural pectin, so did you have to cook it don’t for a little bit long to get it to become jam? Love the idea of the using grape juice in place of water! All of the these jams sound marvelous. You’re so smart!!! So how much room do you have left in the fridge? ha ha Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! Love you too!
I could not find a mince pie one year around Thanksgiving, so created a pie made with apples, cranberries, ,raspberries, blackberries, and a smidge of orange rind all cooked down together with sugar and made a two crust pie… it was wonderful… I called it my Holiday Harvest pie
Love this recipe.
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Delicious mixed berry Jam MJ, I need to make this. My daughter will love this.
We eat a lot of berries, too. Thank you for sharing this recipe – I have always wanted to try making jams or jellies but have been too intimidated by the process. I can’ t wait to try this in both strawberry and blackberry. Allen.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing on Hearth & Soul Hop. 🙂
How nice is that to always have a jar of homemade jam in the fridge! Your mixed berry jam has such gorgeous color, MJ! My mom used to spoil us by making tropical jams for us. Right now, I can only dream that she would courier her homemade jams over since I will never have the time to make jam myself. You got me tempted with jam-making though. May be I can squeeze in some time to make a jar on a rainy summer weekend…Or rather, wish that Mark’s mom would make a jar for us:)
Thanks so much Reese! Yes, my mother use to spoil us as well. She ALWAYS had lots of jams, jellies and preserves when we were growing up and even after I got married. We loved visiting and raiding the pantry. Of course, she, like all moms, loved it! Oh Reese – this jam takes no time at all! You can have a jar in 30 minutes. I usually make mine after supper before going to bed. Hope you try it. I think you’ll find it fun and rewarding, because it is nice to always have homemade jam in the fridge. 🙂
Delicious mixed berry jam MJ, I am in love that , wish you can send me one.
Oh how I love jam!!! When my aunt comes to visit she always brings me a jar or two of homemade jam. I love the idea of a mixed berry jam, too. Drooling!
Hi, MJ! Thanks for this BRILLIANT recipe! I’ve never made jam since the big batches always intimidated the heck out of me. I’ve got a batch of oranges sitting on the counter that need to be used very soon. Could I sub oranges for the berries? Or even for the lemon juice? I see you mentioned the chemical reaction between the citrus and berries to avoid using pectin. I’m afraid to have a big sticky soup on my hands, but berries are quite pricey here as well.
Thanks so much for your comment! Well, you could definitely use orange juice in place of lemon juice with the berries – no problem. As far as substituting the oranges for the berries – that one is tricky. Because of the natural high pectin content of oranges, if you were to follow this recipe as written, yes – you would probably end up with a sticky, stiff jam. However, here’s a suggestion: Remove the rind and the seeds from the oranges and place the pulp in a non-reactive bowl. Try to get about 2 to 3 cups of pulp. Cover the pulp with 1 cup of sugar and let sit overnight. The next day, cook down for about 12 minutes and then test as described in the recipe. Oranges will probably cook down faster than the berries. Test every 2 minutes until done. With oranges I would say to err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking. I hope this helps. If you try it, please let me know the outcome. Thanks again for stopping by!
Thank you so much for your reply! My guess is that a first try at jam is going to be a bit of a mess, which is probably why I’ve never attempted it! I will absolutely take your guidelines to heart (though I might “warm up” with the recipe you posted above to get my sea legs about me!) Again, I really truly greatly appreciate your guidance and the great 30-minute jam– I posted to Pinterest to spread the word! :))
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You are way ahead of us Peach Lady! Our trees just flowered. Lovely looking jam must be fruity. What is the shelf life of this jam? Or do you make it for quick consumption?
Thanks Zsuzsa! Actually, if kept in the refrigerator, this jam should last a year; however, I’ve never tasted that out because it disappears pretty quickly. 🙂 However, it does need to be refrigerator after you make it.
I loooove mix fruit jam….the first pic is totally blowing me out…thanks for perfecting this recipe.
Ooh, those berries look so good! I love quick, homemade jams. I make mine with frozen fruits; shame on me. 😛 I’m gonna have to get some fresh berries soon, because your jam looks absolutely delicious!
Thanks Darlin! Hey – there’s nothing wrong with using frozen fruit if that’s what you have! I’m just glad that I have such great access to fresh berries. Hope you get a chance to try this.
I just bought a bottle of mixed jam from Mark and Spencer yesterday. Definitely want to try your recipe as homemade is the best!
Berries are a bit expensive here, so our jams are usually mangoes, papaya and pineapple. Your mixed berry jam looks so good!~
Hi MJ, I don’t mind making multiple jars at one time. I think it’s well worth the effort and I find it doesn’t take *so* much longer. Still – if you have only one pot then you’re more likely to use it wisely, instead of eating it by the spoonful! 😀
I love the idea of a mixed berry jam – what a great way of using up berries like this. It looks absolutely delicious. I’m hoping to make more berry jams this year, and even when they’re in season raspberries can be quite pricey, so this is a good way of “padding them out” a bit 🙂
Oh Charles – I definitely agree that the long hours of making multiple jars are worth it! I’ve been doing it for over 30 years, but times have changed and lots of reasons for switching to the one jar at a time. From the comments I’ve read, I’ve learned that berries are quite expensive in Europe. Sorry to hear that. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have berries available for cereal, smoothies, munchies, and of course – jam. 🙂
I always have extra berries somehow left over in my house. Making a lovely jam would be perfect. Hubby and I enjoy English muffins every morning, so we need fun new toppings like this delicious jam! Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! Oh this jam would be delicious on English muffins! We have it on bagels and YUM!
I can’t believe I have never made jam!! This looks so good!!
This is beautiful and what a festive color of deep red. I love jams and the combination you’ve blended together really sounds appealing and so simple. Great recipe. I’ll definitely save this to try later.
Oh MJ….this DOES look like the perfect jam! The color is beautiful, and of course, your photos are amazing! I’m with you on the one jar at a time. I never got into canning because it seemed too tedious and I was always afraid something would go wrong and I’d end up poisoning everyone! But there’s nothing like fresh, home made jam. So glad you perfected the recipe for us! : )
Thanks so much Anne! Too tedious?!?! That’s how I feel about some of your wonderful desserts! I guess it’s all in what one enjoys doing. I think you would be great at making a jar of jam and what you could do with it by incorporating it into your desserts – WOW! I can only imagine.
I’ve only made jam once (my hubby and I made strawberry jam for our June wedding guest gifts :)) so I got a little sample of the 20 hour standing sessions that might go into big batch jam cooking … I’m with you, keep it quick and easy! And if I had to pick a flavor fave, mixed berries would be the one so this recipe has got my name all over it. I can usually find the four berries but whether they are half-dead is another story 😉 – yup, best to pick up what’s in season and looking as fresh as possible usually that’s at least two out of the four. Lovely recipe MJ.
Thanks Kelly! What a lovely gift for your guests! Like you didn’t have enough to do already than spending all day making jam. For me it’s hard to decide which I like more – mixed berry or apricot. Both are awesome!
I love making a jar of jam, since it’s only two of us it’s always one jar at a time. I haven’t made a mixed berry so I’m thrilled you shared your recipe. MJ, I love love your photos!:)
Thanks so much Nancy! Yes, with just the two of us, batch jam was overwhelming at times. I’d open the pantry and wonder “What on earth will I do with all that jam?” 🙂 I did give a lot away, but I also made A LOT! I love making just one jar at a time.
I was planning on making a strawberry jam, but since this is your recipe and I can read that you were working on it, I should try.
Can you believe I’ve never made jelly or jam? Your recipe is the perfect one for my debut! Thanks, MJ!!! xo
Oh, mine! I love mixed berry jam, and jours looks truly amazing! Unfortunately here those fruits are very expensive, and I have to wait this summer for some walk in the mountains to get some cheap ones 😉
Great job, my friend 🙂
Thanks Giulia! If you could find wild berries – this jam would be awesome!
Absolutely beautiful, MJ! This jam on a thick piece of toast would be a perfect breakfast for me. 🙂
Such an easy recipe and so delicious looking jam 🙂 Love the color and the texture too!!I love the mixed berries in here that must give it such lovely flavors 🙂
A simple way to make a wonderful product, MJ!
Lovely! We love berries and so happy to live in California this season because of all the fresh berries we get. I am always tempted to buy mixed jam but since each kids need blueberry and strawberry separately, I haven’t really bought mixed kind. After I saw your blog title I realized I could make it myself – mixed jam just for me to enjoy. Very nice recipe, MJ. Thanks for sharing!
I tend to freeze the berries that don’t get eaten right away for smoothies, but I love the idea of making just one jar of jam and the process sounds quite simple. Thanks for a great recipe, MJ. 🙂
I could eat it right off the spoon!! I love berry jams and this looks perfect! 🙂 I love the simple amount of ingredients… .even something I can master. 🙂
This jam looks perfect. Thanks for doing the leg work and figuring out the perfect ratio. I could sure use some of this topped on my morning yogurt parfait. Yum!
It is nice to have a recipe that will just make one jar of jam. I too have spent hours making a huge pot of jam…a lot of work.
Lovely jam, MJ and I am glad to see that you are not a fan of sickly sweet half sugar half fruit jams! I wish I could prepare mixed berry jams… Unfortunately, I don’t have a garden and most berries are horribly expensive here. The only berries I use when they are in full season are strawberries. My husband loves strawberry jams. Otherwise, I prepare bigger fruits jams (peaches, apple or pear butter and my beloved plums).
You will laugh but I actually like spending a whole day or whole weekend making preserves of all kinds. It calms me and somehow the idea of having the pantry full for at least a year is comforting. I have also inherited from my mum the idea that since it does take time, why not make more jars? (I don’t buy fruits by ten kilos though, the way she did!). Jam is quite quick, but my pepper and chili in vinegar or chili jellies take a bit of effort and time and one more jar doesn’t mean twice as much job, so I always prepare at least ten. (Oh, I have forgotten to add that I make a huge mess in the kitchen, so that it’s a good idea to fill more jars at once).
Hey Girl – I’m not laughing! I use to love spending all day in the kitchen jamming as well. You’re right – it’s very calming and I love having a full pantry; however, I hated the cleanup! Nowadays, I don’t have access to large amount of fruits and I have so many other things I’d rather be doing in the kitchen. I’ve been jamming for a few decades now, so for me, it’s time to move on to something else. 🙂 I have been making some pepper jams recently and love them! It’s fun to experiment with different types of jams. Have a good one Darlin!
I have recently been gradually shifting towards savoury preserves: pickled cucumbers, peppers & chilies, different jellies (chili or chili+something, like pineapple, green tomato etc.), hot sauces, spreads (sweet pepper, chili…) and vinegared salads. I have realised I don’t eat much jams (my husband does, but not often and I did them mainly for my family), so I have concentrated on something I will enjoy almost every day and not just once a month. The only jam I go crazy for is a plum “butter” made for several days without sugar (or a bit of sugar if they are not very sweet).
I have also started to prepare short-term pickles (kimchi and Japanese pickles, but it’s a bit sad I cannot keep them in the pantry for a year; my fridge will soon explose). The only thing I have discovered is that pickled ginger I wrote about last year can be preserved in a Western way and it even improves! Now I open it and finish a small jar in 5 minutes.
Actually I think I love also the experimental magical side of pickling and preserving. Ok, sorry, I stop talking. Time to go back to work!
Well I have to say that I do love the pickles, chili oils and many condiments that I have seen come out of your kitchen! So keep them coming Sissi! Bobby and I both still use jam. I love toast and jam and he is a peanut butter and jelly guy. So to not have a jar of jam in the fridge is equivalent to not having green chile in the freezer. It’s a no-no! 🙂
This would be so nice with freshly baked bread and melting butter.
You betcha! Bobby makes his PB&J’s and I make my toast and jam with LOTS of butter! 🙂
Just shoot me in the head. What a good idea. Saves all that work! I love homemade jam but tossing in a few frozen fruits and I’m eatin’ jam!
Thanks Maureen but NO – I won’t be shooting you in the head. 🙂 I know – this is something you can do while watching an hour long episode of your favorite show. At the end of the hour, even the pot you cooked in will be washed. 🙂
Your jam looks well worth the delicious effort 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I, too, like making jam and give most of mine away. Even so, being able to make a single jar does have its advantages and I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try. THanks, MJ.
Thanks John! Oh I hear ya! Jam makes great gifts! I still give single jars away. 🙂 I do hope you give this a try. It’s delicious!
MJ. I love stuff in jars ever since the preserved lemons. I need to make this, it looks beautiful and your photographs are outstanding, lady. Miss you!!
Hey Suzi!!! Long time no see! I keep checking your blog, but no updates since November. I miss you too Darlin! We need to touch base through email. I know you have always been one of my number one fans on the preserved lemons, especially the quick preserved lemons. I think you’ll enjoy this jam as well. Take care and let’s connect!
I’m definitely going to make this when the blackberries are in season. I love that it is easy and you can make small batches at a time. Great recipe MJ!
Thanks Tessa! I hope you enjoy!
I only make one jar at a time now too, unless I’m making some jars for gifts, but there’s nothing like having your own preserves at breakfast. I love anything with berries, and will definitely be making this one!
Thanks Susan! Having homemade preserves/jams is a must! We’ve tried the storebought stuff and unless you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for a small jar, you can’t come close to it tasting homemade.
Gorgeous and delicious all wrapped up in one!
I love homemade jam! And I really like doing it in small batches like this – putting away jars and jars of the stuff is kind of a drag. I’ve not done mixed berries before – super idea! Thanks for showing us the way. 😉 Oh, and that second picture is so pretty!
Thanks so much John! Bobby took the second picture for me and it is lovely isn’t it?!
I love making jam, and this does sound wonderful!
I kind of enjoy all the cooking down and processing. it makes me feel all pioneer-like! I would love to quadruple this recipe to make multiple jars!
Debra, I use to enjoy the all day marathons as well and received the same feelings as you do, but I no longer have access to abundance of free fruit and nowadays, I’d rather be making bread. I would not recommend quadrupling this or even doubling it for that matter. My sister tried it a while back and cooking down that much fruit without pectin took forever! 🙂 Thanks for your wonderful comments Debra! It’s always a pleasure.