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Make hedgerow jam

29/9/2014

12 Comments

 
After I wrote about foraging in Norfolk, a few people asked me to share the recipes I use to make jam from foraged fruits. I don’t use a written recipe for jam – and you won’t have to either, once you know how it works.
Blackberries in a tubLush! I love blackberry season!
If you went out walking in the UK in August and September, you probably noticed the epic quantities of blackberries in almost every hedge. I can’t go past a blackberry bush without stuffing my face, but with all the face-stuffing dedication in the world I couldn’t possibly eat all the blackberries on offer, so I took to making hedgerow jam.

“Hedgerow jam” is really a catch-all name for any jam you make using the fruits of your foraging labours – blackberries, elderberries, crabapples, rosehips, sloe, hawthorn, damsons and so on. You don’t have to have a particular ratio of fruit, but with the current blackberry glut I’d suggest you pick lots of blackberries and supplement them with a few handfuls of whatever else you happen to find. If you’ve got a cooking apple at home, throw that into the mix, too.

Here is the basic recipe for jam: boil approximately equal weights of fruit and sugar together, maybe with a bit of water, until it sets.

That’s it. At the heart of it, making jam truly is that simple. Now that you realise jam-making is well within your capabilities, here are the only other things you need to know to make epic jam.    

Pectin and sugar make your jam set 

Low-pectin fruits don’t set as well, so, if you’re concerned about that kind of thing, combine them with high-pectin fruits or add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the mix. To give a few common examples: damsons, blackberries and crabapples are high in pectin; elderberries and garden fruit like strawberries are low in pectin. If you’re not sure, Google it.  And remember: under-ripe fruit has higher pectin levels than over-ripe fruit, so it makes a better jam.    

Prepare your fruit    

Foraged fruits in a bowlCrabapples, sloe, hawthorn and rosehips.
Clean your fruit thoroughly, discard any spoilt bits and chop it up if necessary. Boil together any fruits that will need straining, such as whole crabapples, damsons and sloe, with just enough water to cover them. It will only take a few minutes for them to get mushy, at which stage you can push the mixture through a sieve or colander to get rid of the pips and skins. (If you're using hawthorn, rosehips or elderberries, it's probably better to make jelly instead of jam - see below.)

Return the mix to your saucepan and add the blackberries and sugar. If you’re using blackberries by themselves, they’re fine to cook with the sugar from the start.

Experiment with spice    

Feeling adventurous? Go for it! Add your spices as early as possible to give them time to infuse. Some spices also look lovely suspended in a jewel-like jelly (see below). You could try cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorns… the list goes on. Let me know if you strike a winning combination!    

A jelly detour

If you’re using rosehips or hawthorn, or if you prefer jelly to jam, you’ll need to add a step. First, boil your fruit in water until nice and mushy (rosehips take ages), then, before adding the sugar, let the mixture strain for at least an hour through a sterile cloth (e.g. a clean, freshly ironed pillow case or large handkerchief) into a bowl. Some people say to leave it overnight – I don’t have the patience! But be aware that if you squeeze the cloth, pulp will come through and give you a cloudy jelly. Mix the liquid and sugar together in your saucepan and proceed as you would for jam.    

Has your jam set?

Your fruit-sugar-water mixture will set only after it’s reached a rapid boil (about 105 degrees), so get it bubbling before turning it down to a lively simmer. The easiest way to test your jam is to pop a small dollop onto a cold plate out of the freezer or fridge, let it cool for a minute, then swipe through it with your finger. If the mixture wrinkles up a little bit/stays separate along your swipe-line, it’s ready. If it oozes back in like a liquid, it isn’t ready. If you jam’s not setting, add a squeeze of acidic, pectin-y lemon juice to help it on its way. But in all seriousness, don’t stress about this: runny jam is still delicious (drizzle it over icecream!) and if it doesn’t set in the jar overnight you can always tip it back into the saucepan and cook it a bit more the next day.    

Eating your jam    

Just joking – I know you know how to eat jam. So, who’s for scones and tea?    

Sections of this article first appeared as “Hedgerow jam” in Hastings Independent, Issue 14, 12 September 2014, p9. Have you got any jammy tips? Please share them in the comments!

12 Comments
Mary link
3/10/2014 00:42:58

Genius! Putting the crab apples in with fruit that's actually edible!! :)

Also, the pic of your harvest is so very pretty.

Reply
Jonathan link
3/10/2014 00:58:42

Thank you! Although crabapples are pretty unappetising when raw, I really like the tartness they bring to jam and jelly. I don't have a particularly sweet tooth, so they work well. If I manage to bring in another tub of crabapples I might try making a simple apple and crabapple jelly... mmm, yum!

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Zoe at Splodz Blogz link
23/8/2016 18:09:30

I've never actually tried to make jam... although I'm pretty good at picking wild berries and eating them!

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Jonathan link
25/8/2016 04:55:14

I have to admit that getting enough for jam takes double the time with me: one for me, one for the bag...

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Farmerswifeandmummy link
24/8/2016 20:41:11

Oh I'm going to have to book mark this. I always thought making jam was really hard. Your way sounds so simple and we have loads of blackberry bushes here. Thank you so much :)

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Jonathan link
25/8/2016 05:01:32

I'd love to hear how it goes - please let me know! I think there's a common perception that making jam requires all kinds of equipment, but it really doesn't - after all, it's been a popular way of preserving fruit for a long time. Blackberry jam is still my fave, I think - especially with a couple of crabapples added in. Good luck!

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Lauren M link
25/8/2016 04:13:42

Wow, even I could do that! I'm feeling inspired now, just got to wait for some juicy blackberries :-)

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Jonathan link
25/8/2016 05:03:34

Fantastic! I reckon blackberry season is almost upon us. This weekend might be the first proper blackberrying weekend in our neck of the woods, so I'm going to go foraging!

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Annette, Four Acorns / Quatre graines de chêne link
7/11/2017 23:16:53

I love making jam, especially blackberry jam with nothing added but sugar. The taste always reminds me of the heavenly blackberry jelly my grandmother used to make. Still nothing like it!
#outdoorbloggers

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Jonathan link
9/11/2017 08:18:05

Mmm, blackberries! I think no matter how much I forage, blackberries will always be my favourite - jam, jelly, frozen into icecream/yoghurt, on blackberry shortcake, made into liqueur . . . yum! :)

Reply
Simone
16/7/2019 06:36:20

Blackberry season is almost on here and the hawthorns are ripe. I think I will make jelly Yum. I also found a large row of wild roses that have set up a lot of hips. Unusual here as the current parks commission has decided that wild roses aren't native. sigh.

Reply
Jonathan link
17/7/2019 15:37:43

Yes, I'm eagerly awaiting blackberry season - though I've been enjoying the cherries while they're out, too! Good luck with your jelly making.

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