If you’re looking for an easy and delicious mulberry jam recipe then look no further than this simple recipe.
It’s the perfect way to use those homegrown mulberries.
Why I love this
- Simple - this recipe is so incredibly simple to make.
- Inexpensive - mulberries often grow wild so if you can find a tree somewhere, all you need to buy is the sugar.
- Delicious - this recipe really is super tasty.
I used this recipe today and made a batch of jam with the berries off my much loved Mulberry Tree. Up until this point I was a jam novice, but your recipe was spot on and my 8 year old son declared that this jam is the best thing he has ever tasted!! I can't wait to try your recipe for Chilli Jam next.
- Cathy
Thank you for sharing!!
When I was growing up we had a giant beautiful mulberry tree in our driveway.
My sister used to eat them by the bowlful and I can still remember her purple-stained hands (see a tip for getting the stains out at the bottom of this post).
When I spotted a bunch of trees growing in a park I was keen to get creating & mulberry jam was born.
Jump to:
Ingredients for mulberry jam
To make this delicious jam, you will need:
- Mulberries - Fresh-picked, firm & ripe. This recipe is for black mulberries and hasn't been tried with white mulberries.
- Sugar - plain sugar, caster sugar or raw sugar will work. Alternative, less-processed sugar like rapadura will also work but it will alter the flavour slightly and the colour won't be as bright.
- Lemon juice - preferably freshly squeezed not from a bottle. We like to save the lemon zest in the freezer for baking.
How to make mulberry jam
- Step 1: Combine all spices into a large bowl and combine thoroughly with mixture
- Step 2: Form into ball shape with your hands
- Step 3: Press into patties
- Step 4: Cook in oven for x minutes at 400 degrees
- Step 5: Remove and add to serving plate
- Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Instructions
Step 1 - Ditch the stems
Make sure you’ve gotten rid of all the stems from the berries then pop them all in a big saucepan or large pot.
How do you remove stems from mulberries?
Here’s a tip – you can use nail clippers to trim off the stems quickly and easily (I included how in the video).
Step 2 - Heat & Squish
Heat the berries over a medium heat and squish them gently to release the juice.
It’s amazing how much liquid comes out of these babies.
Once they’re all smooshed up (yes that’s the technical term), bring the pot to a gentle rolling boil.
Step 3 - Sugar & lemon juice
Combine mulberries with the sugar and lemon juice to the pot.
Keep stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved then bring it to a boil again.
If you’re short on time, you can skip step 2 & start with this step.
Step 4 - Bottle the jam
The jam is quite runny at this stage, more like a sauce. It’s meant to be like that.
If you want it to be a bit thicker, reduce the pot to a simmer and leave it to thicken up a bit.
Otherwise, divide it between your jars (make sure it’s still hot),
Step 5 - Lid & flip
Put the lid on then tip the jars upside down to cool.
It's best to use a jar lifter for this and to hold the jar to screw the lid on so you don't burn your hands.
This will make sure they are air-tight and can be kept unrefrigerated until opened for up to a year.
Serving suggestions
Really the possibilities are endless but some of our favourites are:
- Toast bread
- Traditional pumpkin scones
- Lemonade scones
- Jam drops
- Homemade bread
- Use it to top ice cream
How to sterilise jars for jam making
I sterilise my jars in a pot of boiling water then dry them out in the oven.
Make sure they are all covered with water then bring the pot to the boil for 5 minutes.
Use jam tongs to transfer the jars, upright, to an oven tray and bake at 100C fan-forced for about 20 minutes or until they are completely dry.
Make sure the jam is really hot when you pour it into the jars.
As an extra precaution, I rub the rim of the jars & inside of the lids with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Use a stainless steel funnel for the hot jam.
I also like to rub a piece of lemon around the rim of the jar and inside of the lid.
The acidity will help sterilise the jar. You could also use a little bit of apple cider vinegar on a piece of kitchen towel/paper towel.
NOTE: If you’re using recycled jars, I have a little tutorial for quickly and easily removing the labels from glass jars without ruining your fingernails (you’ll also get a bonus tutorial for making pretty labels in less than 5 minutes without having to buy anything).
Other mulberry uses
DEHYDRATE THEM – lay your washed and dried mulberries on the trays of a dehydrator and leave until well dried.
NATURAL FOOD DYE – boil ½ a cup of mulberries in ½ a cup of water and then strain it to make your own natural food colouring. I like to use dye like this in homemade playdough.
Other recipes with mulberries
- Use the jam to make jam drops
- This mulberry pie recipe looks delicious
- Mulberry crumble bars
FAQs
I read a great tip for getting the mulberry stains off your hands. When you’re picking the mulberries, grab a few unripe fruit and rub them on your mulberry-stained fingers. The stains should come right off.
No you absolutely don't need fruit pectin or liquid pectin to make mulberry jam.
You can definitely make this recipe in the Thermomix.
Where it says to bring to the boil, you will bring it up to 100C.
To simmer, lower the temperature to 70C.
Mulberries are high in many vitamins and minerals.
Here’s where the most goodness lies according to Healthline:
Vitamin C. We all know vitamin C is important for our immune system and it’s also valuable for healthy skin. I like to use wholefood sources of vitamin C as opposed to synthetic. Here’s why.
Iron. This is one I often struggle with but it plays a pretty vital role in our bodies transporting oxygen around the body in our blood.
Vitamin K1. This one is important for blood clotting (so we don’t bleed out cutting ourself doing dinner prep) and for healthy bones.
Vitamin E. This vitamin is a source of antioxidants which helps keep our cells healthy.
They’re also a powerhouse of antioxidants.
In flavour I’d say they’re between a blackberry and a blueberry with the staining power of 100 raspberries in one little fruit.
They’re also quite a nutritional powerhouse.
I recommend filling a sink with water, adding a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and soaking them for about 15 minutes (swish it around a few times with your hands).
Then scoop all the berries into a sieve and give them a good rinse before you use them.
If you’re not going to use them right away, lay them out flat on a tea towel and let them dry completely then store in the fridge in a tea towel lined bowl or container.
They’re not readily available in shops but often grow wild in parks.
If locals do have trees, they’ll likely have an abundance of fruit.
Ask around on local Facebook groups if you don’t know where to find any mulberry trees to pick from.
Make sure you give them a good wash first though.
There are a few things you will need to make jam. Glass jars - you can use recycled jars but it's best to buy new lids if you want to store the jam rather and consume short term. Here's how to sterilize glass jars (without an oven).
Jar lifter - they're basically tongs with rubber coating so you don't burn your fingers. These are optional but make it so much easier.
What about you? Did you have any fruit trees near by when you were growing up?
NOTE: mulberries stain big time so wear old clothes and an apron just in case.
Recipe
Mulberry jam
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh-picked firm, ripe mulberries
- 500 g sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Pull all the stems of the fruits and put them into a large saucepan.
- Heat it over medium heat and crush the berries to squish out the juice.
- Bring it to a boil then add the sugar and lemon juice.
- Reduce the heat and stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring it back up to the boil for a few minutes and then bottle and seal the jam.
- Store it in a cool, dark place and it should keep up to 2 years.
Notes
-
- Glass jars - you can use recycled jars but it's best to buy new lids if you want to store the jam rather and consume short term. Here's how to sterilize glass jars (without an oven).
-
- Jar lifter - they're basically tongs with rubber coating so you don't burn your fingers. Optional.
Then scoop all the berries into a sieve and give them a good rinse before you use them.
If you’re not going to use them right away, lay them out flat on a tea towel and let them dry completely then store in the fridge in a tea towel lined bowl or container.
Claire Cameron says
Such a simple and delicious recipe. Love the tip for cutting the stems off with nail clippers!
Cathy says
Hi Claire. I used this recipe today and made a batch of jam with the berries off my much loved Mulberry Tree. Up until this point I was a jam novice, but your recipe was spot on and my 8 year old son declared that this jam is the best thing he has ever tasted!!
I can't wait to try your recipe for Chilli Jam next.
Thank you for sharing!!
Claire says
Woohoo Cathy I love hearing jam success stories!
Andrea Morrison says
Hi what does the g stand for in the recipe like 500g berries and 500g sugar. Thank u andrea
Claire says
Hi Andrea. The g stands for grams - 500g is half a kilogram or about a pound.
Jane says
Hi. I am about to try and make some mulberry jam from the berries on my very small and very young tree. Every day I would go out and pick whatever fruit was ready, bring it inside, wash it and put it in a container in my freezer. The idea was to build up a supply of enough to make a jam. I do not know how much they weigh, but I will soon find out.
Next time I might even try adding a little bit of choko to the mix to bulk it up since chokos are known to take on the flavour of whatever they come into contact with...but NOT this time as it will be my way of testing to see if it makes a difference to the taste.
Claire says
Hope the jam turned out to be successful. Great tip to share on chokos. Enjoy!
Patricia Fultz says
Can you freezer this jam?
Claire says
I don't see why not!
Fay says
Claire. Cut a twig or two from your favourite mulberry tree and plant it. How they grow! Same with figs. Green fingers.
Claire says
Thanks for the tip Fay!