Berry Jam

Makes about 3 jars

1 kg berries

600 g honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

This ratio of 1 kg of fruit to 600 g of honey suits most fruits. 

Just be sure to weigh the fruit after removing stones or any bits you won’t use, and add enough honey for this weight.

Put the fruit in a pot, mash it lightly with a wooden spoon, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for roughly 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. 

You may need significantly less than 20 minutes, depending on the fruit. 

Stir in the honey and bring to a boil over medium or medium-high heat. 

It might froth up a bit, so stay nearby to stir when it does. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, ensuring it bubbles but doesn’t boil over or burn, stirring now and then. 

Cook until it appears fairly thick, then start testing small amounts of jam on a cold plate to check if it has reached a good setting consistency. It will take a minute or two to cool, so ensure it is fully cold before testing. 

Test for setting by tilting the plate slightly to see if it runs, and by drawing a line through it to see if it holds. 

Keep boiling and testing periodically until it sets well when cold, then transfer the jam into hot sterilised jars, seal with hot sterilised lids, and turn upside down for 5 minutes before turning them back upright. 

Alternatively, place in clean jars, seal traditionally, and process with boiling water bath canning for 10 minutes.

This jam will keep in the cupboard for about a year.