This easy recipe for pear and blackberry jam is a simple twist on the more usual blackberry and apple jam recipe. Small batch makes jam making quick as well as delicious! Three ingredient & no pectin.
In a competition between pears and apples, a pear will always be my winner. They are famously only supposed to be at a state of peak ripeness for 20 minutes, but when I do find one at its peak, there’s nothing quite like it: juicy and delicious. Pears can also be enjoyed in many other ways, such as my Blackberry & Pear Traybake or Spiced Pears & Plums in Port, and in this pear and blackberry jam recipe.
We’ve been enjoying getting back onto the preserving horse recently, focusing on making small batch jams and jellies – whipping up a small saucepan, enough to fill a couple of jam jars, rather than a large preserving pan that results in a groaning cupboard.
A couple of jars of three or four different types of jam easily lasts the year for us, and it also means that we’re eating jam that’s fresh and that you can ring the flavour changes, rather than eating the same jam year in and year out until it is old and crystallized.
Blackberry season is short, and whether you’re foraging your own or buying from the supermarket, this jam is perfect – simply freeze the blackberries, and make the jam when you have time and some pears to hand, and want to free up that space in the freezer.
This year, we’ve made the more common basic blackberry jam, blackberry and apple jam as well as blackberry and apple jelly, and this recipe is just as easy as they are.
How to I make easy pear and blackberry jam?
First, simmer pears and blackberries until soft in a good sized saucepan.
Second, add the sugar, and continue heat slowly until it’s all dissolved.
Third, to turn the mixture int jam, the pectin found naturally in pears has to be activated. This is done, as with all jam, by heating up the mixture until it reaches the setting point. So turn up the heat until the jam reached a fast rolling boil, and start to test for a set.
3 ways of testing jam setting points
The temperature test. Really accurate electronic jam thermometers are readily available, and not expensive. They are much easier to read than traditional jam thermometers. Heat the jam to the setting point and once it’s there, you know it’s ready.
The wrinkle test. Place a couple of side plates in the freezer before you add the sugar. Once the jam is boiling, start testing by placing some on the plate. Allow it to cool; when you push your finger through, you’ll see it wrinkle up ahead of your finger. This technique takes a bit of practice.
The flake test. Take a spoonful of jam from the pan and turn it vertically to tip out the jam. If the jam runs off, it hasn’t set. If, however a little remains on the spoon in a sort of wide drip that doesn’t fall, then the jam is ready. Again, this works best with some practice.
Fourth, once the jam has reached the setting point, let it cool for a few minutes.
Finally, spoon the jam into jars that have been sterilized by heating in a low oven. Seal the lid and let the jam cool fully.
Easy blackberry and pear jam – ingredient ratios
Making jams by ratio makes the recipes easy to scale up and down.
- Equal weight of pear and blackberries
- Weight of sugar equals the total weight of the fruit
- 400g total of fruit makes about 600g of jam
Blackberry and pear jam - small batch
Ingredients
- 200 g pears (peeled and cored)
- 200 g blackberries (washed)
- 1 tbsp water
- 400 g sugar
Instructions
- Peel and core the pears. Check the weight of prepared fruit.
- In a large saucepan, stew the pears and blackberries with the water until soft. The fruit mixture should about quarter fill the saucepan. Mash with a potato masher to help puree the fruit.
- Sterilize jam jars and lids by placing them in an oven set to 120°C/Gas mark 1.
- Add the sugar and heat slowly to dissolve, stirring gently.
- When all the sugar has dissolved, heat quickly over a high heat until the setting point is reached. (See above for how to test for set).
- Allow to stand for about 5 minutes. Spoon into the jam jars - a jam funnel is helpful, to avoid spillages - and seal the lid. As the pots cool, you will hear the lid pop to confirm that the jar is sealed.
You might also like my Necterine Jam and my Easy Black Cherry Jam Recipe
Chris
Pear and blackberry sounds like a delicious combo! Love the 3 tips for testing too!
Helen
I think people get scared of jam and worry about the setting point.
Linda @ With A Blast
I love the pear and blackberry combination and especially that there is no pectin in your recipe – trying soon !
Helen
I hate using pectin as it is really hard to get the set just right. Happily pears are full of it so a nice natural set.
David @ Cooking Chat
haven’t tried making my own jam…but you break it down nicely here!
Helen
Go and make jam! it is really fun and easy!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
I’ve never made jam before so this sounds like a good one to start with. I love both fruits in this so it would probably vanish quite fast!
Helen
Once you get into the swing of it jam making and preserving is SO addictive!
Emily
Love your tips for knowing the jam is ready, so helpful!
Helen
It is all about the setting point
Alan Moore
I have never made jam, never quite sure how to, or maybe fear of the unknown. I would like to try this recipe, are there pitfalls to be aware of?
Pear and Blackberry, a yummy combination.
Helen
Its mainly the setting point. We like small batch jam making as if it goes wrong it really doesn’t matter at all.
Demeter
Pear and blackberry are such a good combo! Homemade jam is one of my very favorites–and yours looks amazing!
Helen
We love homemade jam too.
phil Paterson
My mother can make awesome Jams. I never really seem to get it the way I want most times. So I just eat hers. hehe
Helen
It does take a bit of practice, and the cheats way is to use a sugar thermometer so you know when you have a set.
Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels
Oh goodness this looks delicious, I have never tried making my own jam. Kaz
Helen
It really is astonishingly easy! And huge fun too.
Rebecca | AAUBlog
I love how simple the ingredients are for this – it looks pretty amazing too! Wow!
Helen
Simple and concentrating on the flavour!
Linda
I love that you included how to spot the jam setting point – I’ve always wondered about that.
Helen
We usually use a probe thermometer – but it is handy to know how to do it without one
Super Busy Mum
I have never made my own jam before, but this year I might just have to give it a wee go. This looks DELICIOUS!
Helen
it really is very easy – and addicting!
chichi
I love blackberries, pear will be an interesting flavour to add, can’t wait to try!
Helen
It is a nice twist on pairing apple with blackberry!
Jake Ferrer
Oh wow! This jam recipe looks so delicious! My son really loves all kind of jam and i am sure he will love this jam.
Helen
We love jam too. Small batch is a great way to make lots of different types
Barbara Whitehead
I love making jam and small batch is perfect for us as we have an allotment, I use my bread maker to make small amounts as I have problems with my knees and can’t stand for long.
Helen
I’ve never made jam in a bread maker. One to try!
Alice
We just made this with freshly picked blackberries and supermarket pears. We managed to forage over 2lbs of fruit! We didn’t add any water but used the juice of a lemon to help it thicken and set. We made over 10 jars! It was great fun and the simple equation of fruit to sugar is so useful for foraging small amounts. It’s so yummy, and makes a fab gift. Thank you for the recipes.
Helen Best-Shaw
That is fantastic – foraging and preserving is so satisfying isn’t it –
Helen Best-Shaw
Thank you for letting me know – foraging and preserving is so satisfying and it becomes addictive. Before you know it everyone will be saving you jars and swapping a bag of empties for a coupe of full ones!