Mulberry Jam

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Total time:

  • Portion/Yield:

    Makes about 3 x 200g jars

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

Mulberries are small, soft, sweet, juicy berries, similar in appearance to blackberries, that grow on dome-headed trees. There are two main varieties, black and white (or slightly pink), and they can be eaten raw or cooked in recipes such as ices, jams, sauces or fruit vinegars.

Mulberries contain natural colouring pigments that are used in the medicine, clothing and food manufacturing industries and the leaves from the mulberry tree are a common food for silk worms. Mulberry trees grow to about 10m and the older the tree, the more droopy the branches become, almost like an umbrella. The trees bear the fragile, perishable fruit once a year for a very short period of time, and they naturally lose their leaves in the winter.

Jan and Phillip Musclewhite are two regular customers to the British Larder. Ross always joked and said that they are our adopted parents. They regularly brought mulberries for us during the season, their tree is very big and we made regular trips to their home to pick some too.photo of Mulberry and Adnams Gin Bakewell Tart

Ingredients & Method

  • 400g fresh mulberries
  • 400g jam sugar
  • 50ml cold water
  • juice of 1 lemon

Combine  the mulberries, sugar and cold water in a saucepan. Cook the mulberry mixture over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat and bring to the boil.

Boil rapidly for 10–15 minutes or until the jam reaches a temperature of 105°C (setting point), stirring every now and then to prevent it from catching.

If you don’t have a jam thermometer, check to see if setting point has been reached by spooning a little of the jam on to a chilled small plate. Push a finger across the jam; if the surface wrinkles and it is beginning to set, it has reached setting point. If not, boil it for a further 5 minutes or so and test again.

Once the jam has reached setting point, stir in the lemon juice, then remove from the heat and allow the jam to cool slightly.

Carefully pour the jam into hot, sterilised jars, cover with wax discs (wax-side down) and seal.

Once cold, label and store in a cool, dry cupboard. The jam should keep well for a year or so. Once opened, keep in the fridge and use within 1 month. .