Blackberry Mead Jam with Honey and Thyme

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Blackberry Mead Jam with Honey and Thyme

This sweet and herbaceous blackberry mead jam with honey and thyme is a perfect way to preserve the ripened berries of summer from the windswept plains of Rohan, best enjoyed on a slice of freshly baked no-knead rye bread.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Canning Time25

Total Time1 15

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Servings: ½ pints

Calories: 45kcal

Author: Alison Wiebe

Ingredients

2 ½ lb blackberries fresh or frozen
4 cups granulated sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup + 2 tbsp mead divided
2 tablespoon lemon juice
12 - 15 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The first step in making preserves is to gather your equipment and sterilize the jars. Fill a water bath canner halfway with water. Remove the rack and set aside. Place the canner over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil – you may need more hot water to add to the canner once you've added the jars.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Make sure the jars are clean. Then place the jars on a baking sheet in the oven for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Add the canning lids to a small saucepan with water and place over low heat in barely simmering water. Gather together clean tea towels, both a damp and dry cloth, a ladle, tongs, funnel, and thermometer and have ready to go. Have a potholder ready for the hot pot. If using, gather your jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter.
Wash the blackberries and transfer to a large pot. Use a masher to mash the berries down to a pulp. It's okay if there are a few large berries left. Add the sugar, ½ of the mead, honey, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Tie the thyme leaves into a bundle. Wrap with cheesecloth if desired.
Place the pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Optionally, add a teaspoon of butter to help prevent the jam from foaming. Add the thyme bundle. Maintain the boil, adjusting the temperature to prevent the jam from boiling over. Skim periodically to remove any excess foam. The jam will be fairly runny at this point but should thicken over time.
Continue to boil the jam, stirring constantly until it reaches a temperature of 220°F and has thickened. This will take from 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the thyme bundle and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoon mead.
Transfer the pot to the potholder on the counter. Use tongs to remove a jar from the oven and place on a tea towel. Use the funnel and ladle to fill the jar with the hot jam, leaving a half inch space from the top.
Use the damp cloth to wipe the rim of the jar to clean any spills. Use the magnetic lid lifter to remove one of the snap lids from the hot water and wipe dry with a clean tea towel. Place the snap lid on the jar. Hold the jar with the dry cloth and firmly screw on the ring lid. Repeat with the remaining jam.
Arrange the sealed jars on the canner rack. Gently lower the rack into the canner, dipping it a few times in the hot water to temper the jars before lowering the rack completely into the canner. Make sure the water completely covers the jars by at least an inch or two. Add more boiling water from the kettle if needed. Cover the canner and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water comes to a full boil, set the timer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, carefully lift the rack out of the water and hook over the edge of the canner. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars. Carefully blot any water off the lids with paper towel, making sure not to press down on the lids and create a false seal if they haven't sealed during the water bath. The jars should seal within a few minutes after the water bath.
A properly sealed jar will make a small popping sound as the lid seals, and the top will go from looking rounded to indented. Any jar that hasn’t sealed can be stored in the fridge and used within a few weeks. Sealed jars can be labelled and stored in the pantry for at least a year. When opening the jar, check that it is still sealed and for any signs of mold or spoiling, discarding if you notice any spoilage. Enjoy!

Notes

The mead can be omitted to make this recipe non-alcoholic, it won't have a large impact on the final product.

The butter is added at the beginning to reduce the amount of foam in the jam. There will be some foam initially but then it will dissipate and you won't need to skim it too often.

Nutrition