Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Blackberry, Rum and Black Pepper Jam

Because I had a few people asking for the recipe on Facebook, when I announced the huge success I had with this jam over the weekend, I thought I'd share it with the greater group of readers. I spent last Saturday making jam, one batch of raspberry and the second with blackberries (actually called "sweetberries" but there were about as blackberry as you can get).

I was trying to figure out what additional flavors would go well with blackberry and decided to give fresh ground black pepper and barrel aged rum a try. I was not at all disappointed.

Blackberry, Aged Rum and Black Pepper Jam

Ingredients:

5 cups packed (not crushed) blackberries, preferably organic
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 package Ball (or SureJell) natural fruit pectin
7 cups sugar
1/3 cup aged rum*

Makes 9 half-pints.

Instructions

Rinse and measure blackberries and add them to a large, non-reactive pot. In the meantime, sterilize 9 half-pint canning jars and lids in a water bath canner.

Heat the berries over high, adding in the grated lemon peel and blending. As the berries start to reduce, freshly grind in about 2 teaspoons black pepper on a medium or coarse grind. As the berries further reduce, gradually stir in the fruit pectin.

Bring mixture to a full boil until it cannot be stirred down. Add the entire amount of sugar and stir. Return to full boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Immediately take mixture off the heat and add in the rum. Stir until the rum is well incorporated and the alcohol is cooked off from the residual heat (it will reboil when you add in the rum).

Fill your canning jars with jam, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Apply lids and process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude as per the instructions that come with your pectin).

Remove jars and allow to cool for 12 - 24 hours and store. Assuming you don't eat it all as soon as it's cool.

*For the rum, I used Barbancourt Rhum Reserve Speciale, aged 8 years in oak.

Photo courtesy of Outdoor Blogging

6 comments:

Robj98168 said...

Rum? In the Jam??? Happy Breakfasts!!!

Roxi Phillips said...

Thanks! As soon as I get my hands on some blackberries, this recipe will be simmering away in my kitchen! Do you have a favorite canning cookbook?

Amy said...

this sounds fantastic! Just may have to give it a try. Have done Strawberry and Peach so far this year. This will be a great twist on Blackberry.

Heather said...

Oh my goodness! Sounds so good, I just put up 8 quarts of blackberries, will try this recipe for sure!

Heather@gourmetmealsforless.com

Dan Allen said...

Sounds incredible! We'll have to give it a try this weekend. Blackberries are hitting their peak around Philadelphia, and rum is always in season here.

equa yona(Big Bear) said...

Sounds delish and I would love to taste it, but I sure would have a hard time putting 8 year old rum into jam. Not a waste, but jeez!