Anyone who reads this blog will know I’m a bit of a jam maker and will haul together almost any ingredients to put up preserves when the mood takes me. Sometimes it is a case of using up what’s in the fruit bowl and fridge that fires my preserving and sometimes it is a case of needs must, this raspberry and blueberry jam is such a case…..The need in this case was using up everything in the little chest freezer in the shed was dying. It was well and truly on its last legs, with condensation dripping down the outside and a decidedly dodgy lid. It was time I took action and emptied the damn thing and waved it on its merry way to the great white goods depot in the sky.
This meant that Idgy and I found ourselves chowing down on an odd variety of goodies over the ensuing week. Some things just had to go tho’, you know those bits and pieces that kind of lurk in the bottom of the freezer, never quite making it to the ‘let’s defrost and use this pile’. There is also the unidentified frozen objects pile that I sadly create due to forgetting to label freezer bags when I toss them in there.
There was a load of berries in there that to me were just crying out for a jamming session. Not very many but enough raspberries and blueberries to put together five little tasty jars of my raspberry and blueberry jam, or Boozeberry Jam as I like to call it because the secret ingredient that makes this preserve pulse with power is good old Scotch whisky!
This is what I call a freezer jam. Not a jam that you store in the freezer, but instead a jam created from the scraps in said freezer.
My raspberry and blueberry jam has only 6 ingredients and is super simple to make. You just need blueberries, raspberries, some preserving sugar, the juice and zest of half a lemon, some ground black pepper and of course the all-important whisky.
It is simply a case of letting the berries soak up the sugar for a few hours before bringing them to the boil with the lemon and pepper. The whisky comes into play at the last-minute when you pot up your jam and top it with a spoonful before snapping on that lid.
Now if you don’t want a boozy jam you can just omit the whisky and have a nice straightforward raspberry and blueberry jam to top your toast or crumpets, but honestly folks, the addition of the whisky really makes this one into something special that will send a scone and cream into the stratosphere or make a humble bowl of vanilla ice-cream into a pud fit for any supper party.
If you are new to jam making then take a look at my jam making page, the kitchen kit page and also the page on sterilising jars so that you are on the right track before you get started.
So here’s to boozeberry jam, Cheers!
Karon x
- 400g/14 oz blueberries
- 150g/5 oz raspberries
- 400g/14 oz preserving sugar
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 5 x tsp Scotch whisky
- Place the berries into a bowl and sprinkle over the suger, set aside for a few hours for the berries to soak up the sugar.
- Toss the sweetened berries into a preserving pan and add the lemon juice and zest and the freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring the pan to a boil and boil until you reach the setting point.
- Carefully ladle jam into 5 small (30ml) jars and top each with a tsp of whisky before popping on the lids.
I have some lurking mysteries in the freezer myself. Perhaps it’s time to go spelunking.
Aah the mysteries of the fridge and freezer. Sometimes it’s better not to even look in there!
How would this work with bourbon? I don’t have any Scotch…
Any booze will do!
K x
what is preserving sugar the same as granulated c&h. it looks good but will it can in a water bath to keep in the pantry?
My stuff keeps in the pantry. I don’t use a canning bath.
K x