Easy Haskap Jam
Summer is here - and so are my haskap berries - so it’s time to make some jam!
I planted haskap berries in 2020. I had no idea what they would taste like, but there was such a buzz going on about them at the time, I just had to try. It took about three years for the plants to mature and start producing. Upon my first tasting, I found them to be good - but quite tart, regardless of how ripe they were - so I decided to use them to make jam. What a great decision - haskap jam is now one of my favorite things!
I’ve developed the recipe below using trial and error, but I think I’ve cracked the code for easily made haskap jam. The problem with many recipes for cooked jams is that they treat all berries like they are interchangeable. This is ridiculous. Every berry has a given amount of pectin and sugar. Every berry is also more or less tart, and may require more or less sugar accordingly to get the taste right. Finally, many recipes measure out berries whole - and this makes no sense, since it is the ratio of sugar to berry and the application of heat that allows jam to set.
Another issue is that many recipes call for a specific amount of berry - but what if you just don’t have that much? The solution is to forget about specific measurements, and to simply focus on volumes, ratios and time.
Here’s how I make haskap berry jam.
Ingredients:
Haskap berries (doesn’t matter how much)
Sugar (depends on how many berries you have - see below)
Instructions:
Clean and wash the berries.
Sterilize the jars.
Place the berries in a wide saucepan.
The wider the saucepan the better, because it heats up faster, and the greater surface area helps to drive off moisture, which helps to thicken the jam. Heat the berries on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they soften - this takes about 5 minutes.
Once they are soft and it is starting boil - mash them up with a potato masher or fork for about 1 minute.
6. Carefully pour the hot mashed berries into a measuring cup and take note of the measurement.
This step is important because it gives you the proper measure for the right amount of sugar. For the batch in the picture above, there was exactly 2 1/2 cups of mashed berries - so that’s how much sugar I added. 7. However many cups of hot mashed berries there are - measure out that same amount of sugar - and put the berries and sugar back in the saucepan.
8. Bring the berries and sugar to a hard boil for one minute, stirring constantly; then simmer at 1/4 heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
At this stage the jam should be a deep purple. It will still be quite runny - but don’t worry about that. 9. After the ten minute simmer is up, place a teaspoon-full of the jam on a plate, and put it in the refrigerator to cool for a few minutes. Take the plate out of the fridge and hold it sideways - if the jam doesn’t run off the plate - it has set and you can jar it up with confidence.
Hold the plate straight up and down. If the jam does not end up on the floor - you’ve done it right! 10. Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2” (1.25cm) of space at the top. Screw on lids finger tight (use thumb and forefinger only to tighten), and either (a) can in a water bath, or (b) leave on the counter to cool for 24 hours, then place in the freezer, or put it in the fridge and use right away.
Why this works
Haskap berries are naturally high in pectin, so they are ideal for making jam. In terms of flavor, the tartness, combined with the right amount of sugar, makes for an intense jam that is a feast for the senses first thing in the morning with breakfast. The dark purple color is also very appealing. Haskaps are easy to grow and make great jam, so if you have the room, maybe consider adding them to your garden next year. They take about three years to start producing from bare root starts, and they are well worth the wait!
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