Blackberry Lavender Jam

Sweet and tart jam bursting with blackberry flavor and just the right hint of lavender. This jam is so bright, fresh, and simple to make and is phenomenal in cakes and pies or even folded into buttercream for the perfect summer frosting.

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I’m literally two weeks from being done with school. It’s like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but I have to trudge through mud to get there. I have my own little Dory song resounding in my head: Just keep grading. Just keep grading. What do we do? We grade!

This year has been hard on us all. I try to remember that when dealing with difficult students. Try to remember that when dealing with teachers, too. We have our own lives to manage plus navigating this hardest year ever in our overwhelmingly demanding jobs.

But summer’s coming.

Summer, the time of sleep and sun and things like strolls to the farmers market.

That’s what this jam makes me think of. Simple summer days with flowers and fruit and warmth. It has only 4 ingredients and comes together quickly and keeps for a long time. Plus it’s just so darn good. Hints of floral lavender with bursting blackberry’s sweet-yet-tart flavors. Add in some honey and lemon and it’s practically a health food—for your body and your soul.

Maybe that’s dramatic, but this jam is my new favorite thing!

How to make blackberry lavender jam

Couldn’t be simpler. Rinse your fresh blackberries.

Combine everything in a saucepan.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s jam!

Pairs well with:

Old Fashioned Lemon Cake

Bakery Style Vanilla Cake

Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes (use as surprise filling!)

Lemon & Mascarpone Cake (spread instead of lemon curd!)

Sub it for the filling in these White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Tips and notes for this recipe

Use your spoon to speed things along

You can use a spatula or wooden spoon to press the berries and speed it along. Or a potato masher, but I don’t like doing that these days (I tossed all of our nonstick pots and all of my birthday and Christmas presents this year were All Clad stainless steel and Le Creuset enameled pots—I ain’t gonna risk scratching those!).

Add cornstarch for a thicker jam

If you want a thicker jam (it’s definitely not a jelly), you can add cornstarch. I found 1 tablespoon to be sufficient, but 2 would make it much more sturdy than these photos. Beyond that would alter the taste. The key is to remove some of the juice once the berries begin to break down but before they’ve broken down so much that you get a thick syrup. This is about 5 minutes in. Remove about 2 tablespoons juice (double that if you want a really thick jam and plan to use 2 tablespoons cornstarch). Once the jam is nearly jam consistency (about 10 minutes in), whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the reserved juice until smooth. Add to the pot and stir until well blended. Keep cooking until the jam is thickened and the berries are full broken down (5-10 minutes more).

Blackberry Lavender Jam

  • total time: 15-20 minutes

yields: about 1 cup

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces fresh blackberries, rinsed
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for a thicker jam)

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to keep it at a good simmer but not a boil.
  2. If you want a thicker jam to use as a cake filling or thin layer in a pie, remove about 2 tablespoons of the juice early on once it becomes somewhat liquid. It’s best to do this before the jam is done, so you get the thinner juices. Reserve this for later.
  3. When the berries begin to break down, you can help them along by crushing them with a wooden spoon or spatula. A potato masher would probably also work, but I’ve never tried because I’m lazy and don’t want more dishes.
  4. Once the blackberries are about halfway broken down and it’s just starting to resemble a really chunky jam, taste to see if it needs more honey or lavender. It’s best to add more to taste earlier on, but I wouldn’t recommend more than 2 teaspoons lavender unless this will be going into another recipe that will dilute the taste. Honey can be added in up until the end.
  5. If you want a thicker jam (like that pictured here), whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with the reserved blackberry juice until smooth. Add to the pot after 5-10 minutes of cooking, when the berries are mostly broken down but clearly still need a few minutes of cooking. Stir until well blended and continue cooking until thickened, but no more than 10 minutes (the cornstarch can break and cause the jam to separate if heated too long). It will thicken slightly as it cools.
  6. If not using cornstarch, simply cook until blackberries are fully broken down and the consistency of jam. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
  7. If desired, strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Enjoy!

Jam can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about a month, or frozen for up to 3 months (depending on your freezer).

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