Jam question for any experts out there...Steve.....

B

barbara-in-va

Well-known member
I picked pounds and pounds of blackberries and red raspberries this weekend. The blackberries are very plentiful right now and raspberries just getting started. Almost all of them have been passed thru the squeezo and my fridge is so full of beautiful, georgous berry puree that I just want to dive in. Anyway, my question is: last year I made blackberry jam with lemon and blackberry with ginger. We loved them both. I have a nice sized lemongrass in the herb garden right now and was wondering how a blackberry lemongrass jam would be and how would I incorporate the lemon grass? Maybe just add a stalk when I am cooking the berries and remove it before canning? How much should I use?

Thanks for your thoughts smileys/smile.gif

 
Two ways: I would advise adding the stalks as you are cooking the berries OR. . .

you could bring a couple of cups of berry puree to a boil the day before with the lemon grass in it and then let it steep overnight. If do this then you could add lemon-grassed berry puree to the rest of the puree for your batch of jam, tasting until you liked it. Caution: when tasting, try less rather than more as the lemon flavor will be brought up when you add sugar and might be made stronger or weaker upon completion of the jam and storage. I have not used lemon grass itself, but many herbs and spiced can tend to change, especially upon storage in a jar of jam.

 
Mistral's idea about macerating is a good one. I'd chop the lemon-grass, put it in a cheesecloth bag

for the steeping AND the cooking. Then pull the whole thing out before putting it into jars. I've not used the stuff in jams either so I'm not sure of the flavor-intensity.

I've done Raspberry Jam with Peaches which is classic "Peach Melba" as well as Raspberry with Green Figs. Blackberries are SO good on their own but you could dress 'em up with some orange rind which would give it a nice zingy-twist.

If you come up with anything you love, let me know, we can swap!

 
Mistral and Steve, thank you for your great ideas. I love the thought of macerating. Hopefully...

in the next couple of days I will get to try it out!

 
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