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How to make elderberry jam
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How To Make Elderberry Jam

How to make elderberry jam with just 3 simple ingredients. This sweet and floral jam is a seasonal treat for your toast.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Afternoon Tea, Breakfast
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Afternoon Tea, Forage, jam, Seasonal
Servings: 3 150 ml jars
Calories: 510kcal

Equipment

  • large pan
  • plastic or wooden spoon
  • sugar thermometer or a small plate
  • Ladle sterilised
  • Glass jars sterilised. Enough to hold about 500-600g of jam

Ingredients

  • 500 g elderberries
  • 500 g granulated sugar
  • 40 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Pop a small plate in the freezer, no need to do this if you have a sugar thermometer.
  • Use a fork to remove the berries from the stalk. Put the berries in a large bowl full of water. Use your fingers to stir the berries and remove any bits of stalk/debris. Pour through a fine sieve and the repeat the washing process one more time. After the second wash allow the berries to drain off the excess water. 
  • Pour the berries into the large pan and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Stir continuously over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Then stop stirring and let the jam bubble away for 20 minutes, stir occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
  • If using a sugar thermometer dip it in the jam to take the temperature, the magic temperature is 105c. If it’s not 105c allow the jam to continue to boil and test again in a few minutes. 
    If you don’t have a thermometer you need to take the small plate out of the freezer and pour a little dollop of jam on it. Pop it back in the freezer for a minute. Take it back out of the freezer and run your finger through it, if it’s formed a skin it’s ready. If it’s like syrup  it needs longer. Pop the plate back in the freezer and allow the jam to continue to boil and test again in a few minutes. 
  • When the jam reaches 105c, or forms a skin on the frozen plate, use a ladle to fill the jars. Seal and store in a cool dark place for up to a year. Keep in the fridge when opened. 
  • Take pictures, post on your socials and tag me! @TheDelectableGarden on IG and @TDG_page on FB. 

Notes

See link in post on how to sterilise your equipment. 
Don’t have enough elderberries? Chuck in other berries (up to a total weight of 500g) and call it hedgerow jam! 
Nutritional information is for guide purposes only. It's based on ingredients I used and may vary.