Blackberry Peach Jam

This is such a wonderful time of year in Ontario!  The home gardens are producing nicely while local produce is readily available.   It signifies the gearing up to the heaviest canning season for me.  I like to get the in season fruits canned before starting into tomatoes and apples.  So it really is a great time of year.

One of our friends generously gifted us with about a quart of blackberries (left).  At the same time Ontario peaches were coming into season.  My husband brought home almost 19 lb of red haven peaches (right).  Red havens are cling free (free stone) peaches that have a red blush.  The pit is even reddish.    The first few peaches were combined with the blackberries to make a luscious gourmet jam.

One of the best ways of stretching out a fruit for preserving when there isn't a lot of it is to combine it with another fruit.  It's also a way to get the taste of more expensive fruits by extending those fruits with less expensive fruits.  Fruit combination jams are wonderful because you do get that blend of flavours.  I paired the blackberries with red haven peaches for a lovely jam.  The flavour really is superb!

Blackberry Peach Jam
source: Garden Gnome

2 c crushed blackberries
2 c chopped peaces
¼ c preservative free lemon juice
2 c organic sugar
2 tsp Pomona's pectin*
2 tsp calcium water

Prepare blackberries and peaches.  Place in large saucepan.  Stir in lemon juice and calcium water.  Mix sugar and pectin together in a separate bowl.  Bring fruit mixture to a boil then stir in sugar/pectin mixture.  Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Ladle into hot, prepared jars.  Adjust lids as per instructions depending on what lids you are using.  Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at altitudes to 1,000 feet or at higher altitudes refer to altitude adjustment chart on canning information page.  Remove from canner.  Let cool 24 hours and test seal.

Yield: 4 - 250 ml (half pint) jars

*Do not substitute regular pectin in this recipe.