Homemade mixed berry preserves is so simple to make and so good! It requires very little effort and you can customize it like I did here with rosemary or your own additions. With some fresh or frozen berries, you can have a homemade treat in an hour!
I love this particular recipe because I can make it any time of year since it uses frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is picked at its peak and then flash frozen so it tastes really fresh and amazing when it is cooked.
Don’t be afraid to buy frozen! This recipe can also be adjusted to make homemade strawberry preserves, homemade blackberry preserves or whatever choose.
Tips for making homemade preserves:
- The longer you cook this on the stovetop, the thicker it will become. This is because you are reducing down the mixture.
- Fresh lemon is essential in this recipe (opposed to bottled lemon juice) because you need the fresh pectin in the lemon to help set the preserves.
- If you don’t like extra chunky style preserves (like pictured) then you can mash down the berries throughout the cooking process until it becomes smooth. I like to use a potato masher for this step.
Some of my favorite additions to homemade preserves when I make it are:
- Fresh Rosemary. One small sprig added in to the mixture is all you need.
- Vanilla. All you need for this is 1 tsp.
- Cardamom. If you access to cardamom pods, that works best and 1 pod lightly crushed to release the essence of the cardamom is perfect to add in to the mixture while it is cooking. Just be sure to remove it before adding it to the jar.
Additions are not necessary and the jam tastes great just the way it is in its pure form. I love making these preserves in its pure form and using one jar of it for my Triple Berry Shortbread Tart dessert! It is so easy to make and a huge hit with everyone.
This recipe is fully customizable and can be made as strawberry preserves or any other fruit that you choose. The great part about this recipe is it uses frozen or fresh fruit so whatever you have on hand, you can use.
I hope you give this a try and you will see how easy homemade preserves can be!
Mixed Berry Preserves with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz bag of frozen strawberries thawed you can use fresh fruit as well
- 1 10 oz bag of frozen blueberries thawed you can use fresh fruit as well
- 1 cup of honey
- 1 extra large lemon juiced or 2 small lemons juiced
- 4 tbsp of orange juice optional
- 1 large sprig of rosemary optional
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients into a medium sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Once the berries come to a simmer mix well and lower the heat to medium low and continue to simmer for about 1 hour making sure to stir it every 5 minutes or so.
- After 1 hour your berries should have broken down and should be thickened and reduced by almost half.
- Once your berries are mostly broken down, remove your rosemary sprig and take off the stove to cool for 5 minutes.
- It will look a little thinner than jam at this point because it is hot but it will thicken as it cools.
- Pour your jam into clean containers with a lid and continue to let it cool completely with the lid off, about 30-40 minutes.
- Once completely cooled, place the lid on and refrigerate to chill.
- Once chilled you can use your jam over toast, on scones, added to ice cream or anything else that goes well with it 🙂 Your jam should stay fresh for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
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