This No Pectin Homemade Mulberry Jam Recipe is easy to make with 3 simple ingredients: Mulberries, sugar and lemon juice. Perfect on toasted bread for breakfast or on cakes.
Mulberry trees are a sign of summer when they are full of berries. Mulberries look like blackberries, but taste much sweeter. One of the best ways to preserve them is to make mulberry jam. Fill your crepes with it, smear some on French toasts or mix with your homemade yogurt and enjoy it in a yogurt parfait all year round.
We always use this method to make jams in Turkish cuisine. Check out our strawberry jam and damson plum jam recipes too. These are made without pectin as well and packed with the flavor of fruit.
Ingredients
We need only three ingredients for this easy mulberry jam recipe without pectin:
- Black mulberries: We always use black to make this jam, but you can use white berries if it’s what you have in your area. Make sure they are ripe and sweet. Try to pick ripe and undamaged mulberries, wash them well before you start making the jam.
- Sugar: We use granulated sugar. And the ratio for a jam like this is generally 1:1. However, we reduce the amount of sugar and use 500g of mulberries and 300g of sugar. It is still fine and sweet enough for us. As a substitute, you can use honey but it isn't as protective as sugar. So you should consume the jam in a few weeks.
- Lemon juice: Mulberries are known as low pectin fruit, so we need to add some lemon, which is a high pectin fruit. Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the jam a nice consistency. So there is no need for pectin powder or liquid pectin in this recipe. Also, lemon juice prevents your mulberry jam from causing sugar crystals as it waits.
Note: You can also use a teaspoon of butter in the recipe to prevent any foams on the surface. We shared how it works in our no pectin plum jam recipe.
Alternative Add-Ins
We love our mulberry jam plain, but you can always add some more flavors to it. To give the jam a citrusy flavor, you can add some zest of oranges or limes. Or if it is in season, combine mulberries with rhubarb.
To have a mixed berry jam, you can mix mulberries with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries if you want. These are all known as great antioxidants and rich in vitamin C.
Also, you can use fresh basil leaves or mint leaves too. Add these right before removing the jam from the heat.
How To Make Mulberry Jam without Pectin
This mulberry jam recipe is perfect when you are making small batches. If you are planning to use a large amount of mulberries, please check out 'How To Can The Jam' section below.
Place a small plate or bowl in the freezer. We’ll use this to check the consistency of the jam.
Rinse mulberries well and cut the stems out.
Put half of the mulberries in a shallow pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar over these. Then add the remaining mulberries as the third layer and then sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Let them sit for 4-5 hours. Then cook for 25-30 minutes.
Note: If you don’t want to wait that long, put the pan over the lowest heat and heat it until sugar dissolves and you see the mulberries release their juice, stirring occasionally. Then bring the heat to medium high and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add in lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.
Check the consistency of the jam. To do this, remove the small bowl from the freezer. Drop some jam into it and refrigerate for a minute. Check if it is still too runny or has a jelly-like consistency. Your jam is ready if it has this right consistency.
Transfer your mulberry jam into small (half-pint) jars, let them cool completely and then keep in the fridge.
How To Can the Jam
There are two methods for this:
Canning in sterilized jars: Sterilize the jars in boiling water in a large pot. Make sure to use kitchen tongs or jar lifter when removing hot jars from the pot. Share the jam when it is still hot into the sterilized jars. Don't forget to leave about ½ inch headspace when filling them with the jam. Clean the rims of the jars with damp paper towel. Seal each tightly. You might need to use kitchen towel when doing this as the jars will be hot. Let them completely cool on a kitchen towel on the counter. This might take more than 10 hours.
Process the jam in a water bath canner: Once you cook the jam, fill the canner with enough water. It should be covering the jars, so make sure of that. You can just test it with an empty jar before heating it. Now bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Fill the clean jars with the jam, close them tight and place them in the boiling water in the canner. Process for 15 minutes. No need for sterilizing jars beforehand as we keep them in the canner for more than 10 minutes. If the process time is less than this, make sure to sterilize the jars with the method above.
Remove hot jars with a jar lifter and place them on a kitchen towel on the counter. Let them cool completely (for 10-12 hours).
After the canning process, check if the jars are properly sealed. Press down on the center of the lid with your finger. It should be tight and shouldn't rise when you lift your finger. You can keep these in a dry and cool place for a year.
Our Tips
- If your mulberries are not sweet enough, increase the amount of sugar and use a 1:1 ratio; 500g mulberries and 500g sugar.
- When simmering the jam, skim any foams on the surface using a slotted spoon.
- If the jam is still too runny when you test its consistency, add a teaspoon of lemon juice, let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Also, remember that it will continue thickening as it cools.
- If you want to increase the amount and keep it for a longer time, sterilize the jars and use brand new lids. Please check 'How To Can the Jam' section above.
- To have even a better result, cover the top of the pot with a very thin cheese cloth and let it sit under sun at your balcony or garden. This will help your jam to get a better consistency and to get even more delicious.
- You can blend the jam in a food processor or mash it using a potato masher. We love to eat berries in the jam as a whole, so we never mash them.
More Jam Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Mulberry Jam Recipe Without Pectin
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g mulberries
- 300 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a small plate or bowl in the freezer. We’ll use this to check the consistency of the jam.
- Rinse mulberries well and cut the stems out.
- Use a shallow pan and put half of the mulberries in it. Sprinkle half of the sugar over these. Then add the remaining mulberries as the third layer and then sprinkle the remaining sugar over them.
- Let them sit for 4-5 hours if you have time. If you don’t want to wait that long, put the pan over the lowest heat and heat it until sugar dissolves and you see the mulberries release their juice, stirring occasionally. Bring the heat to medium high and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add in lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Now, you can check the consistency of the jam. To do this, remove the small bowl from the freezer. Drop some jam into it and refrigerate for a minute. Check if it is still too runny or has a jelly-like consistency. Your jam is ready if it has this right consistency.
- Transfer the jam into small (half-pint) jars, let it cool completely and then keep it in the fridge.
NOTES
- If your mulberries are not sweet enough, increase the amount of sugar and use a 1:1 ratio; 500g mulberries and 500g sugar.
- When simmering the jam, skim any foams on the surface using a slotted spoon.
- If the jam is still too runny when you test its consistency, add a teaspoon of lemon juice, let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Also, remember that it will continue thickening as it cools.
- If you want to increase the amount and keep it for a longer time, sterilize the jars and use brand new lids.
- To have even a better result, cover the top of the pot with a very thin cheese cloth and let it sit under sun at your balcony or garden. This will help your jam to get a better consistency and to get even more delicious.
- You can blend the jam in a food processor or mash it using a potato masher. We love to eat berries in the jam as a whole, so we never mash them.
- Canning in sterilized jars: Sterilize the jars in boiling water in a large pot. Make sure to use kitchen tongs or jar lifter when removing hot jars from the pot. Share the jam when it is still hot into the sterilized jars. Don't forget to leave about ½ inch headspace when filling them with the jam. Clean the rims of the jars with damp paper towel. Seal each tightly. You might need to use kitchen towel when doing this as the jars will be hot. Let them completely cool on a kitchen towel on the counter. This might take more than 10 hours.
- After the canning process, check if the jars are properly sealed. Press down on the center of the lid with your finger. It should be tight and shouldn't rise when you lift your finger. You can keep these in a dry and cool place for a year.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Maria says
Can frozen mulberries be used?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Maria! We haven’t tried making this jam with frozen mulberries ourselves, but it should work just fine! Frozen fruit tends to release more juice as it thaws, so you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly to reach the right consistency. If you give it a try, we’d love to hear how it turns out.
Nicky says
Hi, I am making this right now but wanted to ask if you cook the jam with a lid on or not?
Thank you!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Sorry for the late reply. We cook the jam without the lid as it might easily overflow. Hope you didn't have any mess.
Beckie says
Hi I have plucked about 500gm Mulberries this morning. Couldn't find any pectin in our town here. So I was relieved to see this recipe from you. I have layered the sugar and fruits as instructed from your recipe. And just started to cook them now. If this jam. Is successful, I am going to link your recipes to my readers too.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Beckie, this is one of our favorite jams. We never use pectin when making jams. Would love to hear what you think.
Beckie says
Hi Zerrin & Yusuf, TQ for replying my comment. U r right that pectin is not necessary. I have tried and tasted your recipe. It was amazingly delicious. I will definitely link your recipe to my blog at borneoroad.blogspot.com.
Unfortunately I don't use Instagram so I don't know how to send u pictures of my tried jam here.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Beckie,
Glad to hear that you are happy with the result. This is a very traditional method of making jam in Turkey. And we are lucky enough to have learnt it from moms and grannies. We don't even know how to use pectin.
You are very kind to link back to our recipe. Thank you!
You can use our email, contact[at]giverecipe[dot]com
Can't wait to see your jam.
Cheers!
Aflyn says
Can we substitute the lemon juice with calamansi(small lime but not as sour as other limes)
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Aflyn,
We always use lemon juice and have no experience with anything else, so we don't want to mislead you. That being said, we think it will probably work as all citrus fruit have pectin. Just not sure about how much lime juice you should use.
Trav says
Is there an easy quick way to remove the stems from lots of mulberries?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Well, you can just leave them as they are. Sometimes that's what we do. Those stems are tiny indeed and they are not bothering at all, at least for us 🙂 But if you don't want any stems, the only way is to cut them off one by one.
pr says
I used nail clippers and was able to do 100 mulberries in 10 minutes (Yes, I counted)
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Brilliant idea!
JEN says
Great idea!
Carmel says
Easy to make and a delicious jam - just the right levels of sugar and lemon juice to give a great flavour.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Carmel,
Happy to hear that you liked it. Perfect on toasted bread with some butter!
Charmaine Stavrakis says
I made the jam this morning but it took a long time to set. Cooking time says 25 to 30 minutes. I had it on the stove for an hour. What did I do wrong?? There was a lot of liquid!!!. But it tastes lovely.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Charmaine, the long cooking time for the jam to set might depend on the type of mulberries. Maybe they were too juicy. Another thing could be the shape of the pot. If you use a deep one, it takes longer. Still one hour is not too long. Did you use the same amount of mulberries or double the recipe?
Charmaine Stavrakis says
You could be right! I x 3 so there was a lot of juice. But it's divine!! I made another batch this morning. My mulberry tree is loaded. Love it!!!
K.C says
Im wondering, if this works with Dried Mulberries.
Yusuf says
Well, never tried it with dried mulberries. But remembering mom makes dried fig jam, I think you can make dried mulberry jam too. Different from this recipe, you need to add water.
Found this on a Turkish website: Soak 500g dried mulberries in warm water for 1 hour and then drain.
Put 5 cups water and 3 cups sugar in a pot and heat until sugar melts.
Bring it to a boil and add in the dried mulberries. Cook for 20 minutes.
Then squeeze half a lemon in the pot and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then share it into jars.
Hope this helps.
Would love to hear how it goes if you have a chance to try it!
Jenny says
Made this with the mulberries I picked from the yard this morning. So good! Will make another batch tomorrow. Thank you for this easy to follow recipe!
Alf Grimbeek says
I studied Latin at school including Ovid!! I realy enjoid your beautiful background to the makig of mulberry jam !!! Very v v nice !!!! Alf
Trish in New Mexico says
Just wondered what kind of cheese you're eating it with ... looks like a hard cheese? and it looks yummy! Great recipe, thanks!
Zerrin says
Laura- Thank you for visiting my site. I was on vacation and I'm just back, so sorry for this late reply. You asked how I store the jam until winter. In Turkey, we generally make jams during summer as a preperation for winter as we consume more jam in cold days. I just put the jam in glass jars and keep these jars in a dark(away from sunlight) and dry place. Also, the covers of jars shouldn't be loose so that it doesn't take air in it. You can keep the jams in this way for months. Check your jam occasionally for about a week, if you see something bad on it, just throw that part away and put the jam in refrigerator.
Hope you enjoy the recipe.
laura says
I have 2 mulberry trees in by back yard, i have lived hrer for 8 yrs and this yr. is the first time that i have picked them. I have started freezing them for later use. I can't wait to try the jam, but how do you store the jam until winter?
thanks Laura