Recipe: Blackberry and lemon verbena jam

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Jessica Koslow, owner of Sqirl, weighs the fresh blackberries she’ll use for the jam. View recipe article. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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After the blackberries are mashed, sugar and lemon juice are stirred in. Then the fruit mix is poured into a large pan with the verbena leaves in a cheescloth bag tied to its side. The bag is submerged into the jam mix. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Berry jams produce a bit of foam that needs to be skimmed during cooking. The foam doesn’t harm the jam, but it can make it muddy. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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After the jam tests done, it should be canned quickly. Recipe: Blackberry and lemon verbena jam (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Various jams are for sale at Sqirl. Recipe: Blackberry and lemon verbena jam (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Aug. 3, 2013 12 AM PT

30 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 cups jam

2 pounds blackberries

1 1/4 pounds sugar (a scant 3 cups)

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon verbena leaves

1. Pulse the blackberries in a food processor or mash them up with your hands. You could even leave a few semi-mashed so the jam has a variety of textures. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir with a spatula to marry the ingredients. Pour into a large, heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Place the verbena leaves in a cheesecloth bag and tie the bag to the side of the pot, with the bag submerged in the fruit. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until set, 20 to 25 minutes (for doneness indicators, see accompanying article). Berry jams produce quite a bit of foam, so they should be skimmed during cooking. The foam is not harmful, but it will muddy the jam.

3. Blackberry jam can easily overset or underset, so be sure to remove the pan from the heat as soon as the jam tests done. Remove the verbena bag, then can the jam quickly, as the top of the jam will start setting into a skin.

EACH TABLESPOON

Calories 65

Protein 0

Carbohydrates 16 grams

Fiber 1 gram

Fat 0

Cholesterol 0

Sugar 15 grams

Sodium 0