Crumble Jam Bars + 30-Minute Berry Jam

February 27th, 2025

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I keep reading how good it is to work the large leg muscles regularly for longevity. If you are a gardener you will likely be well covered here. Currently, I am doing almost daily squats to collect berries from my thorn-less blackberry patch. The plants grow long 2-3 meter leaders that need to be trained along wires or they will grow along the ground. It appears I need to tighten my training wires as the berries are hanging almost to the ground. I don’t recall this being such an issue in other years. Well, at least the quads are getting a good workout.

I have shared previously about our thornless blackberries being a wonderfully prolific producer. For whatever reason, possibly the regular rain in January we have our largest crop yet. Purple-stained fingers pick bowlfuls of berries to eat fresh from the vine, many are frozen free-flow into bags, and bowls of muesli are taken to the garden to top with fresh-picked berries. It doesn’t get any fresher than that! Berries also make excellent jam. I like to make a lower-sugar jam, relying instead on evaporation and the natural pectin in berries for a soft-set jam. My basic technique is as follows: 

30-Minute Berry Jam

Per kilogram of berries: 

1. Place the berries into a large wide-based pan. Cover and cook over low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the berries have softened (don’t add any water they will sweat and release their juice).

2. Add 3/4 cup sugar (or 2/3 cup honey) and the juice of half a lemon.

3. Turn up the heat and cook (uncovered) at a steady boil. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the jam thickens into a soft set jam (noting, it will thicken more as it cools).

4. It is ready once you can run a wooden spoon along the base of the pan and momentarily see the bottom of the pan – the trail test. I shared this in my recent jam making video on Instagram or Facebook here.

5. Pour the hot jam into hot sterilised jars (can also be frozen into portions), or heat process in a water bath preserver, holding at a boil for 15 minutes. Once cool, check the lids are vacuum sealed. Store the sealed jars in a cool pantry and use them within 6 months. Once opened, keep the jam refrigerated and consume in 1 month.  

*If you want to learn more about home preserving I am teaching my once-a-year online (via Zoom) preserving class next week – Wednesday 5th March, 7-9 pm – find more details here.

More Berry Recipes on Homegrown Kitchen

• Blackberry & Fennel Loaf with Berry Icing – This loaf is quite fabulous with pops of deep-flavoured blackberries and a subtle hint of fennel humming in the background.
• Blackberry, Walnut & Meringue Pudding – This dessert has three layers of deliciousness; a tender walnut cake, a rich blackberry compote, and a light meringue to top it off. It may look quite detailed but I assure you that it comes together easily.
• Berry Linzer Cookies – These cookies, inspired by the iconic Austrian Linzer Torte, are another use for a rich berry jam. Using brown sugar in these cookies provides a hint of molasses which goes well with the spices and the dark-hued berries.
• Blackberry & Bay Chocolate Brownie – Blackberry and bay are a wonderful match. I often add bay leaves to berry jam for a herbaceous almost spicy flavour. In this recipe, the bay leaves gently infuse the butter and chocolate.

Crumble Jam Bars

With school back some wholesome baking is a necessity to add to lunchboxes. These jam bars are a tasty addition that can be made all year with different jams. I am currently using homemade berry jam - the basic method above. The bars also make great hiking or picnic food. The rich berry is complemented with a hint of spice which I begin to use more often as we head into autumn. 

Servings 24 bars

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• ¾ cup (80g) rolled oats
• ½ cup (40g) desiccated coconut
• ½ cup (80g) packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 100 g butter, melted
• about 1 cup (250g) berry jam - I used homemade blackberry

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 170C (fan 150C). Line a 20cm square slice tray with baking paper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, coconut, sugar, sliced almonds, spice and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined.
• Tip ¾ of the crumble mixture into the prepared tin and evenly press into the base. Dollop the jam evenly over the crumble and spread out to the sides. Sprinkle the remaining crumble evenly over the jam and gently press to set it in place.
• Bake in the middle of the oven until the crumble is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Leave the slice to cool in the tin set on a cake rack.
• Once cool, hold the edges of the baking paper and lift the slice from the tin onto a chopping board. Use a large knife to slice into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container in the pantry and consume within 4 days.