This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the easiest things we can do with the abundance of summertime fresh produce (including fresh blackberries) is to make an easy, healthy blackberry jam with it! I’m also a fan of reducing the amount of refined sugar in my diet, so this recipe speaks to that desire by replacing refined sugar with nature’s candy – honey.

I shopped at Albertsons in my local Montana area to pick up these blackberries, but you can also find a beautiful assortment of fresh produce at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons.

The best part about this jam is the simple list of ingredients – blackberries and honey! And, really, you could use any summer fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or Flathead cherries are just a few that come to mind. As long as you can boil the fruit down and to a thicker, jam consistency, then you’re set!

Blackberries are particularly nice, though, because they naturally contain a higher amount of pectin than, say, strawberries, which helps the jam to thicken up. What exactly is pectin? Pectin is a carbohydrate found mostly in the skin and core of raw fruit. In nature, it functions as the structural “cement” that helps hold cell walls together. And, it also happens to help hold jams together, too!

Keep in mind that you’ll want to choose a pot with just a little extra headroom (about an inch or so is fine) because the blackberries will start bubbling and producing the prettiest, pinky-purple foam as they begin to cook down. If the bubbling bothers you, you can knock it back by stirring regularly. I used a 3-quart pot and had no issues when making the jam.

Did you know that blackberries are packed fully of Vitamin C? “Vitamin C is integral to collagen formation in bones, connective tissue, and blood vessels.” They’re also high in fiber, a great source of Vitamin K, high in manganese, they may boost brain health, and they help support oral health due to their anti-inflammatory qualities. Lastly, one cup of raw blackberries has only 62 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 14 carbs. (Source: Healthline) Pretty darn great if you ask me!

While most people use jam on toast or in sandwiches, you can always get creative with your jam in other ways too! This healthy blackberry jam is especially tasty on pancakes, muffins, and crepes, and I love to make a healthy dessert by swirling some into non-fat plain greek yogurt for a creamy, healthy treat.

If that sounds good to you, did you know that you can make it even easier on yourself with grocery delivery from Albertsons? Albertsons and Safeway also offer Grocery Delivery and Drive Up & Go for convenient ways to shop!

What sorts of things do you love to make with fresh blackberries? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Don’t forget to check Albertsons’ Weekly Ad for deals!

Healthy Blackberry Jam

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

32 mins

 

Easy, healthy blackberry jam makes summer produce the star and keeps refined sugar on the sidelines.

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Makes: Approximately 1.5 pints

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh blackberries (about 2½ pounds)
• ½ cup honey or 1 cup white sugar

Instructions

1. Wash the blackberries well. Add all fruit to a medium-sized sauce pot (about 3 quarts is good). Add the honey (or white sugar if you're using it in place of the honey) to the pot. Stir to combine.
2. Place the pot on medium to medium-low heat and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. (Stir to keep any bubbling down.) Remove the lid and allow the fruit to cook for another 20 minutes while you stir from time to time. Make sure the fruit doesn't scorch. If the fruit mixture looks too thin, keep cooking and monitoring regularly until it's a thicker consistency and most of the liquid has boiled off.
3. Once the jam is gelling, transfer to a glass container to cool. Once cooled, store in the fridge.

Notes

If your jam isn't coming together at 30 minutes, this likely means you're cooking at too low a temperature. But don't give up! Keep cooking until most of the liquid has cooked off and you're left with a jam consistency to your fruit.

If you'd like, you can squeeze 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into your blackberries at the start of your cooking, too.

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I woke up this morning to several inches of fluffy new snow adorning my house and neighborhood, which I think is pretty near utter perfection. There’s barely a green thing in sight and my garden is hibernating under mounds of snow. But all I could think about is just how much I was craving a taste of some bright and spicy guacamole – because nothing says “guacamole time” like feet of snow higher than my front porch, right?

I’m sure my craving for guacamole also has something to do with the fact that the Super Bowl is right around the corner, but that certainly wasn’t on my mind as I had to ask a friend, “Is the Super Bowl this coming Sunday?” I could practically hear her thinking, “Why yes, You-Who-Live-Under-a-Rock, of course!” (I don’t have cable and don’t watch the Super Bowl unless the Packers are in it – wah wahhhh sad trombone noise for their oh-so-close call to making it again.)

Anywho…Super Bowl or not, guacamole was going to be made today. I had several avocados who had not yet sacrificed themselves to some avocado toast, and the cilantro in my fridge was calling out to me. It was time.

 This guacamole is one of my all time favorite recipes. Yes, you probably really don’t *need* a recipe for guacamole, but I really dig this one, and wanted to share it with you all, too. It’s super simple, can easily be doubled (and probably should be doubled, if not quadrupled, because it’s just. that. good), and it’s full of fresh, bright flavor that can transport you to breezy summer days, even if you are peering out into feet and feet of beautiful fresh snow.

 I also adore this recipe because it’s got a little kick to it too from the entire jalapeño that hangs out alongside the rest of the ingredients. If you’re not a fan of heat in your guac, you can always reduce the amount of jalapeño that’s added, or omit it entirely. But it’s nothing too terrible if you decide to leave it in. It just adds a little punch, and, to be totally honest here, I like having that extra spice in it to keep me from eating the entire lot of it – plus there are additional health benefits to spice, too.

 I’m also a huge, HUGE fan of cilantro. While I realize there are basically two camps with regard to the use of cilantro (Those who LOVE it vs. Those who LOATHE it), I fall firmly in the love, love, love it camp. But, if you’re a loather, you could also reduce the amount of cilantro in the recipe, or remove it altogether if you truly do hate it. As an interesting side note, if you loathe cilantro (and maybe think it tastes like, egads! soap), did you know it may be a genetic thing that you really can’t help? And, as a side note to the side note, that link features a video made by Missoula’s own Hank Green – kinda nifty, eh?

So, what are you waiting for? Add a little brightness and spice to your day and whip up a batch or two of this bright and spicy guacamole – fair warning though…you *may* not want to share with others.

Bright and Spicy Guacamole

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Condiment

Makes: 4

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice (about half a lime)
• ⅔ to 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• ¼ red onion, roughly diced
• 1 medium to large jalapeño, deseeded and roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl. Use an immersion blender to combine ingredients to your desired consistency.
2. Store in an airtight container with a layer of plastic wrap placed on top of the surface of the guacamole to ensure maximum freshness. Refrigerate.

Notes

You could also use a food processor to combine your ingredients if you don't have an immersion blender.
If you don't have an immersion blender or a food processor, finely chop all ingredients and then mash and stir together with a fork.
Adapted from a Food Fanatic recipe.

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