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

 

Print

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

If there’s one thing I love about summer, it’s definitely the abundance of fresh summer fruit healthy snacks! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and those beautiful Flathead cherries are all favorites of mine to satisfy my sweet tooth, but also still toe the healthy line. These fruits are available at most Albertsons and Safeway stores within Missoula, but be sure to ask a store near you!

Speaking of which, did you know that “fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber? Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids.” Additionally, “eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for preventing disease.” (Source: Medical News Today)

The fruits that I picked up from Albertsons make it so easy to encourage healthy snacking. No chopping required! No baking in the heat of the summer! Just a good rinse under some water and you’re set to pop ’em in your mouth, or top off a healthy smoothie recipe. I shopped at Albertsons in my local Montana area to score these goodies, but you can also find a beautiful assortment of fresh, quality produce at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market and Tom Thumb.

I was pretty impressed by the quality of the fruits they offer at Albertsons. (And, when I went they had a 3 for $6 deal that was a pleasant surprise – keep in mind that this kind of deal may vary depending on where you’re located.) They were all beautiful, ripe, and the most important part, tasty! Flathead cherries weren’t yet in season when I made my fruit purchase, but definitely keep your eyes open for them as these gems will sell quickly! For all of you hikers out there, throwing some fresh fruit in my day pack is high on my list of essentials. I can tell you from experience there is absolutely nothing better than reaching the top of a peak after a grueling climb, plopping yourself down on a sun-warmed rock, whipping out a juicy strawberry or cherry and biting into that deliciousness as you survey the world from the tippy top of your new viewpoint.

And, if you’ve just spent a gorgeous day outside and would rather expend your energy anywhere else than on a grocery shopping excursion, don’t forget that Albertsons and Safeway also offer Grocery Delivery and Drive Up & Go for convenient ways to shop! Even better – keep an eye out for regular deals in their Albertsons weekly ad.

What are some of your favorite summer fruits? How do you love to use them and their easy pack-ability? How do you incorporate fruits in your healthy lifestyle? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Ah, summertime. It’s toasty hot, I’m usually pretty exhausted from long hours spent photographing in the relentless sun, and all I crave is, what feels like, bucket-fulls of fresh fruit. Enter this peach blackberry and strawberry fruit salad with basil, lime and pepper. So easy, so fast, and so bright with fresh flavor!

 I also love that this fruit salad takes the interest level up a notch by adding in the black pepper. Quite honestly, it may sound like a pretty odd addition to a fruit salad, but trust me – it’s a perfect pairing and gives it just a little kick to make your tastebuds really darn happy.

 As far as fruit salads go, this one scores top marks for me not only because of its great flavor, but for the fact that it’s not loaded with sugar, and uses mostly natural sugars already found in the fruit.

This comes together lickety-split, so do yourself and your tastebuds a favor and make it for dinner or your next picnic!

Peach Blackberry and Strawberry Fruit Salad with Basil, Lime and Pepper

 

Print

Prep time

25 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Salad

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 peaches (about 6 ounces each), halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 10 ounces (about 2 cups) blackberries
• 10 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise (about 2 cups)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Combine sugar, basil and pepper in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, press the mixture into the side of the bowl until sugar becomes damp, about 30 seconds.
2. Gently toss fruit with sugar mixture until combined. Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until fruit releases its juices, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in lime juice to taste and serve.

Notes

From The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.

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