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Hawthorn Jam Without Pits
Instructions
Before cooking, the hawthorn berries must be properly sorted, washed and dried on a clean kitchen towel. Cut off the stem ends and the dried calyx from both ends of each berry with a small sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
Remove all the pits from the prepared berries (alternatively you can cook the jam with the pits left in for a slightly different finished texture). Transfer the prepared pitted berries to a heavy-bottomed cooking pot, sprinkle with the required amount of sugar, and add the measured water.
Bring the jam mixture up to a gentle boil and continue cooking for 15 minutes total over low heat. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and let the jam rest undisturbed at room temperature for a full 24 hours.
After 24 hours of resting, the jam will already have acquired a beautiful amber hue, and the berries will have soaked thoroughly in the surrounding sweet syrup. The colour change signals that the proper traditional cooking process is working as intended.
Place the pot with the resting jam back on the stove and cook again on low heat for another 15 minutes. Then remove the jam from the heat and set it aside for another full 24 hours of resting at room temperature.
On the third day, the hawthorn jam will have acquired an even richer deeper amber colour. Cook the jam for the third and final time for 15 minutes after boiling. During this final cooking step, taste the jam and add the lemon acid (we added 1/4 teaspoon for the proper balanced acidity).
While the jam cooks for the third time, sterilize the prepared glass jars and metal lids using your preferred method (oven, steam or boiling water bath). Proper sterilization is essential for safe long-term storage.
Fill the prepared sterilized jars with the boiling jam and tightly screw on the metal lids immediately. Turn the sealed jars upside down on a clean towel and cover them with another towel and a thick blanket. Leave the jars in this position until completely cool to ensure proper vacuum sealing.
The hawthorn jam without pits is now ready for storage. Keep the cooled finished jars in a cool dark pantry until the cold weather arrives, when the beautifully sweet preserves will brighten any winter breakfast or tea time. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Forage hawthorn berries from properly clean unsprayed locations well away from busy roads, treated lawns and any areas where dogs or other animals regularly walk. Hawthorn berries absorb pesticides and pollution very readily through their delicate skin. Country fields, untreated meadows and your own pesticide-free garden are all genuinely excellent foraging spots. The berries ripen in autumn after the first frost, when the colour deepens and the flavour develops most fully.
- 2
Combine hawthorn with red currants, rowan berries or sea buckthorn berries for an even more nutritious and complex finished jam. To put your beautiful homemade hawthorn preserves to immediate good use in another homemade preparation, try our beautifully fragrant turmeric and ginger tea as a properly warming companion drink for cold winter mornings.
- 3
Sterilize the glass jars and metal lids thoroughly before filling for safe long-term storage, since improperly sterilized equipment can lead to dangerous spoilage. The triple-cooking technique with two 24-hour rests is also genuinely essential for proper preservation, since the repeated heating concentrates the syrup enough to prevent spoilage during the long pantry storage. Do not rush the resting periods between cooking steps.
- 4
Store the cooled finished jars in a cool dark pantry rather than in direct sunlight, since light exposure can degrade both the colour and the flavour of preserved fruits over time. For another beautifully traditional homemade preserve to add to your winter pantry, try our crowd-pleasing dandelion jam (dandelion honey) homemade easy and quick as a contrasting bright golden floral preserve.
FAQ
What are the health benefits of hawthorn? +
Hawthorn berries have been valued in traditional herbal medicine for centuries for their gentle support of cardiovascular health. The berries contain compounds called proanthocyanidins and flavonoids that may help support healthy blood pressure and circulation when consumed regularly. However, hawthorn jam is a sweetened preserve rather than a medicinal preparation, and the cooking and sugar content significantly reduce some of the original berry's medicinal properties. Always consult a qualified medical professional for any specific health concerns.
Can I cook this jam in a single session? +
Yes, but the result will be noticeably less concentrated and flavourful than the traditional triple-cooking version. For a single-session jam, simply increase the total cooking time to about 45-60 minutes after boiling and watch carefully for the proper thick consistency. The triple-cooking technique with two 24-hour rests genuinely produces a superior finished jam, since the resting periods allow the berries to absorb the syrup more thoroughly and develop the proper deep amber colour and concentrated flavour.
How long does this jam keep? +
Properly sealed in sterilized jars and stored in a cool dark pantry, hawthorn jam keeps beautifully for up to a full year. The flavour actually improves significantly during the first 2-3 months as the syrup penetrates the berries fully and the various spices and acids merge into a harmonious whole. Once a jar is opened, transfer to the refrigerator and use within 4 weeks for safety and best quality. Always check the jars before opening for any signs of spoilage.
Can I use frozen hawthorn berries? +
Absolutely. Frozen hawthorn berries work perfectly well in this recipe and produce broadly similar results to fresh berries. Thaw the frozen berries overnight in the refrigerator before starting the recipe, then drain off any excess liquid before sorting and pitting. Frozen berries actually release their juices more readily during the first cooking step than fresh berries do, which can produce a slightly thinner finished syrup. Reduce the added water slightly to compensate when using frozen berries.
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