How to Make Mulberry Jam

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Learn how to make mulberry jam. This mulberry jam recipe is simple to make, not too sweet, and preserves the very special taste of mulberries. It’s a favorite spring and summer jam!


My childhood memories include a whole lot of mulberries. I grew up in Israel, in a small place called a Kibbutz. If you are not familiar with a Kibbutz, it’s basically a self-sustained commune (or… used to be). Fruit trees are everywhere in Israel. In our Kibbutz, we had a ton of mulberry trees… Small mulberries, long mulberries, white mulberries, purple mulberries…

As kids growing up in a safe, small village we used to skip classes and go wandering around all the time. You could find us in different places depending on the season. We’d go to the pool, climb the hay bales, take a nap on the piles of fresh cotton, or go hang out with the horses… But during the month of May, we were at the mulberries. We’d climb the trees, we’d climb on top of roofs, we’d climb on top of each other… Anything to get to the mulberries.

Mulberry Jam Recipe…

mulberry jam ready for canning

I think I’ve eaten more mulberries than rice in my life. A few months after I purchased my land here in NC, I met with our local cooperative extension agent to discuss farming possibilities. The original plan was to plant a few acres with pecan trees, but I also wanted to explore different options. So I asked him about mulberries. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind and told me that mulberries are considered a weed here in the South.

SAY WHAT!? Did you lose your mind?  I didn’t say that out loud…

Have you ever tried mulberry jam? I did say that out loud…

As much as I tried I couldn’t convince the guy that he is missing a very important berry in this berry-full state of North Carolina. Deep inside, I know that there is a huge market for mulberry jam because after you try it you’ll forget all about strawberries, blueberries, or whatever else ends with berries…

Anyway, that year we happened to be visiting Israel right in time for mulberry harvest. My kids went crazy for the berries just like I used to in the past (and the present!). We ate and ate and ate until our tummies hurt.  And then, I made the kids pick some more berries so I could make mulberry jam.

Ingredients For Mulberry Jam…

  • Mulberries – feel free to use any kind of mulberry that you can get your hands on. They should be ripe and juicy and sweet, but other than that the variety doesn’t matter. The mulberries that you’ll see me use in this post are the Pakistani mulberries.
  • Sugar – traditional jam is made with one part fruit and one part sugar. This is simply too much sugar for me so I cut it in half. So, whatever amount of fruit you want to process (I don’t recommend processing more than 4 pounds at a time), use half of it’s weight in sugar for one part fruit, one-half part sugar ratio.
  • Lemon juice – to add a bit of acidity.
  • Lemon seeds – since we are not using a ratio of one part fruit to one part sugar, we can’t use store bought pectin. There is no reason though. Lemon seeds have natural pectin in them, so we’ll add 4 or 5 of them towards the end of cooking.

Kitchen Tools…

**Note – since I made this jam in Israel and not in my own home I didn’t have all of my canning equipment so I didn’t can this jam. We just kept it in the fridge and it was gone very quickly. I will give you instructions on how to can it though, in case you want to do that. I am guessing that you’ll probably get 5-6 half pints from 2 pounds of fruit.

How to Make Mulberry Jam…

Step one – prep the mulberries. Wash the mulberries well. Then, use a knife to remove the stems. It’s hard and not much fun to eat. Add the mulberries to the bowl of a food processor and process them for a couple of minutes…

mulberries and sugar in a pan

Step two – bring mulberries and sugar to a boil. Add the mulberries (and their juice) to the pan and then add the sugar. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for five minutes.

Step three – reduce the juice. Lower the heat to medium-low. Keep cooking, stirring frequently for about 25 minutes (juice will reduce by about 50%). After about 25 minutes, you’ll notice that the jam starts to thicken but probably hasn’t gelled yet…

Step four – add lemon juice and seeds. Add the juice of half a lemon and about 5 lemon seeds and stir them in. Now, cook the jam, stirring frequently, until it reaches your desired consistency. It should take an additional 15 minutes or so.

If you aren’t sure when the jam is ready, you can do the spoon test. Scoop some jam with a spoon and set it on a plate on the kitchen counter to cool for five minutes. Then add it back to the pan and as the jam leaves the spoon you’ll be able to measure its thickness better. Just remember that the jam will keep thickening a little bit more as it cools in the jars.

How to Can Mulberry Jam…

You can can mulberry jam the same exact way that you can strawberry jam or mixed berry jam

  1. While the jam is cooking, fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least an inch. Set it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high. Bring the water in the canner to a gentle boil.
  2. Wash the jars, lids, and rings well with hot water and soap. Since we are going to process this jam in the canner for more than ten minutes, there is no need to sanitize the jars.
  3. Use a ladle and canning funnel to fill the jars with the jam leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
  4. Use the bubble remover to remove bubbles by scraping it along the inside of the jar. Then use a clean, damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before centering the lid and closing the jar with the ring finger tight.
  5. Set the jars on the rack of the water bath canner and lower the rack into the boiling water. Process the jars for 15 minutes. Remember to adjust processing time according to the table below if you live in altitudes above 1,000 feet in elevation.
  6. Once processing time is over, use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner. Set them on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool completely, undisturbed, overnight.
Altitude adjustment table for water bath canning.

Storing Canned Mulberry Jam…

Once the jam has completely cooled, make sure that the jars are sealed before storing them. You can do that by pressing the center of each lid. If there is no movement there it means that the jar is sealed. Remove the rings (because they rust and stick) and wipe your jars. Store them in a pantry or a kitchen cabinet for up to 18 months.

serving mulberry jam with sour cream

How to Serve Mulberry Jam…

  • With sour cream – it’s the simplest and most amazing dessert! Just add a few tablespoons of sour cream to a bowl and then add a couple of tablespoons of mulberry jam on top. Dig in, it’s so so good!
  • With yogurt – another favorite! Add some yogurt to a bowl (here is how to make yogurt from store-bought milk or raw milk), add some homemade granola, and some mulberry jam. It’s an easy, filling, and healthy breakfast.
  • In a sandwich – add mulberry jam to a sandwich (this simple homemade artisan bread is a favorite around here!) with nut butter or seed butter. Or add it on top of a bagel spread with cream cheese.
  • Use in baked goods – this jam can be made pretty thick so it’s easy to use it in baked goods. My favorite are mulberry thumbprint cookies.
  • A a sauce – add some jam into a sauce pan and add a little bit of water to thin it. Then use it as sauce for ice cream, pancakes, French crepes, French toast and so on.

Frequently Asked Questions…

Can I season this jam?

Mulberries have such a delicious flavor that I usually don’t add anything else, however, vanilla extract can work well. You can add just a couple of teaspoons once the jam is ready.

Do you remove the lemon seeds before canning the jam?

I don’t. I leave the seeds in the jam. They don’t break down, don’t change the taste of the jam no matter how long it stays on the shelf and once you stop cooking the jam they don’t keep thickening it. You can, however, fish them out when the jam is ready if you’d like, they are usually easy to find.

Can I follow this recipe with other fruit?

Honestly… Any fruit! If you find yourself with plums, peachesgrapeskiwioranges… Follow this recipe and it should work every time. Just take into consideration that cooking times will probably change depending on how juicy your fruit is.

Can I adjust the quantities of the ingredients?

Yes, and it’s very easy. Just follow a ratio of one part fruit to one-half part sugar. So if you have 2 pounds of fruit, use one pound of sugar. The only thing that is going to change is the cooking time. And if you make a smaller batch, you can simply keep it in the fridge, it should last for weeks.


I hope you know how lucky you are if you can get your hands on some mulberries! Maybe you happen to have a mulberry tree or maybe you know where there is one that you can pick… If you haven’t tried making mulberry jam yet I sure hope that you will soon! It’s delicious and easy and truly a spring favorite. Also, make sure to try making mulberry pie!

More Jam Recipes…

mulberry jam ready for canning

Mulberry Jam Recipe

Yield: 3 half pint jars (or so)...
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Processing Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A delicious and easy to make mulberry jam recipe with less sugar than traditional jam.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb mulberries, washed and top part of the stem removed
  • 1 lb sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 4-5 lemon seeds

Instructions

  1. Process the mulberries in a food processor for a couple of minutes.
  2. Add the mulberries to a wide and shallow pot and add the sugar. Bring to a boil, stir frequently. Let the mixture boil for five minutes.
  3. Lower the heat to medium and keep cooking while frequently stirring for about 25 minutes or until the juice reduces by about 50%.
  4. Add the lemon juice and lemon seeds and stir them in. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the jam reaches your desired consistency.
  5. To can this mulberry jam... While the jam is cooking, fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least an inch. Set it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high. Bring the water in the canner to a gentle boil.
  6. Wash the jars, lids, and rings well with hot water and soap. Since we are going to process this jam in the canner for more than ten minutes, there is no need to sanitize the jars.
  7. Use a ladle and canning funnel to fill the jars with the jam leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
  8. Use the bubble remover to remove bubbles by scraping it along the sides of the jar. Then, use a clean, damp paper towel to clean the rim of the jar before centering the lid and closing the jar with the ring finger tight.
  9. Set the jars on the rack of the water bath canner and lower the rack into the boiling water. Process the jars for 15 minutes. Remember to adjust processing time according to the table below (in the notes) if you live in altitudes above 1,000 feet in elevation.
  10. Once processing time is over, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and let sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Use the jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner. Set them on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool completely, undisturbed, overnight.
  11. Check that the jars have sealed. Remove the rings (because they rust and stick), wipe the jars and store them in the pantry or a kitchen cabinet for up to 18 months.

Notes

Adjust canning processing time according to the table below...

Frequently Asked Questions...

    1. Can I season this jam?
      Mulberries have such a delicious flavor that I usually don’t add anything else, however, vanilla extract can work well. You can add just a couple of teaspoons once the jam is ready.
    2. Do you remove the lemon seeds before canning the jam?
      I don’t. I leave the seeds in the jam. They don’t break down, don’t change the taste of the jam no matter how long it stays on the shelf and once you stop cooking the jam they don’t keep thickening it. You can, however, fish them out when the jam is ready if you’d like, they are usually easy to find.
    3. Can I follow this recipe with other fruit? Honestly… Any fruit! If you find yourself with plums, peaches, grapes, kiwi, oranges… Follow this recipe and it should work every time. Just take into consideration that cooking times will probably change depending on how juicy your fruit is.
    4. Can I adjust the quantities of the ingredients?
      Yes, and it’s very easy. Just follow a ratio of one part fruit to one-half part sugar. So if you have 2 pounds of fruit, use one pound of sugar. The only thing that is going to change is the cooking time. And if you make a smaller batch, you can simply keep it in the fridge, it should last for weeks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1 half pint jar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 802Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 83mgCarbohydrates: 206gFiber: 10gSugar: 189gProtein: 6g

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24 thoughts on “How to Make Mulberry Jam”

  1. Barbara Adleman

    I came across your site a couple of years ago and I grew up canning everything. Loved the story about mulberry trees. When my son and his family moved a mile down the road from us on 12 acres, they have 2 mulberry trees. When they are at work and kids are in school, I go down and let my granddogs out. That’s when I found the mulberry trees. I live in Michigan and I didn’t know what they were. Had to look them up online. I make strawberry jam almost every year and now I want to try the mulberry jam. I usually just eat them while the dogs are out playing and wondered how they would be for jam. So, I’ll let you know how they turn out. They are the small ones and taste great. Also, thanks for the raspberry canning recipe. Going to try that recipe too when they are in season here. I usually use the Sure Jell boxed stuff, but like your recipe better.

    1. Barbara, consider yourself a very lucky girl and get ready for out-of-this-world goodness! Mulberry jam is one of my favorites!
      I am writing this to you from Israel. I am visiting family and what do you know, it’s mulberry season! I’ve ate so many already, lol!
      Thanks for stopping by!

  2. Hi there! We have a very mature mulberry tree and we are so tired of it staining our deck and patio! I thought if it could be a food source maybe we could be a bit more tolerant! Well, I found your recipe and just finished a small batch. Delicious! One caution…when it came time to add the 4 or 5 lemon seeds, MY LEMON HAD NO SEEDS! I quickly cut another one and NO SEEDS. So a quick search showed there is pectin in the lemon pith so I added some of that. We will see how it sets. Thank you for a recipe even a cooking challenged guy could follow. Regards, Mike

    1. Mike, you own a gold mine! Pleassssee don’t get rid of the tree. There are so many amazing recipes. I just planted on a couple of weeks ago. I hope it will catch and I’ll have many berries in the next couple of years. I plan to post many more mulberry recipes so please check back!
      I’m so happy you liked this recipe and thank for stopping by!

  3. I followed
    a different recipe.? it said to bring to a boil stirring then cook for 1 minutes or until sugar melts..everything looked good it tasted great before I canned it then opened a jar tasted I can taste the sugar ..isn’t completely melted.. can I rebook it to melt the sugar in and recan it? It was 2 lbs. Of mulberries

  4. Dianna L Davis

    Hello, fellow homesteader from WV here. Im always looking for new recipes to try and your Mulberry Jam recipe looked so tasty and has simple natural ingredients. I can’t wait to try it with the mulberries I just picked from our tree. It was a volunteer that came up in edge of the pasture the about 20 years ago. The berries on it are anywhere from 1- 2″ long and dark purple when ripe. We are blessed with wild blackberries, black raspberries , huckleberries and elderberries , muscadine grapes, persimmons and pawpaws here, maybe that’s why West Virginia is called Almost Heaven.

    1. Blessed indeed! I’ll welcome a mulberry volunteer any day! I hope that you’d like the jam. It’s one of my favorites.

  5. I was fascinated to see another type of mulberry, we have a huge tree growing and hordes of fruit each year. I make jam using an electric jam maker, and people just love it, as do my family. Thank you, if I ever get to North Carolina again I shall be on the look out for your spefic fruit/ ours are like little blueberries .I am not good enough on the computer to send you a photo.Thank you for sharing.

    1. I envy you for having a mulberry tree, and kind! It’s such an amazing fruit. I hope to plant one next spring. I made jam with different kinds of mulberries and it always turns out good. I’ve never used an electric jam maker before though!

  6. Thank you so much for this recipe! Been looking for an easy mulberry jam recipe for a while. I have a huge old tree on our property and every year I try new recipes and yours is a standout! I added rose water at end and it is so delicious. Can imagine it would be good with goats cheese on a platter.

    1. Never thought about adding rose water! What a great idea. I’ll try it next time for sure.
      I envy you for that mulberry tree! I might plant one this year. And, yes, it is really good with goat cheese!

      1. J & J Nursery, Jurupa Valley, CA (Southern California)
        carries Pakistan Mulberry trees.
        That’s where I purchased mine a couple of years ago.

  7. Just by reading your post I got my mouth watering- I will get some mulberries from a tree that is planted in a plot near home and try your recipe –
    By the way I live in Delhi, I am Italian and I have a grand child that will love such recipes

    1. Oh, he would love it! And you would too if you like mulberries. It’s funny, but from all the berries there are those, which are considered a weed, are my favorite!

    2. I’m eager to make this recipe! Mulberries are on here in the Iowa! Just curious what the lemon seeds are for?
      Thank you!

      1. Since my jams are low in sugar, I can’t use store-bought pectin, so instead, to help the jam gel, I use lemon seeds. They are rich in natural pectin and help the jam gel. You can remove them when the jam is ready or leave them in the jam, it doesn’t matter.

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