Huckleberry-Raspberry Jam
When my husband and I were dating I went to a family birthday party at his brother’s house. As ice cream was being served, my sister-in-law yelled across the room “Tiff, do you want huckleberries on your ice cream?!”
“Ummm…what’s a huckleberry?”
Cue silence followed by gasps of disbelief by every adult present.
“You can’t be part of this family if you don’t like huckleberries!” (same sister-in-law)
“Of course I want them on my ice cream! I just don’t know what they are…are they the made-up berries from Willy Wonka?” (I’m still very confused as to why these tiny berries are so important.)
Luckily my now-husband saved me amidst the groans and explained: at the beginning of every August his family goes to the small town in Idaho that his Dad grew up in. They trudge all over the mountains near their ancestral home. They are looking for the perfect huckleberry patch. this can take quite some time as they drive over rutted dirt roads, stopping every half mile to get out and examine the prospects of each patch of huckleberry plants. Once a patch is found the family descends with their buckets to pick the tiny, plump, sweet and tart berries until fingers are purple and bellies are hungry for something more substantial than berries. After a break for lunch, the highly committed folks continue picking. Everyone enjoys the time together, the mountains, and the memories being made.
I have since joined the family on several of these huckleberry excursions. And now that we live in Montana, we have carried on the tradition of huckleberry-picking here. There’s the traditional contests: who can cover the bottom of their bucket first, who picked the most berries, whose fingers are most purple. I love every bit of it.
We picked several quarts On our 2023 huckleberry adventure. The big question is what to do with these precious berries. We had enough huckleberries that I decided we would combine our foraging efforts with the fruits of our garden for huckleberry-raspberry jam.
Huckleberries galore!
You can find huckleberry bushes all over the Pacific-northwest mountain area: Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and into Canada.
This kid never gives up! He’ll continue picking when everyone else is done.
The Jamming Process
To make the jam, start with ripe huckleberries, raspberries, and white sugar. Stir them all together on the stovetop. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly so the bottom doesn’t burn. After 5 minutes of boiling, take the pot off the heat and add a 3oz box of raspberry jello powder. Stir for another 5 minutes. Carefully ladle into sterilized mason jars. Clean any spilled jam off the rim of the jars. Gently place new (clean) lids on. Place in a water bath (yes, cover those jars with about an inch of water and boil) according to your elevation. After they’ve finished their water bath time, remove each jar of jam with a jar lifter and let rest undisturbed for 12-24 hours to set completely. Enjoy on toast, muffins, scones, or anything your heart desires.
Huckleberry-Raspberry Jam
Equipment
- Mason jars and lids
- Large pot for hot water bath
Ingredients
- 4½ Cups huckleberries
- 6 Cups raspberries
- 5 Cups white sugar
- 1 box raspberry jello 3oz
Instructions
- Combine huckleberries, raspberries, and sugar in a large pot on the stove top set to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add the raspberry jello. Stir for 5 minutes.
- Ladle into sterilized glass (Mason) jars. Carefully wipe up any spills.
- Seal with a water bath. Leave undisturbed for 12-24 hours to set.
Meanwhile…focusing on berry picking is really difficult when there are trees to climb.
I love how easy this recipe looks and your sweet family adventure collecting the berries! Will have to try with our currants (or what’s left of them!)