I’ve been blessed with a sister that picks berries and makes jam every year!! More importantly she blesses me and my family with her unconditional and friendship, but let’s not dismiss the fact that I always have a few jars of homemade jam!! And it’s delicious jam!!
 This year I completely missed the berry picking season. I’m going to blame it on the drought that’s going on in CA and the short picking season. Or maybe just a busy life. I don’t know, but sadly I have no berries in my freezer for cobbler making. My sister however, planned a little better than I did, and got to the berry farm a week before me and managed to get enough to make her luscious sweet jam!
This year she used a different Pectin and was able to reduce the amount of sugar she used. This might have been her best ever! It was sweet, yet still a tad bit tart. Made from fresh picked Olallieberries, which are a slightly tart berry, this recipe was perfect!
Wikipedia: The olallieberry (pronounced oh-la-leh, sometimes spelled ollalieberry, olallaberry, olalliberry, ollalaberry or ollaliberry) is a cross between the loganberry and the youngberry, each of which is itself a cross between blackberry and another berry (raspberry and dewberry, respectively).
The original cross was made in 1935 by S. J. Harvey with the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), who ran the cooperative blackberry breeding program between the USDA-ARS and Oregon State University. Selected in 1937 and tested in Oregon, Washington and California as “Oregon 609”, it was named “Olallie” and released in 1950. While developed in Oregon, it has never been very productive there and is therefore primarily grown in California.
“Olallie” means berry in the Chinook jargon.
Olallie Lake in Oregon’s Cascade Range is named after the Chinook term due to the abundance of berries in that area.
Did you happen to notice the cute little jam knife? My super talented and creative friend Amy made it. And I knew I had to have it! You can find her store HERE.
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Olallieberry Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed fruit
- 3/4-2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp pectin Pomona Pectin
- 2 tsp *calcium water
Instructions
- *Calcium water: put 1/2 tsp white calcium powder and 1/2 cup water in a small, clear jar with lid. Shake well.
- Wash and rinse jars. Let stand in hot water.
- Bring lids to boil, turn off heat, let stand in hot water. Wash screw bands, set aside.
- Prepare fruit by removing (if needed) and mashing.
- Measure fruit into pan, add *calcium water, stir well.
- Measure sugar into separate bowl. Stir pectin powder into sugar and mix well.
- Bring fruit to a full boil.
- Add sugar/pectin, stirring well to dissolve while mixture returns to full boil. Remove from heat.
- Fill jars to 1/4" of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids.
- Put filled jars in boiling water to cover.
- Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from water.
- Let jars cool.
- Check seals: lids should be sucked down (you'll hear the pop sound).
- Store for up to 1 year (stored in cool pantry).
- Lasts 3 weeks once opened (keep in refrigerator once opened).
Hi Renee, how interesting is that, needless to say I have never heard of that berry before, but your jam looks and sounds delicious. I will have to try it substituting another berry. thanks
Yum…this jam looks amazing…I wish there was a picture of the berry so I would know which berry is it…I honestly have never heard of it.
I have never come across these berries but the color of the jam is striking. I can only imagine what it tastes like.
I’ve never heard of this berry before but the jam sure looks GOOD! I can’t wait to make jam this fall 🙂 Beautiful photographs!!
This is one gorgeous looking jam! I make jams at home too 🙂 I’ve never heard of these berries ever before so thanks a lot for introducing us to this fruit; will google for the picture of it 🙂
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I found your blog through the FBC Yum & Stumble Sunday. I love this post, it’s perfectly curated, I really like the styling and the jam recipe looks amazing!
I was about to comment on your Facebook post, but had to visit your blog with hopes that you would have a description of what type of berries these were. And, behold, you did! Thank you! 🙂
Never had this berry, but this jam looks so delicious! Pinned!
I’d like some croissants with my jam! Gorgeous photos!!
I tried olallie berries once while berry picking in Santa Cruz and they were so delicious! Sadly, they weren’t for sale but hopefully I can find somewhere that does sell them because this jam look to-die-for!
Emily, do you live near Santa Cruz?? And, the jam was delicious!
I’ve never heard of Olallieberry before, but I’m sooo intrigued! Thanks for this jam recipe!
I added the full half cup of calcium water on accident. I think you should consider rewriting the recipe to make it more clear that after you mix the calcium water you’re supposed to measure the 2 tsps needed from that.