Grapefruit Rosemary Jam is a unique twist on regular jam – Grapefruit infused with the earthy flavor and aroma of fresh rosemary!
Grapefruits grow well and abundantly here in the heat of Phoenix. Who would have known that hot, dry weather could produce such huge, juicy citrus fruits?
Just this past Christmas, I was given a few bags of grapefruit from my kids Sunday School teacher at church. I never turn down free citrus, and since I love to can jam and jelly and make a host of other foods, I was eager to take her up on her offer.
I pulled those huge, heavy bags out of my truck just a few days after Christmas; as I watched the rain pouring outside, I spent the afternoon making this grapefruit rosemary jam. I would have never thought of this combination — but it’s amazing. The flavor of the rosemary infused in the grapefruit takes the edge off the grapefruit and turns it into a delicious spread for your favorite bread.
Whether that be sourdough bread…
- Or English muffins
- Or even fresh popovers
Who am I to lie – any bread is DELICIOUS bread.
You can make this jam with half pint jars, or stretch it out further into jelly jars if you plan on giving as gifts. This recipe makes 8 jelly jars, or 4 half pint jars.
GRAPEFRUIT ROSEMARY JAM
Prepare your canning jars, lids and rings by placing in a pot of boiling water or in your oven at 220 degrees F until you are ready to fill.
Supreme the Grapefruit:
Trim the top and bottom of your grapefruit. Set cut side up. Slice lengthwise between flesh and peel, remove the peel and pith. Hold fruit over the bowl to catch the juice. Slice lengthwise between 1 segment and the membrane until you reach the center of the fruit.
Make a similar slice on the other side of the segment. Use the blade of the knife to remove the segment. Repeat. Once all the segments have been removed, squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl. Discard the membrane, set aside the seeds.
Make the Jam:
Combine the juice and meat into a large stockpot. Add the pectin.
Take the seeds you collected and place them in a tea ball or muslin bag (tie it tight); the seeds will help extract a little extra pectin. To the same muslin bag, add the rosemary sprigs – or, pluck the rosemary off and place in the tea ball (so you won’t have to fish out later).
Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes. Remove the tea ball/muslin bag and set aside. Add the sugar, then return the mixture to a full rolling boil until it reaches a temp of 220 degrees F; boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Process the Jam:
Place jars in your water bath canner on an elevated rack. Lower the rack into the canner with the hot water. Add water around the jars so that the water covers the jars by at least 1″ (jars should not be touching). Cover the canner with the lid. Process the jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes – the time starts when the water starts to boil.
Adjustments for Altitude:
- 1,001 – 3,000 feet: 10 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: additional 15 minutes
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet: additional 20 minutes
- 8,001 to 10,000 feet: 25 minutes
After the jars have processed, carefully remove them from the water bath canner and allow them to stand upright on a towel as they cool. Let the jars sit, undisturbed for up to 24 hours. The jars will seal as they cool (you will hear a “ping”) – avoid pushing the lid down on the center of the jar until the jars are completely cooled. The jam may take up to 24 hours to set.
Once cooled, check the seal by pushing the middle of the lid with your finger – it should not bounce back. If it does, the jars are not sealed and will need to be reprocessed. If you don’t want to reprocess, you can refrigerate those jars and use them first.
Label your jars and store in a cool pantry for up to 12 months. Once opened, refrigerated jars may be used within 3 weeks.
Grapefruit Rosemary Jam
Equipment
- 4 half pint canning jars, lids and rings (or 8 jelly jars)
- large stock pot
- Ladle
- Water Bath Canner
Ingredients
- 4.5 C granulated sugar
- 9 large grapefruit
- 1 ea lemon
- 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
Sterilize your Jars
- Prepare your canning jars, lids and rings by placing in a pot of boiling water or in your oven at 220 degrees F until you are ready to fill.
Supreme your grapefruit
- Trim the top and bottom of your grapefruit. Set cut side up. Slice lengthwise between flesh and peel, remove the peel and pith.
- Hold fruit over the bowl to catch the juice. Slice lengthwise between 1 segment and the membrane until you reach the center of the fruit.
- Make a similar slice on the other side of the segment. Use the blade of the knife to remove the segment. Repeat.
- Once all the segments have been removed, squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl. Discard the membrane, set aside the seeds.
Combine into a Large Pot:
- Combine the juice and meat into a large stockpot. Add the pectin.
- Take the seeds you collected and place them in a tea ball or muslin bag (tie it tight); the seeds will help extract a little extra pectin. To the same muslin bag, add the rosemary sprigs - or, pluck the rosemary off and place in the tea ball (so you won't have to fish out later).
- Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes. Remove the tea ball/muslin bag and set aside.
- Add the sugar. Return mixture to a full rolling boil; boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Immediately ladle jam into hot, sterilized, half pint canning jars. Allow 1/4 inch headspace per jar. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (start timing when water starts to boil).
- Remove jars from canner; cool on counter or wire rack. As jars cool, they will seal (you will hear them "ping"). Jars may take up to 24 hours to seal - once sealed, lids will not bounce back when pushed down. Recipe makes 4 half pints
Notes
ADJUSTMENTS FOR ALTITUDE:
- 1,001 – 3,000 feet: 10 minutes
- 3,001 to 6,000 feet: additional 15 minutes
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet: additional 20 minutes
- 8,001 to 10,000 feet: 25 minutes
Looking for more Jelly and Jam recipes?
You might want to try any of these below:
- Prickly Pear Jelly
- Lavender Jelly
- Brandied Apple Jam
- Old Fashioned Grape Jam
- Spicy Red Pepper Jam
- Tomato Basil Jam
Did you make this recipe? Please take a second and rate the recipe and leave a comment with any changes you may have made.
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