Tart and fruity, this Apple Blackberry Curd is easy to make and perfect for preserve-making. And NOT just for Autumn. Delicious with toast, shortbread or to give as a food gift.
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Apple Blackberry Curd – Autumn in a jar
My Apple Blackberry Curd is like spooning Autumn from a jar. Tart and fruity with the flavours of late Summer hedgerows and Autumn orchards, it is absolutely delicious with the most perfect hue. Originally adapted from my wonderful recipe for Rhubarb Curd back in 2013, it has stood the test of time. But whether you make it with scrumped, foraged, frozen or fresh-bought fruit, I promise this is one recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Because once you have a jar of Apple Blackberry Curd in one hand… all you’ll want is a spoon in the other.
Not just for Autumn…
Just to be clear though… Apple Blackberry Curd isn’t just for Autumn. It’s the perfect curd to make all year round, because frozen (and even tinned) fruit are just as good as fresh! And although apples are freely available in supermarkets all year, blackberries are often better sourced frozen. (You can forage, pick and freeze you own in Autumn… Tips and tricks here!)
What are the best Apples for making curd?
As with most baking and cooking recipes, the best apples for making Apple Curd are ones grown for the job… Cooking apples! Although actually, the best apples are not always grown as ‘cooking’ apples, but what they have in common is a tartness and depth of flavour and a willingness not to turn to mush at the first connection with heat and water. I used Bramley Apple for my Curd.
Is Apple Blackberry Curd easy to make?
Yes… Well, I think so anyway… As long as you are patient with the stirring and willing to develop some arm muscles… And that’s for two reasons. Apple Blackberry Curd has two stages where willingness is a necessity (although neither process in itself requires any skill…)
- After the fruit has been cooked and puréed, it needs to be forced through a sieve. Determination pays here… The more liquid fruit you can get, the better the curd!
- Curd MUST be cooked low and SLOW and must be CONTINUALLY stirred… Turn up the heat too much and you’ll get scrambled egg. Stop stirring and the curd will be lumpy. We’re talking at least 15 minutes of arm-power!
The rest is a doddle…
What do I need to make this recipe?
The key equipment needed to make Apple Blackberry Curd (or indeed any curd) is as follows:
- Jam Jars with tight-fitting lids. These can be old ones that have been saved for re-use… Or fancier ones if you are giving as gifts. I particularly like these little Kilner jars for present-giving.
- Baking tray and oven – for sterilising the jars (important if you want the curd to stay fresh).
- A decent blender for creating a super-smooth fruit purée.
- Good, strong sieve (it will take a lot of pushing behind it!).
- A jug or bowl to collect the apple and blackberry purée.
- Large, sturdy heavy-bottomed saucepan on which to balance a large Pyrex bowl – This acts as a double saucepan, which is essential for cooking the curd slowly.
- Solid wooden or silicone spoon.
- A hob for cooking the curd.
How to serve Apple Blackberry Curd
Grab a spoon and scoop! 😂🤭 Yes… it’s been known at GFHQ. But on a more serious note, here are a few ways to enjoy Apple Blackberry Curd…
- Slathered on a toasted slice of fresh, homemade Gluten Free Wholemeal Bread.
- Spread across a soft and fluffy homemade Gluten Free Baguette.
- Served with some Traditional Hot Cross Buns.
- Spooned onto gluten free Almond Shortbread or Maple Shortbread. Or then again… It also pairs to perfection with Hazelnut Shortbread too!
- In place of the jam in Viennese Whirls.
- Mixed into butter-icing and layered in a glorious Autumn-themed Vanilla Sponge Cake.
- An alternative topping for Vanilla Panna Cotta.
- Layered with granola and yoghurt in Yoghurt Dessert Pots and Shots.
- Trifled with genoise sponges, fruit, cream and custard for a perfect pudding.
- As a sub for jam in Mini Jam Tarts.
- Used to fill easy Puff Pastry Vol-Au-Vents.
- Or simply filled into pretty Kilner jars, tied with ribbon and tags and give as the most appreciated foodie gifts (whether Christmas, birthdays or just because…).
Ready to make Apple Blackberry Curd?
I hope you love my Apple Blackberry Curd. It’s always nice to try a familiar jar of something with a new flavour… If you have any questions, do shout! You can leave a comment, contact me by email, or social media (Facebook; Instagram; Pinterest; Twitter).
And of course… If you need great gluten free recipes, we have hundreds of them at Gluten Free Alchemist… Just head over to our ‘Recipe Book’ Index and browse. There’s so much inspiration, you’ll hopefully full find something you love… And if there’s something you want that isn’t there, let me know!
All shared for FREE with my love.
Other divine Blackberry Recipes you’ll love…
Apple Blackberry Curd
Key equipment
- jam jars
- Oven
- large saucepan
- sieve
- food processor/blender
- jug or bowl
- large pyrex bowl
- hob
Ingredients
- 1 large cooking apple (eg Bramley) peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
- 300 g blackberries fresh (washed) or frozen
- 3 tbsp water
- 120 g caster sugar superfine sugar
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs At room temperature – beaten (UK large = Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
Instructions
Sterilise Jars
- Wash the jam jars and lids in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Do not dry.
- Wash any silicone seals (from Kilner jars) separately with hot soapy water and set aside.
- Place the clean jars and their lids (but not the silicone seals from Kilner jars) into a cold oven on a baking tray and turn the oven on to 170 C/325 F/Gas 3. Allow to heat whilst you make your puree. Once the oven has reached temperature, the jars should be allowed to heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once the jars have sterilised, turn off the oven, but leave the jars to cool in the oven, until ready to use.
Preparing the fruit
- Place the prepared apple and the blackberries into a saucepan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
- Add 3 tablespoons of cold water and set on the hob over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring.
- Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until the fruit has cooked through and is soft enough to crush with the back of the spoon.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Once cool, puree the fruit using a blender.
- Push the puree through a sieve into a bowl or jug to remove any seeds and fibrous bits. This will take some perseverance as you want to get as much puree through as possible
Cooking the Curd
- Make a double saucepan by taking a large sturdy saucepan, on top of which you can place a large pyrex (heat-proof glass) bowl so that it sits securely at the top of the pan. Place a few centimetres of water into the bottom of the saucepan and check that the bowl sits above this, without its base touching the water.
- Place the butter, all the remaining sugar, eggs and fruit puree into the bowl placed over the saucepan on a hob and begin to heat the pan.
- Bring the water to a simmer, while continually stirring the ingredients.
- Now turn the heat down to a low simmer and continue to stir, so that the steam under the ingredients is effectively cooking them very slowly. STIR CONTINUALLY. Do NOT turn up the heat and be really patient with the cooking process or you will scramble the egg.
- Keep stirring until the butter melts and the mixture thickens into a custard consistency which coats the back of the spoon and holds its thickness. This may take 15+ minutes.
- Once cooked, pour the curd into your sterile, warm jars and seal with lids immediately. Set aside to cool.
- Once cold, store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Apple Blackberry Curd shared with
- Cook Blog Share 2022 Week 7 with Glutarama
- What’s For Dinner #352 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Full Plate Thursday #576 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- Fiesta Friday #417 with Angie
- Sundays on Silverado #78 with the House on Silverado
The colour of this curd is awesome. Never had anything other than Lemon Curd and I use that in a few bakes of my own so this is really intriguing – on the to-make-list.
Thanks Rebecca. Curds with different fruits are such fun to make. Some work and some are less great… But this one was a winner.
What a delicious flavor combination! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – have a great rest of the week.
Thanks Helen. It’s quite Autumnal, but depending on where people are in world, seasons are at different times of the year, so seemed worth sharing xx
Thank you very much for entering TTT and Happy Christmas!
What a great combination of flavours – and that colour! Wowsers!
I know………. I want to decorate my walls with it! (The colour that is!!)
Wow what a fabulous colour and so festive. Amazing and I bet it tastes delicious.
Thanks Katie. I agree the colour is quite stunning………. Autumn in a jar, all dressed up for Christmas!
I feel so unbelievably Christmassy after looking at those photos, beautiful! And I'm imagining the taste of the blackberry curd, and it is delicious 🙂
Aimee / WallflowerGirl.co.uk
Delicious indeed!!!! All getting quite excited about Christmas now………………