Marionberry Jam in the Bread Machine

I've had the bread machine for awhile, and until today, haven't attempted the Jam course.  Why?  Due in part to not having a big desire to can it and that the girls aren't really into jams/jellies yet, the idea of making homemade jam has interested me, but there hasn't been a compelling need.  Until now.  I have a bunch of spinach that I need to use!

What does spinach have to do with jam?

Well...my meal plan for the week didn't include spinach, and I had this fabulous organic bunch that I needed to use.  I have this recipe book called Deceptively Delicious, where the basic premise is to "sneak" fruits and vegetables in everyday food by incorporating pureed versions of those healthy varieties into the meal.  I haven't made anything in it yet because the girls actually like fruits and vegetables (for now).  But the light bulb went off with this bunch of spinach, and I flipped through the cookbook and found a recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Bars that called for spinach puree.  And, my husband is starting to bring lunches to work, and oatmeal bars is a great snack to put in there!  Bonus!!!!

Again, where does making oatmeal bars fit into making jam in the bread machine?

Okay, okay, I digress.  The recipe called for 1 cup of blueberry preserves (which I didn't have), but I did have marionberries (similar to a blackberry) that I froze earlier this summer.  The blackberries thawed, and I used the Jam Cycle in my bread machine to make homemade preserves!  Here it is:


Marionberry Jam in the Bread Machine

2 1/2 cups marionberries
1.75 oz. box powdered fruit pectin
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Add all ingredients to the bread machine.  Incorporate the sugar and let sit for 15 minutes so the sugar dissolves.  Start the Jam Cycle, and 1 hour and 20 minutes later - Voila!  You have jam!  And it tasted absolutely fabulous - I can't believe I waited this long to make jam.  Here's a note my bread machine users:  your output isn't that much (3-4 cups at the most) because the mixture has to be pretty much even with the blades.  So for this recipe, I canned one jar, and put the rest in the recipe:  Blueberry Oatmeal Bars with Spinach.  The bars are cooling now...I'll post a comment to let you know how they taste (and whether anyone can detect the spinach)!