Perfectly sweet with just a touch of heat Bam Bam Pomegranate Jam is delicious topping off bread & butter or your favorite PB&J. I use jam to make delicious homemade salad dressings too - it's so versatile!
For another great fall treat, try the Crock Pot Pumpkin Butter Recipe!
Here's how Bam Bam Pomegranate Jam came about. My hubby and I went for a walk in our neighborhood. Around the corner and about half a block away, our neighbors were unloading buckets and buckets of pomegranates!
Living here in the Central Valley makes for an abundance of fruits and vegetables all year long!
Anyway, back to our walk - you know I make friends wherever I go, so of course I struck up a conversation with the neighbors. Long story short, I came home with all of the pomegranates I could carry.
Big red orbs of deliciousness draped in my t-shirt which got completely stretched out of shape.
I was a happy gal!
My favorite thing I made with those pomegranates was this jam. I've made it several times now. I've played with the amount of "bam" in the jam and now like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this recipe is just right!
The "bam" in this recipe comes from chili powder and chili flakes. Not too much.... not too little. It took some experimenting.
The final jam is the perfect balance of sweet and warmth. It's not hot. It's not even spicy - the combination of spices adds a warmth to jam that is simply delicious!
To the pomegranate juice I added raspberries. The sweetness from the berries balances that light tart taste from the poms. Yep, this is my new favorite jam! It's low sugar too which makes it that much better.
It's a jam I shared with my family at Thanksgiving, I mean we had to have plenty of taste testing, right? Tough job, but somebody has to do it! 😉
If you want to make this jam to give as gifts, it's truly easy enough. If you want to save it until after the Holidays (and keep it all for yourself) you'll be happy you did! 😀
It's a wonderful jam to make in the winter. Pomegranates are in season at your market too - be sure to pin this one for after the craziness of the holidays.
This jam is delicious for toast & jam or PB&J's!
Serving suggestions
Did you know this? You can use jam to make the BEST homemade salad dressing. It adds a ton of flavor. Big shortcut and it tastes 100% better than what you buy at the store!
Here's one of my favorite recipes for salad vinaigrette. Instead of using marmalade just sub the pomegranate jam you made - yum!
I think you'll really love this Pomegranate Jelly Recipe - it's a delicious homemade jam that is packed with flavor.
Jam is a wonderful Hostess Gift and a great gift all year long! Everyone loves homemade gifts and one you can eat too, even better! YUM!
More Homemade Jam and Jellies to try!
- Orange Jelly - sweet sunshine in a jar!
- Apricot Pineapple Jam - so popular on the blog
- Strawberry Rhubarb Jam - this one is everyone's favorites!
To learn how make the BEST Homemade Jam please click here!
Bam Bam Pomegranate Jam
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups pomegranate juice
- 1 cup mashed raspberries
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon butter optional - the butter will keep the jam from foaming.
- 1.75 oz low sugar Sure Jell Be sure to use the pink "low sugar" package
Instructions
- Juice the pomegranates. You'll need 3 ½ cups of juice. Depending on the size of the poms, you'll need about three. Measure out exactly 3 ½ cups.
- Clean the raspberries mash them well. You'll need exactly 1 cup.
- Place jars, rings and lids into a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil and boil for three minutes to sterlilize, keep warm.
- In a heavy stock pot, place the pomegranate juice, raspberries, chili powder, chili flakes, salt & butter (if using). Mix everything together well.
- Measure ¼ cup of sugar and mix it with the contents of the Low Sugar Sure-Jell. Sprinkle it into the pomegranate/raspberries mixture. Mix well again and set it on the stove on high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- When it comes to a hard boil (a hard boil is one you can't stir down with spoon) add the remaining sugar.
- Continue stirring constantly and return it to a boil and when it comes back to a hard boil, continue boiling it for exactly one minute. (Set a timer to make sure you get it for a full minute).
- Remove from the stove & immediately ladle into sterilized jars. Place lids on jars, screw on tightly. Process in a hot bath (boiling water) for 10 minutes to seal the jars.
- The seeds of the raspberries rise to the top of the jars. If you want to spread the seeds thru-out the jar, flip them over every 20 minutes for about an hour. As the jam begins to set & jell the seeds will be distributed thru-out the entire jar, rather than just at the top.
- Makes 6-7 eight oz. jars.
Notes
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Nutrition
Recipe backstory
Ok! I know Christmas is in just three days but I have one last recipe for you!
Wait, please don't delete this email. Pomegranates are in season. You can make this after the holidays!
But because it is the Holidays and this just is just so gorgeous, delicious and festive - I want to share it with you today.
Brandi says
I'm so excited to try this pomegranate jam! My kids love sweet/hot things and this sounds like the perfect balance. It also sounds like a great holiday present for neighbors!
Holly says
The combination of sweet and heat in this pomegranate jelly recipe sounds like heaven!
Kristen says
This is one fruit I have never even TRIED (lol!), but this pomegranate jam recipe has piqued my curiosity! Looks amazing!
Rita Joy says
I have never heard of pomegranate jam before, but my goodness, it looks delicious ! And, I just love that it's a bit spicy, too. Someday I'll need to try this!
Alyssa says
I've never tried pomegranate jam before! I can't wait to give this a try.
Cynthia says
I've never had pomegranate jelly before, but I will be trying this! It looks incredible!
Lisa Meunier says
I absolutely cannot get over how yummy this is!! It took me forever to peel and juice the pomegranates using just my citrus juicer, but the cooking part was so fast it was worth it. I am making more since I already ate half a jar in two days (putting it on ice cream too -lol). Thank you so much!
Bowl Me Over says
That's awesome Lisa!! And after you've juiced all those pomegranates your kitchen is destroyed, right? Totally worth it! 😋
Brittany says
This pomegranate jam looks amazing! I can't wait to try it.
Brian says
I have made this recipe 3 times and it always turns out good. I have given the jam out to friends and most want more, hence the reason for the 3 batches.
Bowl Me Over says
That's awesome, the pomegranate jam is so good, really a special treat. I'm glad you're enjoying the recipe!
Ruth Alvarez says
I made pomegranate jelly a couple yrs ago. Soo good. But I’ve been looking for another recipe to try and this bam bam one sounds really good.
My question: can it be made using the regular pectin instead of the low sugar? (CERTO PREMIUM LIQUID PECTIN. or SURE JELL premium fruit pectin)
Bowl Me Over says
I have not made this myself using regular pectin, but I had a friend that did using sure-jell premium (powdered pectin) with five cups of sugar and she loved it and it set well. Enjoy the jam Ruth!
Haley says
So I have a questions…I made this for my second time last night, but instead of raspberries, I used strawberries….it didn’t set up?? What did I do wrong and can I salvage it??
Bowl Me Over says
Good morning Haley - we love that jam too, I'm sorry you had an issue this time. Yes, it can be saved.
So here's what you need to do. First I'd let it set, completely undisturbed for at least 48 hours. (During that time don't touch it, shake it, etc.) If it's still runny, then you need to open all of the jars and pour it back into your cooking pot. Add another package of pectin and bring the preserves to a boil. Boil EXACTLY one minute, remove from heat and ladle back into jars and seal.
You will need to wash the jars, they must be clean and sanitized along with the rings. You will have to use new lids, they cannot be re-used. Perhaps using strawberries instead of raspberries did it, or perhaps it wasn't boiled EXACTLY one minute. It's hard to say without me trying the strawberry combination. I'd be shocked if this didn't work. Give it a try and let me know ok? Good luck and enjoy the jam, you got this!!
Bowl Me Over says
Ooh, one more thing. There's a ton of FAQ's on this post about making jam and jelly - you might find this resource helpful as well. How to Make Jam: A Complete Guide.
Priscilla says
I cannot wait to try this recipe!!!
I still love your recipe for apricot pineapple jam. Have made this recipe for 2 years. The family loves it.
Ani says
I love this recipe. We had more pomegranates than we could use this year, so I had to find something to do with them. Although I had never made jam before, jam seemed to be the obvious solution. I adore pomegranates but normally pomegranate jam isn’t that great. This recipe is! The addition of raspberries and a little heat did wonders. Thank for a great recipe!!!
Bowl Me Over says
Ani what a wonderful message to start my day with! We love this jam too!! I think a lot of people think jam is scary or hard to make and it doesn't have to be. Thank you again for stopping by the blog - I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sharon says
Delicious! Do the jars of jam need to be refrigerated after you’re finished?
Bowl Me Over says
Hey Sharon that's great, I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe! As long as the jars have sealed, you do not need to refrigerate the jam. Just keep it in your pantry. Once it's been opened or if you didn't get a good seal then refrigerate the jam. It will keep up to three months and makes great holiday gifts!
Ani Kindall says
This was my very first time making jam and I am so happy with the results! Thanks for a great recipe!
Bowl Me Over says
Wonderful!! I think making this and the pepper jam are my start of the holidays every year. Enjoy the jam Ani - Happy Holidays!!
Maggie says
Hello- Do you think this recipe would be good with cherries instead of raspberries? I have left over sweet Rainier cherries from my cherry trees that I froze from when I picked them in May and would love to use them.
Bowl Me Over says
Yes, I think it would be fabulous! Just be sure to chop the cherries really well. I can't wait to hear how it turns out!
Shelia Gardenhire says
Can you use Splenda? Diabetic here but really want to make this.
Bowl Me Over says
I have made this with Splenda - I think it leaves a metallic taste. I also refrigerated the jam because I was afraid it wouldn't preserve. Many of my family members are diabetic, so I totally get it! You may not notice an off-putting taste. Good luck with the jam Sheila!
Shelia Gardenhire says
Thanks I’ll let you know..
Katy says
Hi - can you please explain your comment about using butter. It doesn't talk about it in the recipe but does in the directions. How much butter?
Thank you,
Katy
Bowl Me Over says
My apologies Katy, I just updated the recipe card - The butter will help the liquid from foaming as the jelly boils. There's nothing wrong with the foam, it's just not as pretty. If you prefer to not add butter, just skim the foam off the top of the jam.
Katy says
Hi Debra - I tried this over the weekend with my Mother in Law and followed the recipe exactly and the jam never set up and was runny. I'm going to try it again and I guess add a little more pectin. Fingers crossed - want to gift this and enjoy eating it with my family!
Bowl Me Over says
Katy, how many days has this set? I would give it a full week before reprocessing. When you do, open the jars and pour it back into a pan. Add 1 package Liquid Certo, bring to boil and boil hard for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and immediately ladle into sterilized jars. Be sure to wash and sterilize the jars again.
Also what type of pectin did you use?
Jen says
I’ve made this recipe twice now. Once without the chili. It took me both times 7 pomegranates thru my food mill to get 3.5 cups of juice. I have a tree and my pines are medium to large. Also, I added 1/8 teas cayenne pepper to the chili powder and flakes which gave it a warm heat. I think the chili powder gives the jam a hearty, slightly garlic flavor (since there is a mix of spices in chili powder) which is sort of weird tasting alone, but good on toast etc. I’m gonna try a third batch using just chili flakes and cayenne powder to omit the garlic taste. Solid recipe and makes 6 8oz mason jars perfectly. I’m gifting mine for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!
Bowl Me Over says
So glad you're enjoying this jam, it's so delicious! You have some lucky friends! Happy Holidays Jen!!