Jam flavour-combination Inspiration Sheet

I've been making a lot of jams over the past years and it's the season again! I've tried a lot of combinations of flavours and I thought I'd compile them all up into a 'simple' cheatsheet.  I love trying to come up with new unique flavours to see what works. The list is in no way intended to be a comprehensive list, but I hope it inspires you!


Fruits in alphabetical order:
All combinations of 2 fruits
All combinations of 3 fruits (suggestions)
All combinations of 4+ fruits
*Common combinations

Blackcurrants with lingonberries Blackcurrants with rosemary (and port) Blackcurrants with apple (and/or pear) Blackcurrants with strawberries and rasberries Blackcurrants with lemon verbena and strawberries or peach *Blackcurrants with other berries or 'forest fruits' (strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries)

*Cherries with kirsch Cherries with figs Cherries with star anise (and cinnamon and/or other spices)

Gooseberries with elderflowers Gooseberries with oranges *Gooseberries with other berries or 'forest fruits' (strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants)

Peaches with raspberries
Peaches with strawberries
Peaches with vanilla
Peaches with ginger and cinnamon
Peaches with lavender and honey 
Peaches with orange (and lemon)
*Peaches with apricots (and/or other stonefruits)
Peaches with cinnamon (and nutmeg and/or other spices)

*Skinless plums (milder flavour) Skinless plums with strawberries  Skinless plums with vanilla Plums with cherries Plums with kirsch Plums with walnuts (or chestnuts) *Plums with wine (or port) Plums with oranges and cardamom Plums with raspberries and strawberries Plums with cinnamon and port (or other spices and wine) Plums with other stone fruits such as peaches, cherries and nectarines *Plums with cinnamon (and other spices such as staranise, nutmeg, cloves)

Raspberries with peaches Raspberries with strawberries (and vanilla) Raspberries with violets (or rose) *Raspberries with any or all berries or 'forest fruits' (blackcurrants, cherries, gooseberries, cranberries)

Redcurrants with blackcurrents Redcurrants with cherries Redcurrants with raspberries Redcurrants with strawberries Redcurrants with any or all berries or 'forest fruits' (strawberries, blackcurrants, raspberries)

*Rhubarb with strawberries  Rhubarb with vanilla Rhubarb with earl grey tea and vanilla Rhubarb with oranges and apple Rhubarb with rose and cardamom

*Strawberries with vanilla *Strawberries with peaches *Strawberries with rhubarb Strawberries with champagne Strawberries with mint Strawberries with cinnamon Strawberries with passion fruit  Strawberries with rooibos tea Strawberries with rose(water) Strawberries with wine (or port) Strawberries with lavender (and honey) Strawberries with rosemary and/or thyme Strawberries with lemon and basil Strawberries with mango (and lime) Strawberries with wine (or port) and cinnamon

You can combine fruits (and other) depending on the flavour you want to achieve. For a sweet, warm flavour a jam made of strawberry and red wine or cinnamon is a good choice. For a fresh sweet 'spring' flavour combine peach and lime. To achieve a sour, hearty flavour a mix of blackcurrants, lingonberries and raspberries with perhaps a hint of port and rosemary can do the trick. Try contrasting flavours to balance a jam - for example lemon and orange can balance out the sometimes extreme sweetness of strawberries and make for a fresher jam.
Tip: Use whole spices. Put them in the pot during the cooking process, but take them out before you pour the jam into jars. Ground spices tend to mess up the flavour and texture and most likely will impart a stronger flavour in time.

Warm flavours: cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, cloves, port, (red) wine, vanilla, honey, ginger, kirsch, amaretto, figs, dates
Earthy flavours: coffee, chocolate, beetroot, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, whiskey
Hearty flavours: thyme, rosemary, rhubarb, whisky, chilli, oregano, juniper, blackcurrant, blackberry
Spice-y flavours: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, chilli
Sour flavours: blackcurrants, lingonberries, (raspberries), rhubarb, cranberries, tamarinde, kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit, redcurrants
Creamy flavours: peach, apricot, coconut, mango, banana
Floral notes: orange, lavender,  rose, grapes, apple, pear, figs, vanilla
Sweet flavours: strawberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries, vanilla, tamarinde, figs, dates, mango, pear
Citrussy notes: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, ginger, cardamo, lemon verbena
Fresh flavours: mint, lemon, lime, cardamom, basil, lemon verbena, lemongrass, grapefruit, pineapple, grapes, watermelon


Basically you can combine fruits with anything (edible) you can find: other fruits, flowers, herbs, spices, alcohols and even nuts and vegetables.

Why don't you stick around...
...and leave a comment below. I'd love to know what flavour combinations inspire you! What jams have you made recently? Follow me on Facebook or Twitter and/or come back soon for a new recipe!