Cucumbers can be a very abundant garden harvest. We eat them fresh by the bushel and can up dozens of quart jars of pickles and yet there are still so very many. Cucumber mint jam is a fun, tasty, and unusual way to use a few up.
A Quick-Cook Jam
Use pectin in this recipe instead of cooking until gel point is reached. A long cooking to reach gel stage is going to cook the cucumbers to death and likely leave a watery final product. Keep it quick with the addition of commercial pectin.
Sugar & Vinegar
Cucumbers are a low-acid vegetable. The addition of sugar and vinegar is key to raise the acidity level for canning. As much as I prefer a low-sugar jam, this is not the place for it.
The vinegar helps with acidity and mellows out the sweetness giving the final jam a great sweet and savory combination.
Pickling Versus Slicing Cucumbers
Pickling cucumbers tend to have less water than the slicing/salad types. It is for this drier texture that I choose to go with pickling cucumbers in this jam. One could try using slicing cucumbers but the additional water might make the final product a little less firm than a traditional jam.
How to Use Cucumber Mint Jam
This isn’t a jam, that a person is likely to slather on a peanut butter sandwich. It is a jam, however; that would:
make an excellent sandwich with some goat cheese and / or turkey
go wonderfully with some cheese and crackers
be delightful mixed in with some plain yogurt for a sweet / savory and filling lunch or snack
mix up well in this vinaigrette recipe (just swap out the strawberry jam for the cucumber mint)
Before all those summer cucumbers fade away consider whipping up some jam with this easy and quick recipe.
Cucumber Mint Jam
Make the most of an abundant cucumber harvest with this deliciously unusual and oh-so-easy- cucumber mint jam recipe with canning instructions included.
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Chopped Cucumber, peeled & seeded
- ½ Cup Lemon Juice
- ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 Cups Sugar
- 1 Box (1.75 oz) of Powdered Pectin
- 3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Mint
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine cucumbers, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and pectin. Bring to boil, mashing slightly with a spoon. Keep at a rolling boil for 1 minute.
- Add the sugar, all at once and bring to a boil again. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, skim off foam. Stir in mint.
- Pour into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Process for 10 minutes (adjusting for elevation) in a boiling water bath.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
96Serving Size:
1 TablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 37Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 0g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.
Amy
Saturday 2nd of December 2023
I came across your recipe this summer with an abundance of cucumbers from the garden. We love it, especially poured on top of cream cheese and served with Wheat Thin crackers (though I can eat it with a spoon too). The first time I made it, it was too liquidy after canning. I let it set for 2 weeks hoping it would gel. I realized that I shouldn’t have doubled it together and figured that was the problem. It did not set so I rebatched it with added sugar and pectin. Perfect! I peeled and seeded a ton of cucumbers and froze them to make more later. I made a new batch yesterday for Christmas gifts. I didn’t double and it still turned out too liquidy. So I’ll rebatch and probably just go ahead and add more sugar and pectin to the recipe in the future so that hopefully this won’t happen again. Thank you so much! We love it!
Maliegal
Tuesday 3rd of October 2023
I know this is an old post but….. I substituted the pectin for chia seeds and it’s a hit with everyone I gifted it to. This could also help with the thickening issue some people are having.
Bettie
Friday 22nd of September 2023
This is delicious. Shared with the ladies crochet group at the library using crackers and cream cheese with jam on top. They Loved it. I like it on peanut butter sandwich too. I know it would be fantastic with a meat dish but we don't cook as much any more. Making more today. Thinking Christmas presents. Thank you so much.
Kathie Lapcevic
Saturday 23rd of September 2023
Oh, I'm so tickled to hear it. Thank you for letting me know.
Susan
Thursday 21st of September 2023
I have made 2 batches of this jam this year and they are such a hit I will be making more this weekend. The cucumber is so mild in this recipe that I think it is a great base for other herbs too. I am considering a lemon thyme and lavender and can't wait to try a couple batches with basil and jalapeño.
Kathie Lapcevic
Saturday 23rd of September 2023
Oh I definitely think it would be good with other herbs. If you experiment let us know. I'm so glad to know that you liked the recipe.
Marcia
Thursday 14th of September 2023
WOW, just tried this recipe with a bumper harvest of Lemon Cucumbers. It turned out great! Just used a bit less mint, because hubby is not a fan (2 tbsp. instead of 3) and added a drop of Peppermint extract.
It’s a pale golden color instead of green. And Lemon Cucumbers are pretty much truly “burpless”, so I can tolerate them. Thanks for this unique recipe!
Kathie Lapcevic
Thursday 14th of September 2023
I'm so glad to hear it!