---
title: "Chilean Calafate Jam — Homemade Mermelada de Calafate Recipe"
description: "Calafate jam or preserve is a traditional recipe from Chilean Patagonia, where these fruits naturally grow and are a significant part of the culinary tradition."
url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/homedade-calafate-jam-recipe/
date: 2024-01-21
modified: 2026-06-30
author: "Carlos Uhart M."
image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Homedade-Chilean-Calafate-Jam-Recipe.jpg
categories: ["Sauces"]
tags: ["Jams", "Sauces"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Chilean Calafate Jam — Homemade Mermelada de Calafate Recipe

[Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-mermelada-de-calafate-chilena/)

![Homemade Chilean Calafate Jam Recipe](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Homedade-Chilean-Calafate-Jam-Recipe.jpg)*Homemade Chilean Calafate Jam Recipe*

Chilean calafate jam is a traditional Patagonian preserve made from the wild berries of the calafate shrub — slow-cooked until soft, strained to a smooth pulp, and reduced with sugar to a deep violet-colored jam, ready in 85 minutes. A cornerstone of Chilean and Argentine Patagonian culinary tradition, it delivers around 300 calories per serving and a unique tart-sweet flavor with berry and floral notes found nowhere else in the world.

## How to Make Calafate Jam?

Calafate jam is made in two stages: first, the berries are cooked in water until completely soft; then the pulp is filtered through a fine sieve or cloth to remove seeds and skins before being reduced with sugar into jam. The filtering step is essential — calafate seeds are small and numerous, and the skins are tough, both of which produce a gritty, unpleasant texture in the finished jam if not removed. The amount of sugar depends on the ripeness and natural sweetness of the berries.

## Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean calafate jam contains approximately 300 calories, 70 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of fats, 1 g of protein, 3 g of fiber, 65 g of sugars, and 5 mg of sodium.

## Homemade Calafate Jam Recipe

**Preparation:** 15 minutes

**Cooking:** 70 minutes

**Servings:** 6 people

### Ingredients

- 1 kg of calafate berries
- 1 liter of cold water
- Sugar (to taste, approximately 300–500 g depending on berry sweetness)

### Instructions

1. Wash the calafate berries thoroughly in cold water, place them in a pot, and cover with the water. Heat over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for about an hour until the berries are completely soft and beginning to break down.
2. Strain the cooking water and reserve the softened berries in a bowl. Mash them with a potato masher or fork until you obtain a relatively homogeneous pulp.
3. Filter the calafate pulp through a fine sieve or a clean cloth into a pot, pressing gently to extract as much juice and pulp as possible. Optionally, process the remaining solids with an immersion blender and strain again to maximize yield.
4. Taste the strained pulp and add sugar to taste — start with 300 g and adjust. Ripe calafate berries can be naturally very sweet and may need little additional sugar. Add a cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and stir continuously until you reach the desired jam consistency — test by dropping a small amount on a cold plate; it should wrinkle when pushed.
5. Pour the hot jam into sterilized jars. Seal immediately and invert the jars upside down for 5 minutes to create a vacuum seal. Let cool completely before storing.
6. Serve calafate jam with homemade bread, desserts, or as an accompaniment to grilled meats. Refrigerate after opening.

## Additional Tips

### Filter through cloth, not just a sieve — seeds and fine skin ruin the texture

Calafate berries contain numerous small, hard seeds and fine skin fragments that pass through a standard kitchen strainer. Filtering the mashed pulp through a clean cotton cloth or a fine-mesh nylon produces a completely smooth, seed-free jam. Fold the cloth over the mashed pulp, gather the edges, and allow the juice to drip into the pot by gravity for 10 to 15 minutes — then press gently to extract the remaining pulp without forcing seeds through. A smooth calafate jam has an intense, jewel-like violet color; a poorly filtered one is grainy and unattractive.

### Add sugar at the end, after tasting — ripe calafate can be naturally very sweet

Unlike strawberry or blueberry jam where the sugar-to-fruit ratio is predictable, calafate berries vary enormously in sweetness depending on ripeness and growing conditions. Wild-harvested Patagonian calafate in full season can be very sweet; cultivated or early-season berries are often sharply tart. Taste the strained pulp before adding any sugar — then add in increments of 50 g, stirring and tasting after each addition. A slightly tart calafate jam (with less sugar) is considered superior by many Patagonian cooks, as it preserves the berry’s characteristic wild sourness.

### Invert the sealed jars immediately — creates a natural vacuum without water-bath canning

Pouring hot jam (above 85°C) into pre-sterilized jars and immediately sealing them, then inverting them upside down for 5 minutes, creates a practical home vacuum seal as the hot contents contract during cooling. This method is sufficient for jams stored in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months. For longer storage (up to 12 months), process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes after sealing. Always check the seal before consuming — the center of the lid should not flex when pressed.

| Ingredient | Substitution and result |
| --- | --- |
| Calafate berries | Blackcurrants or blueberries — similar tart berry flavor; adjust sugar down slightly |
| White sugar | Panela (chancaca) — more complex, caramel-like flavor; darker color in the jam |
| Water (initial cooking) | Apple juice — adds pectin that helps the jam set; sweeter result |
| Sugar (reduction) | Honey — use 75% of quantity; adds floral notes; shorter shelf life |

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### 1. What is calafate and where does it grow?

Calafate — Berberis microphylla — is a thorny shrub native to the Patagonian steppe of southern Chile and Argentina, bearing small, deep violet-blue berries in late summer (January to February in the Southern Hemisphere). It grows wild in the cold, windswept landscapes of the Magallanes region, Tierra del Fuego, and the Argentine Lake District, as well as at altitude in the Andes as far north as the O’Higgins region. The berry is also cultivated in small quantities in southern Chilean and Argentine gardens. Outside Patagonia, it is rarely available commercially.

### 2. What does calafate taste like?

Calafate has a sharp, tart flavor with berry notes similar to blackcurrant — intensely fruity and slightly astringent, with a deep floral undertone that becomes more pronounced when the berries are fully ripe. When cooked into jam, the sharpness softens and the flavor develops a concentrated, complex sweetness that is compared to blueberry jam with more acidity and more complex aromatic depth. The deep violet color of the cooked jam is visually striking and is due to the high anthocyanin content of the berries.

### 3. What is the legend of calafate?

The most famous legend associated with calafate says that anyone who eats the berry will inevitably return to Patagonia. The legend has indigenous Tehuelche and Mapuche roots — calafate was an important food and medicine for the peoples of the Patagonian steppe, and the story of the berry’s “magnetic” power reflects the spiritual relationship between indigenous communities and their landscape. Today the legend is widely cited in Chilean and Argentine tourism, and calafate has become a symbol of Patagonian identity — its image appears on regional products, restaurants, and souvenirs across southern Chile and Argentina.

### 4. How long does calafate jam keep?

Properly sealed calafate jam keeps for up to 3 months in a cool, dark place, or up to 6 months refrigerated after the initial seal. For 12-month shelf life, process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Once opened, consume within 2 to 3 weeks and keep refrigerated. The high sugar content acts as a natural preservative; jams with less sugar (lighter versions) have a shorter shelf life and should be consumed within 4 to 6 weeks of opening.

## What Is Chilean Calafate Jam?

Chilean calafate jam — mermelada de calafate — is a Patagonian preserve made from the wild berries of the calafate shrub (Berberis microphylla), cooked, strained, and reduced with sugar into a deep violet-colored jam with a tart, intensely fruity flavor. It is one of the most distinctive artisanal food products of the Chilean south, made from a berry that grows wild only in the Patagonian steppe and Andean foothills, and represents the tradition of gathering and preserving wild seasonal fruits that is central to Patagonian rural life. Calafate jam is a sought-after souvenir and specialty product from Chilean Patagonia, appearing in artisanal food markets, eco-lodges, and regional restaurants across the Magallanes and Aysén regions.

## History of Calafate in Chilean Patagonia

Calafate berries have been gathered and consumed by the indigenous peoples of Patagonia — the Tehuelche, Kawésqar, and Mapuche-Tehuelche — for thousands of years. The berry was used as a food source during the Patagonian summers, eaten fresh, dried for winter storage, and used in fermented beverages. The Spanish name “calafate” may derive from the Arabic “qalfat” (to caulk or seal), reflecting the plant’s traditional use in boat-caulking with its resin in the Strait of Magellan region. European settlers and Chilean colonists who arrived in Patagonia during the 19th century adopted calafate gathering as a family tradition — the late-summer calafate harvest became a communal activity, with families collecting baskets of berries in the wild to make jams and preserves for the winter. This tradition continues today, and homemade calafate jam remains the most direct connection that Patagonian families maintain with their foraging heritage.

## Did You Know?

Collecting calafate berries is a traditional family activity in Chilean and Argentine Patagonia, where grandmothers and mothers are considered experts in the art of preparing this delicious jam to accompany homemade bread. The calafate shrub is such an important symbol of Patagonia that the main city of Argentine Patagonia — El Calafate, in Santa Cruz province, the gateway to the Perito Moreno Glacier — was named after the berry, reflecting the plant’s deep cultural significance in the region.

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