Blackberry jam...

Like Granny used to make.

There’s something very nostalgic and rewarding making your own jam.

Makes: 6 jars

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What you need

1 kg (2¼lb) blackberries, picked over and any leaves discarded

1 kg (2¼lb) cooking apples, quartered, cored, peeled

300 ml (½pint) water

1.5 kg (3 lb 2 oz) granulated sugar

1 lemon, juice only

Small knob of butter, about 7 g (¼oz)

Method


Wash jam jars and place upside down in the oven at 100c to dry thoroughly. Place a small plate in the fridge for testing the jam later.

Peel and cut the apples into blackberry-sized pieces and add to a preserving pan or the largest saucepan that you have. Add the water and start to simmer gently. Add the lemon juice to the pan and cook until the apples are soft – around 5-8 minutes depending on the jam. Add the blackberries, stir and take the pan off the heat.

Still with the pan off the heat, stir in the sugar, until it has almost dissolved. You’ll know it’s dissolving when you don’t hear or feel the sugar scraping on the pan as much when you stir

When the sugar is almost completely dissolved, return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil. As it starts to boil, add the butter, which will help minimise and disperse any foam, which is a natural part of jam making.

Bring to a rapid, rolling boil for 15 minutes. Don’t be afraid of the rolling boil, this is crucial to producing a jam that will set.

Spoon a little jam on to a chilled saucer, as soon as it is cool, run a finger through the jam so that the saucer is visible. If the finger line remains and the jam wrinkles it is ready, if not boil a little longer and try again.

Ladle into the hot jars and fill until almost full to allow for shrinkage as the jam cools. If you’re sealing the traditional way, cover the surface of each jar with a waxed disc, with the shiny side downwards. Rinse a cellophane circle with a little water then put wetted side uppermost over the top of the jar and secure with an elastic band or add a screw topped lid. Label and leave to cool.

Guest Post Credits : Seasonal Berries