There are SO MANY recipes for jams, jellies, and preserves in my family's journals and recipe books. But, to be honest, they kind of intimidate me! I don't have a lot of experience with making jam nor do I have much experience with canning and preserving. However, I came across a single recipe, handwritten, for Blackberry Jam, and had to try it out.
I really love blackberries - when they're ripe and in-season. I don't mind the seeds at all but know some folks have an aversion to blackberries because they are so seedy. In this recipe, a sieve is used to remove the seeds.
I think this jam recipe is a great addition to cornbread, or slathered onto a slice of buttered wholegrain toast. Enjoy!
*Get these ingredients at your Illinois farmers market!
INGREDIENTS
Blackberries*
Sugar
Mason jars
DIRECTIONS
Mash the berries in a large sauce pot.
Cook over medium heat, in their own juice, until thoroughly heated.
Grab a sieve, and over a large glass bowl, press the blackberry mixture through the sieve in order to remove the seeds and fill the bowl with the juice and pulp.
Weigh the juice and pulp. For every 16 ounces (1 pint) you'll need to measure out one cup of sugar.
Add the pulp/liquid back to the sauce pot along with the appropriate amount of sugar.
Cook over medium-high heat, until thick, being sure to stir to prevent burning. Immediately remove from heat and pack and seal in mason jars.
If you're planning to use the jam right away then you can just place the sealed jar in the fridge. If you're planning to use it over time then you should preserve it using the hot packing method.
This recipe yields about one mason jar of blackberry jam.
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