Processing: Boiling Water Canner 10 minutesStorage: 12 months+
Yield: 7-8 cups per batch
Enjoy this blackberry jam on hot toast, scones or add to baked goods. With seeds, or without, your family will love this jam - or try out one of our flavour variations.
Ingredients:
3lbs (1.3kg) blackberries
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons powdered pectin
5 2/3 cups sugar
Simmer fruit until soft.
Wash fresh blackberries (if using) and drain. Discard stems. Place into a large pot with the water. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until very soft. Mash mixture, running through a food mill to remove excess seeds, if desired.
Prepare jars.
Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill.
Make jam.
Whisk pectin into blackberry puree. Bring to a boil, as high as possible, then add the sugar all at once. Bring to a rolling boil (mixture will foam and will not subside) and hold at the rolling boil for 1 minute. Then turn the heat off and rest for a minute then skim foam from the surface (if any).
Prepare lids.
Place lids into a bowl of boiled water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
Immediately ladle the hot jam into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, check headspace is correct, then wipe rims with damp paper towel and seal.
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.
FLAVOUR IDEAS:
- Use fresh or frozen blackberries;
- Add 1/4 cup lime juice and or lime zest;
- Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and or lemon zest;
- Substitute part of the sugar for brown sugar;
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or vanilla extract
- Infuse with a cinnamon stick or mint leaves (tied in a spice bag);
- Add 2-3 tablespoons honey (and cinnamon if you like).
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOGRAPHS HERE