One of the many awesome things about the place I worked for the summer in Switzerland was the airport right next to my lab building. And one of the many awesome things about that airport is that on the road just after it, there are dozens of wild blackberry bushes that nobody touches. I had so many fresh, sun-ripened blackberries from those bushes this summer, and this is the first of three posts where I’ll explain just some of what I ended up doing with all of them!
This jam was delicious the way I first made it, which was exactly according to the instructions here, but it contained a bit more sugar than I usually like. Next time, I’ll replace a large portion of it with honey or some other natural sweetener, and skip the Splenda recommended in the no-sugar version. For a first attempt at jam, though, this stuff jelled beautifully with no trouble at all, thanks to the pectin we put in, and tasted absolutely marvelous. For any attempt at jam, it was delicious, but especially for a first attempt!
Wild Blackberry Jam
(Recipe from the much, much more thorough article at Pickyourown.org)
1.5 L blackberries, washed under cold water
4.25 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 packet fruit pectin (can be bought at supermarkets)
Clean the canning jars with very hot water or in a dishwasher; if you’ll be storing them on the shelf, use brand-new lids. Set the jars upside down on a rack over a pot of boiling water for about ten minutes to sterilize them.
Rinse your berries clean.
If you’ve got a Foley mill, use it to crush the berries, or if you haven’t, then use a potato masher, upside-down drinking glass, your child’s fists, whatever.
Mix the pectin with 1/4 c of the sugar, and stir that mixture into the berries. Heat over medium to high heat, stirring constantly, until the mix reaches a full, rolling boil.
If you’re planning to store the jam on the shelf, heat the lids right now, in a pan of hot-but-not-boiling water for a few minutes; this softens the gummed surface so it can seal to the jar.
Add the remaining four cups of sugar, bring the mix slowly back to a boil, and boil hard for one minute.
Remove from heat and test for doneness, using a cold metal tablespoon: take a half spoon of the hot mixture, let it cool on the spoon, and if it thickens to the consistency you like, move on to the next step; if not, add more pectin, bring it to a boil for one more minute, and test again. Repeat until the jam reaches the desired consistency.
Fill the jars to 1/4 in. (6 mm) with hot jam, put the lids (and rings?) on; if you’re keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer, you can be done with them right now. If you want to keep them on the shelf, then completely submerge the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes, or longer if you’re at higher altitude. I skipped the last step myself, and am keeping my jam in the fridge.
You’re done! Jam stores for about a year, but tastes weird after 5-6 months, I’ve heard. But I’ve never been able to keep mine around for that long, so, of course, I don’t know. . . enjoy!
