Early August is the best time to pick the Blackberries, picking only the larger berries that come off the bramble easiest. The smaller berries will not be so sweet! This makes approx. four jars of jam.
You will need.........
2lb Blackberries.
2lb Granulated Sugar.
100ml water with some honey mixed into it (just for extra taste and flavour).
A good dash of Lemon Juice.
A knob of butter.
A dinner plate left in the fridge to cool.
Preparation:
Make sure the Blackberries are clean and free from bugs. They can be soaked in salted water for an hour or so, then thoroughly washed and rinsed afterwards in cold water!
I personally don’t bother with this stage as they are all going to be boiled anyway!!
Prepare your jars: you will need a minimum of four empty jars (depending on their size) with lids. Ensure they are clean and sterilised. Warm in an oven on about 100 degrees C or keep in very hot water until needed.
Making:
Put all the ingredients except the butter and sugar into a large pan and cook on a medium heat until all the Blackberries are soft and cooked.
Turn up the heat a little and gently add the sugar a bit at a time until it is all dissolved.
Bring the fruit to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally and let the fruit simmer for about 10-12 minutes. A slight froth should start to appear as the fruit boils. (Do not feel tempted to increase the heat to boil quickly. The key is a gentle rolling boil).
Place a knob of butter on top of the fruit and stir across the top into the froth. The butter is used to break down the froth. If you still have excess froth then remove the frothy bubbles with a spoon.
After the 10 to 12 minutes and the froth removal - test the jam for setting. Place a small amount of jam on the plate taken out of the fridge. Leave for a few minutes and then tilt the plate and the jam should crinkle and not run. If the jam is still runny then boil gently for a further 2 minutes. Test again.
When you are satisfied that it is now ready remove from hob and allow to cool a little.
Remove a jar at a time from the hot water and dry with a clean tea towel and immediately fill up with the cooled jam (use a plastic jug to pour it into the jars). Just place the lid on top of the jar but do not screw on or tighten yet - this stops any dust etc from going into the jam whilst cooling.
Leave the jars for a few hours to cool down. Later, whilst still a little warm screw down the tops, no too tightly but airtight! Whilst now leaving to cool down completely there will be a vacuum formed inside the jar and this help to preserve the jam for a very long time!!
Label the jars and store in a cool place ready for use.
