AngAk, you mentioned blackberry jam.

L

lana-in-fl

Well-known member
Do you have a recipe? My SILs friend on Madeira gave me some blackberry jam years ago, and it was insanely good. (You see old women sitting on street corners there with their big buckets of squished blackberries that people buy to make jam.) She said she only used sugar and blackberries, but most of the recipes I can find include apple. I've tried this and it wasn't as good, even though it sets better because of the apple pectin. I don't want to wing this one - do you have a good recipe?

 
no recipe---I didn't get to make any last year. I would have used some pectin probably.

I think David Lebovitz has a strawberry jam recipe that uses just berries and sugar. Maybe use that as a guide for the blackberries. I still need to invest in a nice food mill that will remove most of the seeds---I prefer the seedless jams.

 
I make dozens of jars of Olallieberry jams and jellies every year. Here's what I do . . .

First, I never cook the berries down as you would with apples or other pectin-loaded fruit. The flavor changes dramatically and always tastes a little metallic to me. This recipe is really simple and is basically the recipe found inside the Sure-Jell package (unless I add flavorings or mix in other fruit). Yields 6-8 half-pint jars.

5 cups smashed ripe BLACKBERRIES
1 box SURE-JELL FRUIT PECTIN
1/2 tsp UNSALTED BUTTER
pinch of SALT
juice and zest of 1 LEMON (optional)

5 cups GRANULATED SUGAR

Under no circumstances should you change the amounts of fruit, sugar or pectin. Also, don't try to double this. Like in baking, if you mess with the chemical balance, the end product will taste okay but it won't set-up the way you'd like.

So, once you've sterilized your jars, lids and seals (if that's your preference) mix the berries, Sure-Jell, salt, butter and optional lemon products in a 6 quart sauce pot. (Copper is the best kind of pan for this because of its even heating but I've used stainless-steel lined aluminum which works fine. Because of the acid in the berries, I wouldn't use uncoated aluminum pans)

Bring slowly to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute, then add the sugar, stirring to mix thoroughly.

Bring this mixture back to a boil and when it's reached a "rolling" boil, (won't stop bubbling even when you stir it down) boil another couple of minutes and it's ready to be poured into jars.

If you want to remove some of the seeds (I usually don't) force the cooked mixture through a chinois or other large, fine-meshed metal strainer and process that. Know however, your yield will be considerably smaller.

Process as you prefer. I always do a water bath so the jars can be stored in a closet for at least a full year.

Good luck.

 
thanks Steve. I like to use the pectin too with berries so you don't have to cook them so long.

 
Thanks very much. I'll try this. I'll put the lemon in - I always do with strawberry jam.

I prefer it with the seeds - it just seems to have more flavor. I've never used pectin, so this will be an adventure for me.

 
Hi Lana,

With most of my jams, I use about 6:4 or 5 ratio, fruit pulp to sugar. I sometimes add a little lemon juice, rind, or orange rind to it.
Steve is right though, I have to cook it much longer than if you use pectin, but I don't like a hard jam, I like one that is a little softer, like thick honey consistency. The only jam or jelly that I use pectin with is pepper jelly (and I leave all the seeds and pulp in it, and don't use food coloring). Those are just my personal preferences. Let us know how it turns out. You might think about freezer jam. I have never made it, but people say it tastes must closer to the fresh fruit flavor.

 
Seeing I'm on summer break, maybe I'll try it both ways.

I think I will prefer the pectin-free jam, as it will be more like the one Rosa gave me, but I'll try it with pectin and see, and if I don't like it, I guess my neighbors will get jam! I have never made freezer jam, because I just love to see the jars in my kitchen cupboards!

 
LOL Tess!

I know what you mean. I made a bunch of dill pickles today and I have to keep going in shaking them and admiring them. They look so beautiful.
I tried doing some dill chunks today with my mom's recipe, one jar with sliced jalapenos and one regular. I hate waiting the three weeks until they are ready.
I am also making some pickled jalapeno slices and some hot banana peppers (pepperocinis?). The jalapenos turn out crispy and I am not sure what the banana peppers will taste like.

Just make sure you skim all the foam off the berry jam. Strawberry jam is a love/hate relationship with me because I have to get every bit of foam off so the jam is crystal red. It's worth the effort though.

 
Okay, so I'm about the try mulberry jelly tomorrow I think. I was wondering

if anyone has ever used Splenda to make jam/jelly? Or do you need the chemical compound of sugar for it to gel right?

And, freezer jam? That's just unprocessed jam that needs refrigeration/freezing because you can't leave it out in the cupboards because it's not sterilized, right? I will also google. Just wondered if anyone could teach me something. :eek:)

 
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