In the early summer, the kids often pick red blackberries. We enjoy them and occasionally have enough for a mixed berry jam. Oma told us the other day of a blackberry farm that had you pick berries for a very good price. We enjoyed picking around 30 pounds of blackberries and ate a pound or two also. They were very good.
Not wanting the berries to go to waste, we froze some, made fruit leather with some and Adrian made a pie. We used most of the berries for jam. It is wonderful on fresh sourdough bread! There are a lot of seeds in blackberries. If desired, strain part or all of the seeds.
This is a small batch jam recipe that uses very little sugar. For a sweeter jam, see notes.
- 10 cups blackberries
- 2-4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
- 1/4 cup sugar optional
- 4 tsp pectin like surejel (optional)
- Wash blackberries in a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Remove any debris, rinse and then let sit to drain water.
- Place a small plate in the freezer to check if jam is ready later.
- In sauce pan, with extra room for jam to foam, mash blackberries.
- If desired, run through a berry screen to remove seeds.
- Add sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer the jam until it reaches gel stage, stirring to keep the bubbles down.
- It should take 20-30 minutes.
- Spoon a small amount of jam on frozen plate and place back in the freezer.
- After a minute check if the jam "wrinkles" when pushed.
- If it does, jam is ready. If not simmer a little longer.
- For thicker jam, mix together pectin with 1/4 cup sugar.
- Stir in boiling jam and then boil for one additional minute.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Remove foam.
- Pour jam into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
- Store any unsealed jars in fridge and use within a few weeks.
Feel free to double this recipe, but do not increase past that. It is better to make 2 or more batches or the jam may not jell properly.
To make a sweeter jam, add equal parts sugar and berries and follow the above directions. The yield will be greater with more sugar.