It will soon be the time of year when blackberries are ripe for picking. I love blackberries, but I’ve never tried making Blackberry Jam, so this year I decided to give it a go. Raspberry and Strawberry jams are my favourites, but you can preserve pretty much all fruit and vegetables by turning them into preserves such as jam or chutney.
Here’s a simple (you won’t believe how simple!) jam making method:
1.Preparation
You need to ensure your fruit is in good condition and is not over ripe. It needs to be young, firm, and without any damage or bruising. If you intend to use fruit for jam making, do it as soon after picking as possible. Wash the fruit and cut larger fruit into uniform smaller pieces.
2. Weigh your fruit
I suggest you have a minimum of 500g and a maximum of 2kg. Less, and it’s not worth making, more and it will be harder to get it to set.
3. Make sure you have an equal amount of sugar
So, if you have 1kg of fruit, make sure you have 1kg of sugar.
4. You can use Pectin (optional)
Pectin will be available from local shop and it helps your jam to set. That said, fruit contains pectin so it’s not really necessary in most cases. If you do use it, follow the quantities on the packet, and add it when you add the sugar.
5. Heat your ingredients
Take a large pan and gently heat the fruit and sugar, stirring continuously. You’re looking for the sugar to dissolve. Eventually you will achieve a smooth consistency. Keep stirring, you’re looking for it to congeal, which is the first sign it is close to being ready.
6. Testing it’s ready
Scoop out a small amount of the mixture using a teaspoon and put it to on a cold plate(chill it in the fridge first). It should thicken, and develop a skin which wrinkles after a minute or so. If it does, it’s ready. If it doesn’t, keep the mixture on the heat and retest until you can pass the test.
7. Storing
Once the jam is ready, spoon it into clean sterilised jars*, which should be hot when you do this. Tap the jars to get rid of any air bubbles and seal them immediately. If you are using metal lids, pop a waxed paper disk (ie grease proof paper) on top of the jam before securing the lid. Store in a cool dark place and it should keep for a year.
*Just like making wine and beer, you need to sterilise your equipment and your storage jars, to protect your finished jam and ensure it stores well.
