We Be Jammin: How to Make Wild Blackberry Jam
(As featured in the July 2008 issue of Practically Seeking)
This past month has seen a bumper crop of all kinds of berries in our part of New Jersey, as the folks who have been snacking on them during recent workshops will attest!
With a freezer full of blackberries and more to be picked every day we knew that Wild Berry Jam would be the perfect skill for this month.
Home-made jams and jellies are fresher, more flavorful, and best of all, no additives, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup!
We're lucky enough to live in an area that has a plethora of berry bushes all around, so can pick our own, however there are plenty of other options for those in the city, or other non-berry-filled environments so don't let that stop you! "Pick Your Own" farms, Farm Stands and Farmer's Markets are almost everywhere this time of year, and in a pinch even your local supermarket can provide the necessary berries.
The recipe we're using is a variation on one from an old copy of the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning, Preserving and Freezing. Since our berries are good and ripe we've chosen the powdered pectin recipe. (In order to rely on natural pectin you'll need at least some of your berries to be under-ripe, adjust the sugar-to-berry ratio and increase the cooking time.) However, pectins vary, so be sure to check the recipes that are included in your box of pectin and adjust based on that.
Now let's get Jammin!
Tips for Making a Successful Jam
- Remember that a great tasting jam starts with delicious fruit! Always select the finest ingredients you can get your hands on.
- Do not make a double recipe! Make only one batch at a time. Increasing quantities can often bring poor results, as recipes are developed for very specific proportions.
- The perfect jam is a delicate balance of liquid, acid, sugar & pectin. Sometimes even the most thoroughly tested recipe will fail through not fault of your own, A variation in the natural amount of acid or pectin in the fruit, or even a hot kitchen or high humidity can cause a batch to stay syrupy or turn grainy. So if your jam doesn't set just right, don't get discouraged.
- Altitude affects processing time. If you live above 1000 feet add 1 minute of boiling time for each 1000 feet of altitude.
Step-by-step Instructions for Making Blackberry Jam:
- Get yourself some good glass canning jars with new lid closures and well-fitting bands to ensure air tight seals. We are using some 4 oz jars (great for gift-giving) and some 1 pint jars.
- Prepare the jars by washing them in warm soapy water and rinse well to remove all the soap, or run them through the dishwasher. Also wash and rinse all the lids and bands. Keep the jars hot, either in a warm oven or hot water, until they are ready to be used. This will help to prevent thermal shock and keep the jars from breaking when they are filled with hot jam.
- Prepare your fruit by sorting to remove any stems, caps or under-ripe berries, then wash the ripe fruit. You'll need about 6-7 cups of fresh berries. Crush the berries thoroughly (a potato masher works great for this). If your berries are extremely seedy you can put some of them through a sieve to remove some of the seeds.
- Measure 5 cups of crushed blackberries into a saucepan. Add one package of powdered pectin and stir well.
- Put the saucepan onto high heat and bring the berry and pectin mixture quickly to a full boil, stirring constantly. Make sure you get bubbles over the entire surface. Quickly add 7 cups of sugar while continuing to stir.
- Return the mixture to a full-bubbling boil and boil hard for exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim any foam off the surface.
- Fill your jars with the hot jam to 1/8" from the top. Wipe the jar rim and threads clean and place the metal lid on the jar with the sealing ring touching the rim all the way around.
- Place the sealed jars on a canning rack and lower the rack into the canner. Make sure there is enough water in the pot to cover the jars by at least 1-2 inches. (We don't have a canner, so just carefully placed the jars into an enamel stock pot.) Cover and bring the water to a gentle boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars and place time on a towel or drying rack to cool. As they cool you should begin to hear the "pops" as the seals affix. After the jars have cooled completely, check the seals by pressing down on the middle of the lids. If the lid springs back the jar is not sealed and you'll have to either re-process or refrigerate it.
- Label each jar with the kind of jam inside and the date it was packed, and let it cool thoroughly &#S40;at least 24 hours) before breaking into a jar. Some jams may take several days to a week to fully set. Keep the jars stored in a cool, dry place out of any sunlight. The shorter your storage time the better, as fresher is always tastier!
