Making Jam: Blackberry Jam using pectin

Using liquid pectin in this Blackberry Jam instead of the traditional long-cook method helps speed up the gel setting process.

This past weekend, we went tubing down a river in the North Georgia mountains and stopped by one of my favorite farms on the way back. I made off with a bunch of fruits and vegetables.  I went to get peaches, but the blackberries looked so good, I couldn’t pass them up.

I was going to make Blackberry cobbler, but the blackberry jam I made last year was such a hit with everyone that I decided to make some more. I opted to make this batch of blackberry jam using liquid pectin rather than the old-fashioned method (without pectin) because I also made salsa and marinara from my homegrown tomatoes and was a little bit tired of standing in the kitchen.

Blackberry Jam or Jams Made with Berries

Recipe from Keeping the Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs by Nancy Chioffi and Gretchen Mead

Yields: 8 or 9 half-pint jars

The neat thing about this recipe is that it can be used to make jam with blackberries, boysenberries, dewberries, strawberries, youngberries, loganberries, red raspberries, or gooseberries.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups crushed fruit – about 2 quarts fully ripe berries (or 3 3/4 cups fruit and 1/4 cup lemon juice for strawberries or other berries that lack tartness)
• 7 cups sugar (6 1/2 cups for loganberries and red raspberries; 6 cups for gooseberries)
• 1 pouch liquid pectin

Directions:

To begin with, I removed some of the seeds using my Foodmill.

Measure 4 cups fruit (or fruit and lemon juice) into a large saucepan and add sugar.

Bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin at once.

Skim off the foam with a metal spoon, then stir and skim for 5 minutes to cool slightly and prevent fruit from floating.

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, and seal.

Process in a hot-water bath for 5 minutes, up to 1,000 feet altitude.   If you live at a higher altitude or need more detailed instructions on water-bath canning, please refer to the instructions at the National Center for Home Preservation.

Remove the canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, let them sit on the counter overnight, then store.

 

Some references I use for canning

• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
• The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
• Keeping The Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
• National Center for Home Preservation

 

Happy Canning and Baking!
Cathy